How to Import Your Goodreads Library to StoryGraph (Step by Step)

If you have decided to move from Goodreads to StoryGraph, knowing how to import Goodreads to StoryGraph is the first practical step. Your reading history is valuable. The books you have logged, the ratings you have given, the shelves you have organised — that continuity matters, and starting from scratch on a new platform is an unnecessary barrier to making the switch.

The good news is that the technical process is straightforward. The less good news is that there is a paywall in the way. This guide walks you through every step, flags what to expect, and gives you an honest picture of what the process looks like before you begin.

Before You Start: The StoryGraph Import Paywall

There is one thing worth knowing upfront before you go any further. Importing your Goodreads library to StoryGraph requires a StoryGraph Plus subscription, which costs $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year. Free StoryGraph accounts cannot import data from Goodreads.

This is a frustrating limitation, and it is worth calling out directly. Migration functionality should never sit behind a paywall. Getting your reading history into a new app is not a premium feature: it is a fundamental part of the switching experience. Readers who have spent years building a reading history on Goodreads and want to move somewhere better should not have to pay for the privilege of bringing their own data with them. It is a barrier that works against the very readers StoryGraph most needs to attract.

If the paywall is a dealbreaker for you, skip ahead to the section at the end of this guide on importing to Bookwise, where migration is free regardless of your plan.

If you are happy to proceed with StoryGraph Plus, here is the full process.

Step 1: Export Your Library from Goodreads

The first step happens on Goodreads, not StoryGraph. Goodreads lets you export your entire reading history as a CSV file, which is what you will upload to StoryGraph.

1. Log into your Goodreads account on a desktop browser
2. Click on "My Books" in the top navigation
3. At the bottom of the left-hand sidebar, find and click "Import and Export"
4. On the Import/Export page, click "Export Library"
5. Goodreads will generate your export file. Depending on the size of your library, this can take a few seconds or a few minutes
6. Once it is ready, a download link will appear. Click it to save the CSV file to your computer

Your export file will include the title, author, ISBN, your star rating, Goodreads' average rating, your shelves, the date you marked each book as read, the date you added it, any review text you have written, and your read count for books you have read more than once.

Keep this file somewhere easy to find — you will need it in the next step.

Step 2: Subscribe to StoryGraph Plus

If you do not already have a StoryGraph Plus subscription, you will need one before you can import. Head to your StoryGraph account settings and look for the Plus upgrade option. The monthly plan at $4.99 gives you access immediately, so you do not need to commit to a full year just to complete the import.

Once you have confirmed your Plus subscription, you are ready to bring your data across.

Step 3: Import Your Library to StoryGraph

1. Log into your StoryGraph account
2. Click on your profile icon in the top right corner
3. Navigate to "Import/Export" in your account settings
4. Select "Import from Goodreads"
5. Upload the CSV file you exported in Step 1
6. Click import and let StoryGraph process your library

For smaller libraries, this is nearly instant. For larger collections — several hundred books or more — it can take a few minutes. You will receive a notification when the import is complete.

What Carries Over and What Does Not

Understanding what transfers cleanly and what needs attention will save you time after the import.

Your read, currently reading, and to-read shelves map directly to StoryGraph's equivalent shelves and carry over automatically. Your star ratings transfer numerically: a 4-star rating on Goodreads becomes a 4-star rating on StoryGraph. Note that StoryGraph uses half-stars, so your ratings will sit on the whole-star marks rather than the half-star increments until you choose to update them. Any review text you wrote on Goodreads comes across as notes attached to the relevant book.

Custom shelves are where things get messier. Goodreads lets you create any shelf name you like, and StoryGraph does not always have a direct equivalent. Custom shelf data may not map cleanly, and you will likely need to spend some time manually re-categorising books that sat in personalised shelves. If you used custom shelves extensively, factor in time to clean this up after the import.

A small number of books may not match in StoryGraph's database, particularly for obscure titles, self-published books, or unusual editions. These will need to be found and added manually. For most readers with mainstream reading histories, this affects only a handful of titles.

After the Import: Getting Settled on StoryGraph

Once your library is in, take a few minutes to set up your reading preferences. StoryGraph's onboarding flow asks about your mood and pacing preferences, and the more accurately you answer, the better its recommendations will be from the start. It is worth completing this properly rather than rushing through it.

Check your imported ratings and update any that feel off now that you have the half-star scale to work with. A book you grudgingly gave 4 stars on Goodreads might feel more accurately placed at 3.5 on StoryGraph, and taking the time to calibrate your ratings will improve your recommendations over time.

If you are interested in StoryGraph's stats features, they will begin building from the moment your import completes. Books with recorded read dates will populate your historical stats, so you will not be starting from zero.

A Note on What StoryGraph Does Not Offer

Moving to StoryGraph is a meaningful upgrade over Goodreads in many ways. The mood and pacing system is excellent, the interface is modern, and the independence from Amazon is a genuine improvement. Our full StoryGraph review covers everything it does well and where it falls short.

The gaps worth knowing about: StoryGraph has no AI features, its book club tools are basic, and as noted above, migration itself requires a paid plan. For readers who want to go further than StoryGraph offers, those limitations are worth factoring into your decision before you invest in a Plus subscription just to complete an import.

Importing to Bookwise Instead: No Paywall, No Compromise

If the StoryGraph import paywall has given you pause, it is worth knowing that Bookwise supports Goodreads CSV import on every plan, including the free tier. The same CSV file you exported from Goodreads in Step 1 is all you need.

The principle behind this is straightforward: your reading history is yours. Getting it into a new app should never be a transaction. Whether you are on the free plan or a paid one, Bookwise gives you the same seamless import experience because continuity matters to the reading experience, not to a pricing tier. Starting a new chapter in your reading life on a new platform should feel like a fresh start, not a toll booth.

Beyond the import experience, Bookwise offers features that neither Goodreads nor StoryGraph have: an AI reading companion that knows your progress and discusses books without spoiling what is ahead, quarter-star ratings for genuine precision, and real-time book club tools built as a core feature. If you are already going through the effort of migrating your reading history, it is worth considering where you want that history to live long term.

For a broader look at your options, our guide to the best Goodreads alternatives covers every app worth considering. And if you want to understand StoryGraph's full feature set before committing to Plus, our StoryGraph app guide breaks it all down.

Migration is the beginning of a better reading experience, not a price to pay for one.