Last updated: ·About 2 minutes
How to import your Goodreads library to Hikara
To import your Goodreads library to Hikara: export your Goodreads library as CSV, sign in to Hikara, open the import dialog, and upload the CSV. Books match first by ISBN then by title and author. Most libraries finish importing in 30–90 seconds.
Goodreads lets you export your full library to CSV. Hikara reads that file directly — no manual re-entry. The whole flow takes about a minute on most libraries.
Before you start
- An active Goodreads account with at least one book on a shelf.
- A free or paid Hikara account (sign up at hikara.io/signup if you don't have one).
Steps
Step 1
Export your Goodreads library to CSV
Sign in to Goodreads. Open Goodreads → My Books → Tools → Import and Export → "Export Library". Goodreads emails the CSV link or generates it on the page. Save the file locally — it's named goodreads_library_export.csv.
Step 2
Open the Hikara import dialog
Sign in to Hikara. From your library or dashboard, click "Import" → choose "Goodreads CSV". The import dialog opens with a file picker.
Step 3
Upload your CSV
Drag-and-drop the goodreads_library_export.csv file into the dialog (or click the file picker). Hikara reads the file in your browser, validates the format, and shows a preview of how many books it found.
Step 4
Confirm and watch the import progress
Click "Start import". Hikara matches each book first by ISBN, then by title + author against Google Books and OpenLibrary. The progress bar shows real-time matching status. Books that match get cover images, categories, and page counts auto-populated.
Step 5
Generate your knowledge graph
When the import finishes, head to your library or graph. Hikara starts generating connections (ECHOES, CHALLENGES, BRIDGES) in the background — they'll fill in over the next few minutes as the AI processes pairs.
Troubleshooting
Some books didn't match.
Books without ISBNs sometimes match by title+author with mixed accuracy. After import, you can manually search for any unmatched books from the library page.
Import seems to hang at "Matching books".
Large libraries (500+ books) can take 60–90 seconds because of Google Books rate limits. Don't refresh — the import resumes; refresh only if there's no progress for 2+ minutes.
The CSV has an unfamiliar format.
Hikara accepts the standard Goodreads CSV format (and StoryGraph's CSV is the same format). If you've manually edited the CSV, ensure the columns Title, Author, ISBN, ISBN13, My Rating, Date Read still exist.
FAQ
Will Hikara import my Goodreads ratings and reviews?
Yes — Hikara reads the My Rating and My Review columns from the CSV and applies them to the imported books. Reviews are searchable inside Hikara.
How many books can I import on the free plan?
There's no hard cap on imported books on any plan. The Free plan rate-limits some AI features (vibe search, gap finder, personality reports), but importing your full Goodreads library is unlimited on every tier.
Can I re-import after I add more books on Goodreads?
Yes. Re-export from Goodreads and re-import to Hikara. Hikara dedupes by ISBN — books already in your library won't be duplicated; only new ones are added.
Will Hikara talk to Goodreads' API?
No — Goodreads turned off their public API for new developers in 2020. The CSV export is the supported integration path for everyone.