Integration /export to Microsoft Project

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Hi,
Anyone done export from Asana to MS Project? any tips/techniques are welcomed.
Been using InstaGantt with Asana and InstaGantt is is extremely slow with around 1500 tasks to the extent that it sometimes doesn’t even load the page! It is becoming unusable so looking to leave Asana however need an easy way to export all existing tasks into MS project.
Thanks

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Hi @Yahya_Mufti and welcome to the Forum! :wave:

Sorry for the delay in responding. As it stands, it is currently not possible to export your Projects to MS Project using our integration. You could export your all your projects via CSV or JSON (you can learn more about it here) but I would recommend you to contact the MS team first to know how to import your CSV or JSON file.

Sorry I can’t be of a greater help @Yahya_Mufti. Have a great Thursday!

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Did you have success with exporting and importing?

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I’d like to do the opposite, migration from MS Project to Asana, if anyone has insights!

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Here’s my total guide to importing from Microsoft Project.

Project to Asana Conversion

  1. Set up the Project file to:
  • Use nothing but Finish-Start dependencies [BTW, MS Project for the Web only supports FS links, too. :frowning: ]
  • Have no backward dependencies
  • All dependencies must look “up” in the table, whether or not the tasks occur earlier in time
  • Try to minimize the level of the outline to 3 or 4 by moving groups of tasks into higher levels of the outline
  • Asana timelines do not show subtasks (easily, but they try), so try to keep Project Outline levels to just 3. Top level will be a “Section”, next are “Tasks”, and next are “Subtasks” in Asana
  • Use default Excel export format
  1. Copy all columns of the export into the conversion spreadsheet (available via DM) and clear or fill down the necessary fields so that all columns and rows are complete. The conversion spreadsheet will automatically:
  • Fix start/end dates and set milestones
  • Assign “Subtask of” tasks
  • Assign “Section” fields
  • Assign “Dependents” fields
  1. Save as CSV
  • Remove columns so Task Name must be 1st or 2nd column/field
  • Remove level 1 tasks – the spreadsheet defines parent tasks, so that these become Sections in Asana. These are highlighted in the Excel file, but should be removed in the CSV file.
  1. Import CSV to Asana
  • When importing the CSV, be sure to remove unnecessary columns. Everything before “Subtask Of” except the Task Name can be turned off.
  • Bug Fix: Be sure to select “Start Date” with the matching Asana “Start Date” field. This is not an automatic match (and has been submitted as a bug…they don’t care).
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May I request the conversion template?

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Can you please send me the conversion template as well!

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I’ve done this before! Use Asana’s CSV export feature and then import the CSV file into MS Project. This method works well for transferring tasks. For large projects, breaking them into smaller parts before exporting can help avoid performance issues. Good luck!

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Hi @Craigburley could you share a few more details regarding the steps AFTER exporting .CSV out of Asana?

I’ve tried, this, but the way Asana’s .CSV file is exported (notably, how dependencies, sections and tasks/subtasks are referenced) is proving challenging to import into MS Project. I’ve tried several Import templates, wizards, etc…

I’d greatly appreciate any insight on this!!
The Asana built-in Gantt view works fine for us for ~80% of projects (small-medium sized), but there are the larger projects (and especially those where we work with a Construction company) where we required to share a MS Project (or similar) regular update…

We have also looked into Instagantt, but out IT dept had some concerns regarding security, etc…
TIA!

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After exporting the .CSV from Asana, you’ll need to manually adjust the file to properly map dependencies, sections, and tasks/subtasks for MS Project. First, open the .CSV in Excel and review the columns, reorganizing them to match MS Project’s format. For dependencies, manually map them by creating a column for predecessor tasks. To handle sections and subtasks, use indentation or a specific column to indicate task hierarchy. When importing into MS Project, use the import wizard and ensure each column is correctly mapped. If security is a concern with third-party tools like Instagantt, consult your IT team for approved alternatives. Hope this helps!
Check this: website.forum.asana.com/t/export-and-import-into-ms-project/30863 may be you’ll get some Help

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I’ll check this out, thanks for the feedback.