<!--IssueSummary start--> <details> <summary> Everyone can contribute. [Help move this issue forward](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/developer-relations/contributor-success/community-contributors-workflows/#contributor-links) while earning points, leveling up and collecting rewards. </summary> - [Close this issue](https://contributors.gitlab.com/manage-issue?action=close&projectId=278964&issueIid=592137) </details> <!--IssueSummary end--> ## Summary In direct transfer, projects are inported in two steps 1. The base portable is created in `BulkImports::Projects::Pipelines::ProjectPipeline`. This pipeline makes GraphQL queries to the source destination, which won't be possible in offline transfer. 2. Attributes for the newly created portable are updated in `BulkImports::Projects::Pipelines::ProjectAttributesPipeline` from `self` relation files. `created_at` is fetched in `ProjectPipeline` and not currently present in the `self` relation file, so it must be included in that file in order to import the source created date in offline transfer. ## Proposed implementation Add `created_at` to `project/import_export.yml`. ### Effects on other importers - File-based project import/export would now preserve the source project's created date. We probably want this, but it should be confirmed and communicated as a change to file-based imports - Projects created from templates would preserve the template project's created date. This is _not_ desired template behavior so implementation should ensure project template exports are unaffected - Direct transfer should be unaffected since a project's `created_at` written to an export file should be the same as what direct transfer fetches from the API