Import Your Readwise Highlights
PastReads makes it easy to import all your highlights and notes from Readwise, including content from Kindle, Instapaper, Pocket, web articles, and other sources you've connected to Readwise.
Export from Readwise
Follow these steps to export your highlights from Readwise and import them into PastReads:
Visit readwise.io/access_token and copy your access token.
In Pastreads, click the "Import" button and select "Readwise"
Paste your access token and click the button to begin syncing your highlights.
⏳ Note: The import process runs in the background and may take up to 10 minutes to complete, depending on the size of your library. Please refresh the page to view your content as it becomes available. Additionally, we will send an email notification once the import process is successfully completed.
After successful import, your token is permanently removed from the server.
What Gets Imported
PastReads automatically processes and organizes your entire Readwise library:
- 📚 All books, articles, and sources with complete metadata
- 🔍 Every highlight with original formatting and context
- 📝 All notes you've added
- 📅 Original highlight dates and timestamps
- 🏷️ Tags created in Readwise
- ⭐ Favorite/starred highlights
- 📖 Author information and book covers (when available)
Limitations
Imports from Readwise can be quite large, especially if your library includes many books, highlights, notes, and cover images. The full import process may take up to 10 minutes to complete. To ensure system stability, you can only import from Readwise once per hour.
If the upload does not succeed or you experience missing data, please contact our support team for assistance. We're here to help ensure your entire reading history transfers safely into PastReads.
Duplicate Detection
PastReads includes advanced duplicate detection specifically designed for Readwise imports:
- Cross-format deduplication: If you later import Kindle files directly, PastReads won't create duplicates of highlights already imported from Readwise
- Smart content matching: The system recognizes the same highlight even if it comes from different export formats
- Note linking preservation: Notes remain properly linked to their highlights across different import sources
However, because we don’t control how Readwise structures its exports, you may still see duplicate content if the same highlights are imported through different channels.
Troubleshooting
Having issues? Here are some common ones and how to fix them:
Common Issues:
- Invalid access token: Ensure your Readwise token is correct and not revoked during the import process.
- Missing data: Please contact our support team in case of any issues, for example if some highlights or notes don’t appear after import.
- Import Timeout: Large libraries may take several minutes. If it doesn’t complete after 10–15 minutes, reach out to us.