Know exactly what can be imported
The current importer handles journals, resentment spot-check inventories, nightly inventories and gratitude lists. It keeps each supported entry’s original date. A MySpiritualToolkit export may contain other information, but 12steps does not claim to import anything outside those named categories.
Before starting, keep the original zip somewhere safe and check that it came directly from MySpiritualToolkit. Do not rename files inside the archive or rebuild the CSV files by hand. Commas and long passages are valid content, and the importer uses a CSV parser to preserve them.
Preview before anything is saved
In Settings, the import screen reads the zip and shows what is ready, already imported or skipped. An empty journal file can still be valid if its headers are present. If a required file or heading is missing, the import stops and explains the problem rather than guessing at the layout.
Review the counts before confirming. If a category is unexpectedly empty, return to the source export and check it there. Nightly rows remain separate even when they share a date; the importer does not collapse them merely because the date matches.
Repeat an import without duplicating the same rows
Each supported source row receives a deterministic import marker. Running the same export again skips rows already imported, even though encrypted copies do not look identical on the server. This allows a cautious second run without creating another copy of every entry.
A later export may contain new rows as well as old ones. The old rows are skipped and the new supported rows are prepared. Keep the result summary until you have checked a few dates and entries against the source, especially where the original archive contains a long history.
Understand where the plain text is handled
The zip is opened and parsed in the browser. Supported entries are encrypted with your 12steps account key before saved content is sent to the API. The source archive itself is not uploaded to the 12steps API, but it still contains readable personal information on the device where you downloaded it.
Standard mode permits email password reset. Private mode keeps the encryption key on your device, so we cannot read the imported work or reset the password. Save the recovery phrase and set up a trusted device before relying on Private mode for a long archive.
Compare the working tools, not just the import
After checking the history, try the parts you will use next: journalling, gratitude, nightly inventory, spot checks and guided step work. 12steps also includes personal lists, reminders, milestones and a meeting finder covering AA London, UK NA and CA worldwide. Those are current 12steps features, not promises of one-for-one parity with MySpiritualToolkit.
Keep the source export until you are satisfied that the supported entries arrived with the expected dates and text. Moving an archive is a data-handling decision as well as a product choice. There is no need to delete the old copy on the same day you test the new app.