how to import and export data to, or from, Wallet, Secure Notes and Identities

Brian2016

I would normally export data fields from the app as say CSV and then open in Excel to create a data template where no stock mapping routine is available. Then match foreign data to available fields in Excel. Then import back into the app. Please explain how best to do this in 1Password for the different sections. It seems to default to try to import all kind of data to logins section when attempting to import other data?

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1Password Version: 4.6.0.592
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Windows 10
Sync Type: icloud
Referrer: kb-search:import data, kb:import

Brian2016

It seems that 1Password can only export logins? not anything else, such as Wallet, Secure Notes or Identities. Surely it is not that basic?

MrC

Hi @Brian2016,

Can you explain what you are ultimately trying to do?

1Password for Windows only exports Login items via CSV, as you've discovered. 1PIF is the format to use to export any 1Passwrod item.

Brian2016

Thanks for your help. I am trying to switch from Roboform to 1Password with lots of data to import, besides logins. I already imported all the logins but Wallet, Accounts, Software, Secure Notes and Identities is the problem. I have exported sample data to 1pif files and imported that text into Excel to try to create a mapping template but the field and text delimiters and difficult to assign. I want to make a field header row with field names for each data section, then add user data, then save back as 1pif, then import back into 1Password. But 1pif files have lots of other data, irrelevant to the task. It has quotes around all data (field headers and user data so difficult to separate. I wonder why Agilebits hasn't created a proper import export routine for all data. This feature is by far the most critical consideration for potential new users to move from rival products.

MrC

@Brian2016,

I don't speak for AgileBits, but let's see if I can answer some questions, and get your data converted and imported.

First, I've written converters for RoboForm, and they are available in the converter suite in the 1.08 version in Testing Bits. I am actually right now working on the 7.x RoboForm converter (the current one handles Windows version 6.9.99 or less, and OS X).

That said, RoboForm only exports via Print List three types: passcards, safenotes, and identities. So, obviously the converter can only handle those types. And I haven't bother implementing the Identity conversion, since I'm suspecting users only have a single identity entry, or perhaps only a few. I'm happy to implement it though.

So I'm suspecting you have manually placed your data via copy and paste from RoboForm's other categories into a spreadsheet and are trying to import that data now. Is that correct?

If so, the converter suite has a generic CSV converter, which currently only handles Login entries. However, the goal of that converter was to be able to extend it so that any category could be implemented and imported. This would require you to indicate the category type when you specify the conversion command. I toyed with the idea of allowing users to specify a Category column in the CSV, but this becomes cumbersome very quickly. Is this something that would help you? The converter generates 1PIF, so will support any 1Password category.

As to your question about "proper" import and export functionality...

For export, 1PIF is the export format to use. It is plain-text, robust, and self-described. CSV cannot handle complex data with variances in rows and columns.

For import, I suspect there are several reasons that when combined create a challenging situation:

1. CSV is insufficient, as mentioned above
2. Many password manager's do not export a) CSV, b) unambiguous CSV, c) standard CSV
3. The tedium of mapping source user fields to target categories and user fields, record-per-record, is more than most users will want to deal with, and creating a UI for that is non-trivial.
4. 1Password works best for Logins when it has a chance to capture the actual web page's form fields, and as such, AgileBits likes to encourage users to manually create these Login records via the UI.
5. iOS-only users cannot take advantage of any import/export functionality
6. Development cost
7. Maintenance cost of keeping up with the various password managers and their changing export formats (I support 29 converters, on two platforms, and some of those password managers have multiple export formats based on version, and some based on selected-options, multiple character sets and mappings, line-ending differences, etc. so there are probably nearly 75 exports to deal with).

Anyway, lets see if we can come up with a solution for your needs.

Brian2016

Thanks very much for such detailed advice. I understand the issues with Roboform. 'Been using various versions since around 2000 and by now regret to say I dislike being so bound to that unhelpful organization quite intensely. I have already obtained an older version 6.9.xx and printed all data to html files. I already imported around 750 logins to 1Password without a problem. Now I look forward to trying your app to import the rest of data. I take your point about ID's. In RF this section is combined with various other data segments such as credit cards, etc., thus the reason why I have so many "ID's" to deal with from RF.

MikeT

Hi @Brian2016,

On behalf of the amazing @MrC, you're welcome. I believe he's still working on his RF 7.x parser and will update here as soon as he has something. I think he may need to see how your data is structured in order for his new parser to split it out properly. I'll let him reply when he has a moment.

MrC

FYI.

I'm working on the Identity import for RF 7. Logins and Safenotes are done. Deadline: Friday PST.

MrC

Hi @Brian,

I've just completed the RoboForm 7.x for Windows converter. It now handles Identities and all the sub-categorizes within. Here's what it currently handles:

supported import types:
    address authentication bankacct business car creditcard custom login note passport person
supported export types:
    address bankacct business creditcard identity login note passport

In addition, the converter can accept all of the export files on the file list so you can convert your exported safenotes, password/logins/bookmarks, and identities in one shot (3 input files resulting in a single 1PIF file for import).

Let me know when you are ready to test it out. I'm not going to post it yet to Testing bits, as I now need to shoehorn the Mac and Win 6.9.99 code into the new framework and verify it still works.

MrC

@Brian and others,

FYI: Version 1.08 of the converter suite now contains the roboform converter that supports RoboForm for OS X and versions 6 and 7.x of RoboForm for Windows.