Syntax Options Input file path (defaults to stdin if not specified) Short flag: -i
Skip existing issues instead of updating them
Show what would be imported without making changes
Examples Import from File
Import from Stdin
Skip Existing
Dry Run
# Import issues from a file tracer import --input issues.jsonl
Behavior The import command:
Reads JSONL format (one JSON object per line)
For each issue:
If issue ID exists:
Default : Updates the existing issue with new dataWith --skip-existing : Leaves the existing issue unchanged
If issue ID doesn’t exist: Creates a new issue
Imports dependencies, avoiding duplicates
Reports statistics on created, updated, and skipped issues
Output Standard Import ✓ Import complete: Created: 5 Updated: 12
Import with Skip Existing ✓ Import complete: Created: 5 Updated: 0 Skipped: 12
Dry Run Dry run: would import 17 issue(s)
The import command expects JSONL (JSON Lines) format, where each line is a complete JSON object:
{ "id" : "bd-1" , "title" : "Implement authentication" , "description" : "Add OAuth support" , "status" : "open" , "priority" : 1 , "issue_type" : "feature" , "assignee" : "" , "created_at" : "2025-03-01T10:00:00Z" , "updated_at" : "2025-03-01T10:00:00Z" , "dependencies" :[]} { "id" : "bd-2" , "title" : "Design auth schema" , "description" : "" , "status" : "open" , "priority" : 1 , "issue_type" : "task" , "assignee" : "[email protected] " , "created_at" : "2025-03-01T09:00:00Z" , "updated_at" : "2025-03-01T09:00:00Z" , "dependencies" :[{ "issue_id" : "bd-2" , "depends_on_id" : "bd-1" , "type" : "parent-child" , "created_at" : "2025-03-01T09:05:00Z" , "created_by" : "system" }]}
Empty lines in the input file are skipped. Malformed JSON will cause the import to fail with an error message.
Use --dry-run first to verify the import will work as expected before making changes to your database.
Use Cases Backup and Restore # Backup tracer export --output backup- $( date +%Y%m%d ) .jsonl # Restore tracer import --input backup-20250304.jsonl
Migration Between Systems # On source system tracer export --output migration.jsonl # Transfer file to destination system # On destination system tracer import --input migration.jsonl
Selective Import # Import only specific issues using jq tracer export --status closed | \ jq 'select(.priority <= 1)' | \ tracer import
