How to Import a SharePoint List Into a Notion Database With Properties

You have a SharePoint list with dozens of columns, and you want to bring that structured data into a Notion database while keeping every column mapped to the correct Notion property type. Without a direct import method, many users paste raw text and lose all column formatting, dates, and relations. This article explains how to export your SharePoint list to CSV, transform the data so Notion recognizes each column as a distinct property, and import it into a new Notion database with all fields intact. You will learn the exact export settings, CSV formatting rules, and property mapping steps that preserve your list structure.

How a SharePoint List Maps to Notion Database Properties

A SharePoint list is a table of rows and columns. Each column has a data type: single line of text, number, date and time, choice, yes/no, person or group, and so on. Notion databases use similar property types: Title, Text, Number, Date, Select, Multi-Select, Checkbox, and Relation. When you export a SharePoint list to CSV, each column becomes a column in the CSV file. The first row of the CSV contains the column headers. Notion’s CSV import reads those headers and creates a property for each one. It then assigns a property type based on the data in the first few rows. For example, a column with date values becomes a Date property. A column with only numbers becomes a Number property. A column with mixed text becomes a Text property. This automatic mapping works well for simple types but may not detect Choice columns as Select properties. You must prepare the CSV so that Notion interprets choice values as Select options.

Prerequisites for the Import

You need a SharePoint Online or SharePoint Server list with at least one row of data. You need a Notion account with workspace owner or editor permissions. You also need a tool to edit CSV files: Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or a plain-text editor works. Do not use a text editor that adds hidden formatting characters.

Steps to Export a SharePoint List and Import It Into a Notion Database

Follow these steps in order. Do not skip the CSV preparation step, or your Notion database will have incorrect property types.

Step 1: Export the SharePoint List to CSV

1. Open the SharePoint list
   Navigate to your SharePoint site and open the list you want to export. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner and select List settings.
2. Start the export
   In the List settings page, scroll to the Permissions and Management section. Click Export to CSV. The browser downloads a file named after your list with a .csv extension.
3. Open the CSV file
   Open the downloaded CSV in Excel or Google Sheets. You will see all columns as headers in the first row. Each row below is a list item.

Step 2: Prepare the CSV for Notion Import

1. Rename column headers to match Notion property names
   Notion uses the first row as property names. If your SharePoint column is named “Task Name”, rename it to “Task Name” or any name you want. Avoid special characters like slashes or brackets. Keep headers short and unique.
2. Ensure date columns use a standard format
   SharePoint exports dates in a format like “1/15/2025 2:30 PM”. Notion can parse this. If your dates appear as text, reformat the column in Excel to a date format: right-click the column, choose Format Cells, and select Date. Use the format “MM/DD/YYYY” or “YYYY-MM-DD”.
3. Convert choice columns to plain text
   SharePoint Choice columns export as the selected option text. Notion will create a Text property for these. If you want a Select property, you must change the column to a single text value. Remove any extra spaces or line breaks in the cells. If a cell has multiple choices separated by semicolons, Notion will treat the entire string as one value. To create a Multi-Select property, separate each choice with a comma in the CSV cell. For example: “Option A, Option B”.
4. Remove columns you do not need
   Delete any columns that you do not want in Notion. Common columns to remove include Attachments, ID, Content Type, and Modified By. Keeping only necessary columns reduces import errors.
5. Save the CSV as UTF-8
   In Excel, go to File > Save As. Choose CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv). This ensures special characters like accented letters display correctly in Notion.

Step 3: Import the CSV Into Notion

1. Open Notion and create a new page
   In your Notion workspace, click the + New Page button in the left sidebar. Type a name for your new database, such as “SharePoint Tasks”.
2. Start the import
   On the empty page, click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner. Select Import. From the list of import sources, choose CSV. Notion opens a file picker.
3. Select the prepared CSV file
   Navigate to your UTF-8 CSV file and select it. Click Open. Notion begins processing the file. A progress bar appears. When the import finishes, Notion creates a new database with your data.
4. Verify property types
   Click the property header of each column. Notion assigns a property type automatically. For example, a column with dates becomes a Date property. A column with numbers becomes a Number property. If a column shows as Text but you want Select, click the property type dropdown and change it to Select. Then add the individual options manually or use the values already in the column. Notion does not convert existing text values to Select options automatically; you must edit the property type and then click the “Convert to Select” button that appears.
5. Check for missing or incorrect data
   Scroll through the database rows. Look for empty cells where SharePoint had data. If a cell is empty, the CSV may have had a blank value. Edit the row in Notion to fill in the missing value. If a date appears as text, change the property type to Date and then re-enter the date manually for affected rows.

Common Issues When Importing a SharePoint List Into Notion

Date Columns Show as Plain Text After Import

This happens when the CSV date values are not in a date format that Notion recognizes. Open the CSV in Excel, select the date column, and apply a date format such as MM/DD/YYYY. Save the file as UTF-8 CSV and re-import. Alternatively, after import, change the Notion property type from Text to Date and manually correct each row. To avoid this, always format date columns in Excel before saving the CSV.

Choice Columns Become Text Instead of Select

Notion does not automatically detect Choice columns as Select properties. After import, click the property header, change the type to Select, and click “Convert to Select”. Notion will create a Select option for each unique value found in the column. If the column had multiple values in one cell, Notion treats the entire string as one option. In that case, you must split the values into separate rows or use a Multi-Select property. To use Multi-Select, edit the CSV so that each value is separated by a comma, then import again. After import, change the property type to Multi-Select and convert.

Person or Group Columns Lose Names

SharePoint exports person or group columns as display names or email addresses. Notion imports these as plain Text. Notion does not have a built-in People property that syncs with SharePoint identities. To work around this, create a Text property in Notion and paste the names. If you need a relation to a Notion user database, you must manually create a Relation property and link each row to a user page. This is a limitation of the CSV import method.

CSV Import vs Third-Party Integration Tools

Item	CSV Import (Free)	Third-Party Tools (e.g., Zapier, Make)
Cost	Free	Requires paid subscription after free tier
Setup time	10-15 minutes	30-60 minutes
Property mapping	Manual CSV editing needed for Select types	Automatic mapping with field picker
Data refresh	Must re-export and re-import for updates	Can schedule automatic sync
Person/Groups support	Not supported	Limited, usually maps to text

The CSV method works best for one-time imports or when you have full control over the data. Third-party tools are better for ongoing synchronization but require a paid plan and more configuration.

You can now import a SharePoint list into a Notion database with all properties mapped correctly. Start by exporting the list to CSV, edit the file to fix date formats and choice columns, then import into Notion using the CSV import option. For future imports, consider using the Notion API or a third-party integration to automate the process. An advanced tip: after import, create a Notion template button that pre-fills property values from your SharePoint data, so new entries match the original list structure.