Password ManagerImport & Export

Import Data to Your Individual Vault & Collections

Import logins and data from different password managers, other Bitwarden vaults, or encrypted exports to instantly transfer your information and skip manual entry. You can import data from any password management solution that allows exports.

Common password manager & file type imports

Bitwarden supports data imports from many common password management solutions, including:

Additional file types from other password managers are compatible with Bitwarden. If your solution isn’t listed but can export data, edit the file to match a supported format.

tip

Import data to an organization for large team sharing. For smaller teams, import to a collection.

note

While some item types cannot be imported, you can still add them to another vault:

Import to your individual vault

Data can be imported to Bitwarden from the web app, browser extension, desktop app, and CLI. Data is encrypted locally before being sent to the server for storage.

To import data to your vault:

  1. Select Tools.

  2. Select Import data:

    Import data
    Import data

  3. From the Vault dropdown menu, select where to save the data:

    • Individual vault: Select My vault and (optional) choose a Folder to move the items.

    • Organization vault: Select the organization vault’s name and choose a Collection. (You need the can manage permission.)

  4. From the File format dropdown menu, select the import file format.

  5. Select Choose File and pick the file or copy and paste your file’s contents into the text box.

    warning

    Importing does not check whether items in the file to import already exist in your vault. If you import multiple files or import files with items already in your vault, this will create duplicates.

  6. Select Import data. If you are importing a password protected .json file, enter the password into the Confirm vault import window that appears.

  7. After your data is imported, delete the import source file from your computer. This will protect you in the event your computer is compromised.

Import to a collection

Import data to a collection to organize and share items with small teams, like your family or immediate teammates. (For larger teams, import data to an organization.) Individual collections are a great option when your organization's data ownership policy restricts individual vaults.

When on the Import data page, select your organization’s Vault and the Collection:

Import to individual vault
Import to individual vault

Troubleshoot import errors

If a limit is exceeded or the file contains unassigned items, you will see an “Import error” message. No data is added to your vault when an import is rejected.

File limits

Imported files can contain up to:

  • 40,000 items

  • 2,000 folders

  • 2,000 collections

  • 7,000 item-folder relationships (For example, a single item in three folders is counted as three item-folder relationships.)

  • 80,000 item-collection relationships (For example, a single item in three collections is counted as three item-collection relationships.)

If your file is too large, split it into smaller ones and import each separately.

Field length limits

If an item in your file (typically a .csv) exceeds a field’s encrypted character limit, Bitwarden will not import any of its contents. An “Import error” message will appear with details identifying the specific issue(s).

tip

Bitwarden's encryption process expands text 30-50% during import, which may push your field(s) beyond the character limit. For example, a Notes field—the most common offender—can increase from 8,000 to over 10,000 characters, exceeding the limit and triggering the error.

To fix this error and upload your data:

  1. Open your .csv file in a text editor or spreadsheet program.

  2. Review the error message details to find the item(s) causing the issue. For example, here’s how to interpret the following error:
    [2] [Login] “My New Item”: The field Notes exceeds the maximum encrypted value length of 10000 characters.

    • [2] is the index number where the offending item is located, adjusted to match row numbering in most spreadsheet programs.

    • [Login] is the vault item type of the offending item.

    • "My New Item" is the name of the offending item.

    • Notes is the specific field that exceeds the character limit.

    • 10000 is the character limit allowed for that field.

  3. Reduce the character count or delete the offending item(s).

  4. Save the file.

  5. Go back to Bitwarden and import the updated file.

Unassigned items

Organization users (not admins or owners) must assign all imported credentials to at least one collection. There are two ways to fix this import error:

  • Assign an existing collection where you have the Can manage permission.

  • Create a new collection for the unassigned items. Customize your import file by entering a new collection name. This will automatically create that collection and add the items to it.