Import & Export

Bulk import and export packages in WordPress Download Manager. Access from Downloads > Import & Export in your WordPress admin.

Overview

The Import & Export feature allows you to:

• Migrate packages between WordPress sites
• Bulk create packages from CSV files
• Import files from server directories
• Export packages for backup
• Share package configurations

Export Packages

Export Options

Format	Best For
CSV	Spreadsheet editing, bulk updates
JSON	Full data preservation, API use
XML	WordPress import compatibility

What Gets Exported

Data	CSV	JSON	XML
Title	Yes	Yes	Yes
Files & URLs	Yes	Yes	Yes
Categories & Tags	Yes	Yes	Yes
Settings	Partial	Full	Full
Meta Data	Partial	Full	Full
Images	URL only	URL only	URL only
Statistics	No	Yes	Yes

How to Export

• Go to Downloads > Import & Export
• Choose export format
• Click Create Export File button
• Download the file

Batch Export

For large numbers of packages:

• Export runs in batches
• Progress bar shows status
• File downloads when complete
• Large exports may take time

Import from CSV

CSV Format

Required columns:

Column	Description	Example
title	Package title	My Download

Optional columns:

Column	Description	Example
description	Package description	Full description…
post_status	Publish status	publish, draft
url_slug	URL permalink	my-download
files	Attached files (pipe-separated)	file1.zip, file2.pdf
file_titles	File display names	File One, File Two
category	Category names	Category1,Category2
tags	Tag names	Tag1,Tag2,Tag3
access	Allowed roles	administrator,editor
version	Package version	1.0.0
template	Link template	default
page_template	Page template	default
password_lock	Enable password	0 or 1
password	Lock password	mypassword
email_lock	Enable email lock	0 or 1
base_price	Product price	29.99
icon	Icon URL	https://…

Sample CSV

title,description,files,category,access,version
"My First Package","A great download","/uploads/file1.zip","Software","subscriber",1.0.0
"Another Package","Description here","/uploads/file2.pdf|/uploads/bonus.zip","Documents","all",2.0.0

Import Steps

• Prepare your CSV file
• Go to Downloads > Import & Export
• Click the Select CSV File tab
• Select  and upload your file
• Review import results

Column Mapping

If your CSV uses different column names:

• After upload, the mapping screen appears
• Match your columns to WPDM fields
• Skip columns you don’t want to import
• Save mapping for future imports

Import Options

Option	Description	Default
Update Existing	Update if title matches	Disabled
Create Categories	Auto-create missing categories	Enabled
Create Tags	Auto-create missing tags	Enabled
Set Status	Override status for all	Use CSV value
Author	Assign all to author	Current user

Batch Import

Large imports process in batches:

Setting	Description	Default
Batch Size	Rows per batch	10
Delay	Seconds between batches	0

Progress shows:

• Current row
• Success count
• Error count
• Time elapsed

Import from Directory

Directory Import

Import files directly from a server directory:

• Go to Downloads > Import & Export
• Select directory from the Select Directory list
• Browse or enter directory path
• Select files to import
• Configure import options
• Click Import Selected Files

File Browser

The file browser shows:

Column	Description
Filename	File name
Size	File size
Type	File extension
Modified	Last modified date

Import Options

Option	Description
Create Package Per File	Each file = one package
Group Files	Multiple files = one package
Use Filename as Title	File name becomes title
Move vs Copy	Move file or copy it
Target Directory	Where to store files

Supported Locations

Location	Path
Uploads	/wp-content/uploads/
WPDM Files	/wp-content/uploads/wpdm-files/
Custom	Any accessible directory

Import from JSON/XML

JSON Import

• Go to Import tab
• Select JSON file
• Review package data
• Click “Import All” or select specific packages
• Confirm import

XML Import

• Go to Import tab
• Select XML file
• WordPress-compatible XML supported
• Review and import

Video Tutorial

Handling Errors

Common Import Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
File not found	Invalid file path	Check file exists
Invalid CSV	Malformed CSV	Check formatting
Missing title	No title column	Add title column
Permission denied	File not readable	Check permissions
Memory limit	File too large	Increase PHP memory

Error Log

After import, review the error log:

• Check error log file
• See row-by-row issues
• Download error report
• Fix issues and re-import

Rollback

If import goes wrong:

• Note imported package IDs
• Go to Downloads > All Downloads
• Filter by import date
• Bulk delete if needed

Migration Between Sites

Full Migration

• Source site: Export all packages (JSON recommended)
• Export media: Note all file URLs
• Target site: Import JSON file
• Transfer files: Upload files to target
• Update URLs: Fix file paths if needed

Partial Migration

• Export specific categories
• Export specific packages
• Import to target
• Reassign categories if needed

Post-Migration Checklist

Task	Description
Verify counts	Same number imported
Check files	Files accessible
Test downloads	Downloads work
Check categories	Properly assigned
Review settings	Package settings correct

Automation

WP-CLI Commands

# Export packages
wp wpdm export --format=csv --output=/path/to/export.csv

# Import from CSV
wp wpdm import /path/to/import.csv --create-categories

# Import from directory
wp wpdm import-dir /path/to/files --create-packages

Scheduled Exports

Set up automatic exports:

• Go to Cron Jobs Settings
• Create new job
• Hook: wpdm_scheduled_export
• Set schedule
• Configure export path

Tips

• Always backup before bulk imports
• Test with small CSV first
• Use JSON for complete data preservation
• Check file paths in CSV are correct
• Match column names exactly for smooth import
• Review import log for any errors
• Keep export files for disaster recovery

Related Documentation

• Creating Packages
• File Attachments
• Shortocodes
• Cron Jobs Settings