Export from Instapaper
Instapaper's export is on the web app, not in the mobile apps.
Sign in at instapaper.com and open Settings.
Scroll to Export and choose Download .CSV file. Nook also reads the HTML export, but the CSV is the one that carries folders and timestamps in a form Nook maps fully.
The file has the columns URL, Title, Selection, Folder and Timestamp.
Import into Nook
Sign in to Nook and open Profile, then Import and export.
Choose file and select the Instapaper CSV. Nook detects the format and counts the links.
Leave Create collections from folders checked to turn your Instapaper folders into collections.
Press Import links. Links appear on your shelf at once and summaries fill in shortly after.
What carries over
Instapaper exports less than Raindrop but the essentials are there.
- Folders. Each user-created folder becomes a Nook collection. Instapaper folders are flat, so no nesting is involved.
- Save dates. The Timestamp column becomes the link's saved date. Very old exports omit it, and those links take the import date instead.
- Titles. Placeholder titles equal to the URL are dropped so enrichment can fetch the real one.
What does not
Where the mapping is lossy.
- Highlights. The Selection column holds your highlighted passages and is not imported. Nook has no in-article highlighting.
- Reading state. Unread, Archive and Starred are Instapaper's built-in folders. Nook does not create collections for them, and every link starts as unread.
- Tags. Instapaper has none to export. Nook's automatic tagging fills the gap once summaries are written.
Limits
One file can hold up to 5000 links and about 3 MB of text. Larger libraries import fine in parts: split the CSV and upload each piece, and links already on your shelf are skipped rather than duplicated.
Common questions
- Do my Instapaper folders become collections?
- Yes, the ones you created. Unread, Archive and Starred are treated as reading state and not turned into collections.
- Are my Instapaper highlights imported?
- No. The Selection column is skipped. Nook does not have in-article highlights, so there is nowhere to put them.
- Will archived Instapaper items stay archived?
- Not yet. Every imported link starts as unread. You can archive in bulk from the shelf afterwards.
- Does Nook read articles offline like Instapaper?
- No. Nook installs as a PWA and its interface works offline, but article text is not cached for offline reading.
- Can I export from Nook later?
- Yes. Profile has an Import and export section that downloads your whole shelf as JSON, CSV, Markdown, a plain URL list or Netscape bookmark HTML, so nothing you import is locked in.
- How much does Nook cost?
- Nook is free while it is in beta. Every feature is unlocked with no card required. The published plans are Free at €0 and Pro at €4 per month, or €36 a year, and they start charging only after beta ends.