How do I import highlights from Kobo?

You can import your Kobo highlights to Readwise by choosing the Kobo option on the Import Highlights page of your Readwise account.

Note: Just like Kindle, only highlights made in books purchased from Kobo are uploaded to their cloud services and can be automatically synced to Readwise. If you've made highlights in sideloaded documents, you'll need to plug your Kobo device into your computer and follow the steps to sync manually.

Automatic Sync of Books Purchased from Kobo

On your first import, you will be prompted to provide your Kobo username and password. Please note that Kobo supports quite a few login options, but the Readwise integration only supports the Rakuten Kobo option (shown below). If you log into your Kobo account using a different method, the integration won't work.

Once connected, any highlights you take in Kobo should automatically sync with Readwise periodically throughout the day.

Manual Import of Sideloaded Books

If you send documents to your Kobo device rather than purchasing them from the Kobo store, you'll need to manually extract those highlights from a database file on your Kobo device. Fortunately, a Readwise user has built a helpful tool called October that works on almost all desktop operating systems (including Windows and MacOS) to automate this process. Once installed, you can simply plug your Kobo device into your computer and October will do the rest, including pulling the database file and uploading to Readwise.

Beta Feedback

The Kobo import feature is still in beta, so please let us know if you encounter any bugs!