# Remap or skip custom fields during changelog import

> Use field mapping during release-history import instead of cleaning every legacy export by hand before the move.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/remap-or-skip-custom-fields-during-changelog-import/
- Source: [productlane.com](https://productlane.com/docs/changelog/import-changelogs)
- GrowthDex source hub: [Productlane Docs](/sources/productlane-docs-productlane-com/)
- Last checked: 2026-05-27
- Rarity: uncommon
- Budget: free
- Channels: Operations, Changelog, Migration
- Stages: migration, ops, release communication, content systems


## Why this can grow

Legacy changelog exports are rarely clean enough to drop straight into a new system. Mapping or skipping odd columns inside the importer saves time and preserves the useful parts of the archive without turning migration into a spreadsheet project. That keeps momentum up while still protecting the quality of what gets published later.

## Ian's take

From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. My bias is to treat this as a small market test first. Make the audience narrow, make the promise concrete, and let the first real response decide whether it deserves more work. I would run it small enough to learn quickly, then only scale the parts that real users repeat, save, reply to, or buy from. For this tactic, I would watch one clear growth signal before putting more time or budget behind it.

## Action plan

1. Define one narrow startup segment where remap or skip custom fields during changelog import can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the Operations and Changelog channel.
3. Use the evidence from productlane.com to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
4. Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: one measurable growth signal.
5. Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.

## Source-backed example

Productlane recommends mapping title, body, and date during changelog import, and explicitly says custom CSV fields can be skipped or remapped.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [Import changelog history into reviewable drafts](/growth-ideas/import-changelog-history-into-reviewable-drafts/) - same source, 2 shared channels, 2 shared stages
- [Bulk publish imported release history after review](/growth-ideas/bulk-publish-imported-release-history-after-review/) - same source, 1 shared channel, 2 shared stages
- [Dry-run validation before support-data import](/growth-ideas/dry-run-validation-before-support-data-import/) - same source, 1 shared channel, 2 shared stages
- [One main feature story per changelog entry](/growth-ideas/one-main-feature-story-per-changelog-entry/) - same source, 1 shared channel, 1 shared stage

## Read GrowthDex essays

Browse the plain-English essay index at [GrowthDex Blog](/blog/).

## Advisory

If you want help turning this into a working growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.