---
description: "Import existing material into the OpenNovelWriter structure — detects the source type and preserves the story"
---

# /import — Import Existing Material

Imports an existing story — either another OpenNovelWriter project or a loose
collection of notes — into the canonical OpenNovelWriter structure without losing
content.

## Workflow

1. **Ask the source** — where is the material? (a path, a folder, or "the current
   directory"). One question.

2. **Delegate to the `Importer` subagent** with the source path and this instruction:

   ```
   Analyze [source path] and classify it:
   - Case A (structured OpenNovelWriter project) → migrate/upgrade in place.
   - Case B (loose notes) → reconstruct into the canonical structure.

   Present an import plan (what you found, how it maps) and wait for approval
   before writing. Never overwrite the source; never drop content.
   ```

3. **Relay the plan** — the Importer returns a mapping plan; show it to the author
   and get approval before anything is written.

4. **Confirm completion** — report what was imported (chapters, characters,
   locations, timeline events, glossary terms) and any open questions.

## Rules

- Never overwrite the source material — import into a target, keep the source.
- The Importer decides Case A vs Case B automatically — you do not ask the author.
- Keys English, values in the author's language (SCHEMA §4).
- Preserve chapter prose verbatim — relocate/rename only.
- Report what could not be mapped rather than silently dropping it.