Title: Export/Modify/Import Backend
Last modified: December 2, 2019

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# Export/Modify/Import Backend

 *  [ttsai](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ttsai/)
 * (@ttsai)
 * [6 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/export-modify-import-backend/)
 * Hello xnau,
 * Great work with the plugin!
 * We have a use case where we wish to export an existing database to CSV, modify
   that CSV (left_join some new columns to it) and then import the updated CSV back
   into the database, replacing the original.
 * Is this feasible in general? In specific, we are curious to know if we need to
   initialize the new column in the UI before doing the initial export, if the export
   is a sufficient backup of the configuration and database, and how to format the
   additional field if it is intended to be a hyperlink (I assume a simple href 
   will work, but wanted to check).
 * Thanks in advance!
 * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Fexport-modify-import-backend%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
   to see the link]_

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  Plugin Author [Roland Barker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/xnau/)
 * (@xnau)
 * [6 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/export-modify-import-backend/#post-12201662)
 * This is possible for the record data. The CSV export dos not include other plugin
   configuration data.
 * The way this is generally done, you define all the fields you want to use and
   set them to be included in the export. This is explained in the documentation.
   The exported CSV would then be imported to a spreadsheet application where the
   data can be edited.
 * That spreadsheet is then exported as a csv and re-imported to the plugin database.
   On import, the records will be matched by the record ID and the records in the
   database will be updated with the incoming values.
 * You do need to observe the correct data format for the fields, there are several
   different kinds of fields possible, and some will have a slightly different data
   format. What I suggest you do is set up a test record with all the data fields
   you will want to maintain, export it, and on import to the spreadsheet, you’ll
   see the expected data formats. It’s nothing complicated, you just need to know
   what’s expected.
 *  Thread Starter [ttsai](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ttsai/)
 * (@ttsai)
 * [6 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/export-modify-import-backend/#post-12201717)
 * Thanks so much! We will give this a try. I should mention this is for 3000+ records.
   I think I saw a warning about “large” import/export operations.
 *  Plugin Author [Roland Barker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/xnau/)
 * (@xnau)
 * [6 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/export-modify-import-backend/#post-12201734)
 * Yes, the plugin imports the CSV all in one go, and so the file size of the import
   will be limited to what the server will allow in terms of the upload size and
   execution time. Several thousand records is probably going to be OK, but it really
   depends on the overall data size.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘Export/Modify/Import Backend’ is closed to new replies.

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## Tags

 * [csv](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/csv/)
 * [export](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/export/)
 * [Import](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/import/)
 * [Modify](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/modify/)

 * 3 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Roland Barker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/xnau/)
 * Last activity: [6 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/export-modify-import-backend/#post-12201734)
 * Status: not resolved