Bring the documentation you already have into a Library as Documents, so Dosu starts from your current docs instead of a blank page. This page covers what import supports, how to run it, and what Dosu does with the content afterward.
What importing gives you#
Most teams do not start from nothing. You already have a docs folder in a repo, a Confluence space, or a Notion workspace. Import pulls that existing knowledge into a Library so Dosu has a foundation on day one. From there, Dosu can answer questions from it, keep it up to date as code changes, and organize it alongside the Documents it generates.
Imported Documents are mirrors of their source. They stay linked to their origin, and Dosu keeps them in sync as upstream files or pages change. Because they mirror an external source, imported Documents are not edited directly inside Dosu. To change them, change the source, and Dosu picks up the update.
Availability and prerequisites#
You import from a Source that is already connected to the Library. The import dialog only shows tabs for Sources you have connected, so connect the tool first (or add it during import).
- GitHub is generally available. You can import documentation files from a connected repository.
- GitLab, Confluence, and Coda import is built but not yet generally available in the app. If you do not see one of these as an import option, it is not yet enabled for your organization. Contact Dosu if you need early access.
Sources live inside a Library. Open or create one from Libraries, and connect the Source you want to import from. For details on a specific Source, see the Connecting Knowledge overview, GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Confluence, and Coda.
You need an administrator role on the organization to run an import.
Supported formats#
For GitHub and GitLab, Dosu imports documentation files and preserves their original format. Supported formats are Markdown (.md, .markdown), reStructuredText (.rst), and AsciiDoc (.adoc, .asciidoc). Format is detected by file extension. For Confluence, Notion, and Coda, Dosu imports pages.
How to import#
- Open the Library you want to import into from Libraries. Imported Documents land in this Library.
- Open the import dialog. You can start an import when you create a Library, or from the Documents area of an existing Library using the Import action.
- Pick the Source tab (for example, GitHub). If no Sources are connected, the dialog displays "No data source integrations are connected" with a "Connect a new source" link. Connect one, then return to import.
- Browse the tree and select what to bring in. You can select individual documents or entire folders.
- For a repository, expand folders and select the files you want. You can also select a folder to sync all documents in it.
- For Confluence, Notion, or Coda, expand the page tree and select pages. You can also select a parent page to sync it and all its descendants.
- When you select a folder, an Auto-syncs new docs badge appears, indicating that new documents added to that folder will be automatically imported on the next sync.
- Documents already covered by a folder sync rule appear checked and disabled, since they are managed by the folder rule rather than as individual selections.
- Start the import. Dosu runs the import in the background and shows progress. When it finishes, the selected files and pages appear as Documents in the Library.
You can run the import again later to add more files or pages from the same Source.
What Dosu does with imported docs#
- Indexes them. Imported Documents become part of the Library's knowledge, so Dosu can use them to answer questions in GitHub, Slack, the Chat page, and through the MCP Server and CLI that coding agents use.
- Matches a Template. On first import, Dosu tries to match each page to an existing Template in the Library. A matched Template gives Dosu a consistent structure to follow when it later updates the Document.
- Keeps them in sync. Dosu watches the Source and updates imported Documents as the upstream content changes. For folder-synced documents, Dosu automatically detects and imports new documents during scheduled sync jobs. On GitHub and GitLab, updates arrive as pull or merge requests for you to review. For Notion, Confluence, and Coda, Dosu updates the page directly. You control whether updates apply automatically or wait for review with the Auto-Accept Review setting on the Library. See Knowledge Reviews.
Notes and limits#
- Import shows only Sources connected to the current Library. Connect the Source first, or use Connect a new source in the dialog.
- Imported Documents are mirrors and are not edited inside Dosu. Edit the source, and Dosu syncs the change.
- Files keep their original format. Dosu does not convert them on import.
- You can select individual documents or entire folders. Folder sync rules persist across sync cycles and automatically import new documents added to the folder.
- To stop automatic import from a folder, remove the folder sync rule from the import dialog. Already-imported documents remain in the Library.
- Folder sync is available for GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Confluence, and Coda.