How to Import Your Goodreads Library into BacklogBox
Moving your reading history from Goodreads to BacklogBox takes about 2 minutes. Export a CSV from Goodreads, upload it, and your entire library shows up on a Kanban board — ratings, read dates, and all.
What You Need
- A Goodreads account with books on your shelves
- A BacklogBox account (the 14-day Pro trial works)
Step 1: Export Your Goodreads Library
- Log in to Goodreads
- Go to My Books
- In the left sidebar, click Import and export
- Click Export Library
- Wait for Goodreads to generate the file, then download the CSV
The file is called something like goodreads_library_export.csv. It contains every
book on your shelves — titles, authors, ISBNs, ratings, read dates, and shelf assignments.
Step 2: Upload to BacklogBox
- Open BacklogBox and click Import in the sidebar
- Click the Goodreads card
- Select your downloaded CSV file
BacklogBox parses the file instantly and shows you a preview of every book it found. You can see titles, authors, ratings, and how each Goodreads shelf maps to a Kanban column.
Step 3: Review and Import
The preview table lets you deselect any books you do not want to import. Books already in your BacklogBox library are flagged as duplicates and deselected by default.
When you are ready, click Import. That is it.
What Gets Imported
| Goodreads Field | BacklogBox Field |
|---|---|
| Title | Title |
| Author | Author |
| ISBN / ISBN13 | ISBN (used for cover art) |
| Number of Pages | Page Count |
| My Rating (1-5) | Rating (1-5 stars) |
| Original Publication Year | Release Year |
| Date Read | Completed Date |
| Exclusive Shelf | Status (see below) |
Shelf to Status Mapping
| Goodreads Shelf | BacklogBox Status |
|---|---|
| read | Completed |
| currently-reading | In Progress |
| to-read | Backlog |
Cover Art
After import, BacklogBox fetches cover images from OpenLibrary using each book's ISBN. This happens in the background — your books appear immediately, and covers fill in over the next few minutes.
After Import
Head to your Books board. Your entire reading history is now organized in Kanban columns. Drag books between columns, add ratings, or start tracking new reads — all alongside your movies, games, and other media.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I export my Goodreads library?
Go to My Books on Goodreads, click Import and export in the left sidebar, then click Export Library. Goodreads will generate a CSV file you can download.
Will my ratings transfer from Goodreads?
Yes. BacklogBox imports your 1-5 star ratings exactly as they are on Goodreads. Books you did not rate will show as unrated.
What happens to my Goodreads shelves?
BacklogBox maps your Goodreads shelves to Kanban columns: "read" becomes Completed, "currently-reading" becomes In Progress, and "to-read" becomes Backlog. Custom shelves are not imported.
Does importing create duplicates?
No. BacklogBox checks for existing books by title before importing. Any books already in your library are automatically skipped.