csv import/export format

[George]

Rather than interact via the API we want to generate CSV files that users can upload. So I manually added a few books to my shelf and then export those to CSV. Then I deleted everything from my shelf, and tried to upload the exported CSV but where I'd pruned the majority of columns.

Problem is, one of the columns we're most interested in ensuring gets uploaded, does not work. By which I specifically mean the "Exclusive Shelf" column, which is how it is precisely specified in the header row of the CSV export. When exporting this columns holds the values "read", "currently-reading" or "to-read".

But no matter what value the column holds, when uploading a CSV file with a column with the same precise heading ("Exclusive Shelf"), it ignores the values "currently-reading" and "to-read" in this column, and all the books get entered into my bookshelf with a value of "read". So my question is, is it going to be possible to upload these values via CSV, and if so, how should the header/values be formulated?

Or am I going to have to resort to the API instead? Thanks in advance for any and all guidance.

[Michael]

This is supposed to work, I'll get someone to look into why it doesn't soon.


The correct heading is either "shelves" or "tags" i believe.


Can you email us your CSV to support@goodreads.com?

[George]

I think I have figured out how to make it work. And that is to upload *both* the "Bookshelves" *and* the "Exclusive Shelf" column. Once I made it work that way though I deleted the seemingly redundant "Exclusive Shelf" column (in that it didn't work on its own), but then the upload didn't work again.

I will try a few more tests to be absolutely certain of this, and then I will email the CSV formats that don't work to the email address you provided. Thanks so much!!

[Michael]

Cool, thanks.