About 10 minutes
How to import your Goodreads library into Hikara
To import your Goodreads library into Hikara, export it from Goodreads as a CSV (My Books, then Import and export, then Export Library), open Import in Hikara, upload the file, review the matched books and confirm. Hikara matches books by ISBN first, then by title and author.
Goodreads can export your whole library as a CSV file, and Hikara reads that file directly, so there's nothing to re-enter. Not ready to sign up? Drop the same file on the free Goodreads analyzer first: it runs in your browser, uploads nothing, and shows your reading by year, your rating habits and your blind spots.
Updated By Hikara Team
Before you start
- A Goodreads account, and a computer: Goodreads' export works on desktop only.
- A Hikara account (the free plan is enough).
Steps
Step 1
Export your library from Goodreads
On Goodreads, open My Books, then choose Import and export under Tools on the left, then Export Library. Goodreads prepares the file, which can take a few minutes for a large library; when it's ready, a link to your export appears on the page. Download the CSV.
Step 2
Open Import in Hikara
Sign in to Hikara, open Import from the menu, and choose Goodreads CSV.
Step 3
Upload the file
Drop the CSV in or pick it from your files. Hikara checks that it's a Goodreads export (it needs the Book Id, Title, Author and Exclusive Shelf columns) and starts matching your books.
Step 4
Review the matches
Hikara matches each book by ISBN first, then by title and author, using Google Books and Open Library, and fills in covers, categories and page counts. Check the matches, and leave out anything you don't want to bring across.
Step 5
Confirm the import
Confirm, and Hikara adds the books with your status, rating, review text, private notes, date added and date read. It then starts finding connections between your books in the background, so they appear over the next few minutes.
Troubleshooting
Hikara says the file is missing required columns.
Upload the original CSV from Goodreads. Re-saving it in a spreadsheet app can rename or drop the columns Hikara needs (Book Id, Title, Author and Exclusive Shelf). Exports from other apps, including StoryGraph, use different columns and won't import.
Some books didn't match, or matched the wrong edition.
Books without an ISBN are matched by title and author, which is less exact. Leave them out at the review step, then add them from the library with Add a book.
The import is taking a while.
Every book is looked up individually, so a large library takes longer. Keep the page open while the progress bar moves.
FAQ
Can I try it without an account?
Yes. The free Goodreads analyzer reads the same CSV entirely in your browser, with no account and no upload, and shows your pace by year, your rating habits, blind spots and to-read pile. Importing into Hikara is what adds the connections between your books.
What comes across from Goodreads?
Each book's status (read, currently reading or want to read), your rating, your review and private notes, and the dates you added and finished it. Custom Goodreads shelves aren't imported, but you can recreate them as shelves in Hikara.
Is there a limit on how many books I can import?
No. Importing is unlimited on every plan, including Free. The monthly limits on the free plan apply to AI features such as vibe search, the gap finder and Dialogues.
Can I import again after adding more books on Goodreads?
Yes. Export again and import the new file. Books already in your Hikara library are skipped, so only new ones are added.
Why a CSV instead of connecting to Goodreads?
Goodreads stopped issuing keys for its public API in December 2020, so the export file is the way to move a Goodreads library to any other app.