You have tasks and projects in Asana and want to move them into Notion. Asana does not offer a direct export option for Notion, and Notion does not have a one-click Asana importer. This article explains how to export your Asana data as CSV files and import them into Notion databases. You will learn the exact steps, the data that transfers, and the limitations you need to plan for.
Key Takeaways: Importing Asana Projects into Notion
- Asana > Export > CSV: Export each project individually as a CSV file from Asana’s project menu.
- Notion > Import > CSV: Use Notion’s built-in CSV importer to create a new database from the exported file.
- Manual mapping of columns: Asana fields like Assignee, Due Date, and Subtasks require manual reformatting or re-creation after import.
How Asana Export and Notion CSV Import Work
Asana allows you to export a single project’s tasks to a CSV file. This export includes task names, descriptions, assignees, due dates, tags, and custom fields. Notion can import CSV files and create a new database with columns matching the CSV headers. The import process does not preserve Asana’s project hierarchy, dependencies, or comments. All data becomes flat rows in a Notion database. You must manually map Asana-specific fields to Notion property types such as Select, Date, or Person. The import works best for simple task lists without complex relationships.
Steps to Import Asana Projects into Notion
- Export a single project from Asana
Open the project in Asana. Click the downward arrow next to the project name at the top. Select Export from the menu. Choose CSV as the format. Asana downloads a .zip file containing a CSV file and a folder with attached files. Extract the CSV file to your computer. - Open Notion and create a new page for the database
In Notion, navigate to the workspace or page where you want the imported database. Click the + button next to the page title in the left sidebar. Choose Import from the menu. A dialog box appears with several import options. - Select CSV as the import source
Click the CSV option in the import dialog. Notion opens a file picker. Navigate to the CSV file you extracted from Asana and select it. Notion begins processing the file and shows a preview of the data. - Review the column mapping preview
Notion displays a table preview with your CSV columns. Each column header becomes a database property. Check that date columns are recognized as Date type. Text columns become Title or Text properties. If a column is mapped incorrectly, you cannot change the type during import. You must adjust the property type after the import completes. - Complete the import
Click the Import button at the bottom of the preview window. Notion creates a new database page inside the current page. The database contains all rows from the CSV file. Attached files from Asana are not imported. You must manually upload them to each Notion page.
Importing multiple Asana projects
You must repeat the export and import process for each Asana project. Notion does not support batch import of multiple CSV files at once. After importing each project into a separate database, you can move rows between databases or create a linked database view to consolidate them.
Handling Asana subtasks
Asana exports subtasks as separate rows in the CSV file. The Parent Task column shows the parent task name. In Notion, these rows appear as independent database items. To restore the parent-child relationship, you must create a relation property between databases or use the parent task name as a text field and manually link pages.
Common Import Issues and How to Work Around Them
Assignee column shows names instead of Notion people
Asana exports the assignee as a text string like John Doe. Notion imports this as a Text property. To convert it to a Person property, delete the imported column after import. Then add a new Person property and manually assign each task to the correct workspace member.
Due date format is not recognized
Asana exports dates in the format YYYY-MM-DD. Notion usually recognizes this format correctly. If a date column imports as Text, change the property type to Date after import. Click the column header in the database, select Properties, and change the type to Date. Notion attempts to parse the text into a date. If the format is inconsistent, you must manually correct each entry.
Custom fields do not map to Notion property types
Asana custom fields like Dropdown, Number, or Text become plain Text properties in Notion. After import, you must change each property type to the correct one. For dropdown fields, create a Select property and add the options manually. Then copy the values from the old Text column to the new Select column and delete the old column.
Attached files are missing
Asana includes file attachments in the exported .zip folder, but Notion’s CSV import does not process them. You must open each task page in Notion and upload the files manually. For large projects, consider using a cloud storage link in the task description instead.
Asana Export vs Notion Import: Data Fidelity Comparison
| Data Element | Asana Export (CSV) | Notion Import Result |
|---|---|---|
| Task name | Exported as text | Becomes the Title property |
| Description | Exported as plain text with basic formatting | Imported as Text property, formatting lost |
| Assignee | Exported as full name text | Imported as Text, must be manually changed to Person |
| Due date | Exported as YYYY-MM-DD | Imported as Date if format is consistent |
| Subtasks | Exported as separate rows with parent task name | Imported as independent rows, no relation created |
| Comments | Not included in CSV export | Not imported |
| File attachments | Exported as separate files in .zip | Not imported, must be uploaded manually |
| Custom fields | Exported as text columns | Imported as Text, must be changed to correct property type |
| Dependencies | Not exported | Not imported |
Conclusion
You can move your Asana projects into Notion using CSV export and import. The process works best for simple task lists without complex dependencies or file attachments. After import, you will need to adjust property types, reassign people, and upload files manually. For future projects, consider using Notion’s API or a third-party migration tool like Unito if you need to preserve comments and subtask relationships.