Why Are HTML Characters Appearing After Roundtrip Import?

Published Date: March 6, 2026

Validated: Yes

Audience: Everyone

Products and Versions Covered:

Jama Connect® versions 9.28.x and earlier
- Self-hosted

Summary

Why Does Roundtrip Import Break HTML Tags

This article explains why HTML characters or encoded formatting may appear in fields after performing an Excel Roundtrip import in Jama Connect® and how to resolve the issue.

During the Excel Roundtrip export process, Jama Connect converts formatted field content into HTML so that formatting is preserved when the content is imported back into the application.

If the destination field is configured as a plain text field, it cannot interpret HTML formatting during the import process. As a result, encoded HTML characters such as " may appear in the field instead of properly formatted text.

This behavior was identified as a product defect and was resolved in Jama Connect version 9.28. Customers using earlier versions may still experience this issue when importing formatted content into plain text fields.

This article explains:

The cause of the issue
The version where the fix was introduced
A workaround for environments that cannot immediately upgrade

Resolution

Option 1: Upgrade Jama Connect

Upgrade to Jama Connect® version 9.28 or later.

The defect was resolved in version 9.28, and Excel Roundtrip imports correctly process formatted content without displaying encoded HTML characters in the user interface.

Option 2: Use a Workaround for Earlier Versions

If an upgrade is not currently possible, use the following workaround before performing the Excel Roundtrip import.

Open the exported Excel file.
Locate the affected field content.
Replace encoded quotation marks such as " with standard quotation marks (").
Save the Excel file.
Perform the Excel Roundtrip import.

This workaround prevents encoded HTML characters from appearing in the field after import.

Additional Resources

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