Title: Exporting/Importing User Data
Last modified: June 22, 2021

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# Exporting/Importing User Data

 *  Resolved [amateurhr](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amateurhr/)
 * (@amateurhr)
 * [4 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exporting-importing-user-data/)
 * I am hosted with WP Engine and over the last month, we have been working on a
   newer version of our website in the staging environment. We are ready to take
   this new design live, however because we do not want to override the users in
   our current live site and thus we left out the database when initially copying
   from staging to production. This lead to things not being set correctly with 
   other plugins, the theme, etc because all of that data is contained in the database.
 * I worked with WP Engine Technical Support to see if there was a native functionality
   or another plugin that could export my user data and import it into the production
   site after copying with the database but there don’t appear to be any. And there
   doesn’t seem to be a way to even determine what all UM touches in the database
   to the point where the article here in your Support Documentation, [https://docs.ultimatemember.com/article/1549-export-import](https://docs.ultimatemember.com/article/1549-export-import),
   has the following warning:
 * “Warning: Don’t use third-party plugins to transfer UM data from site to site.
   There is no plugin that can transfer all UM data from site to site correctly.
   These data are lost: user followers, user friends, user groups, user messages,
   user notifications, user tags. There is only one way to transfer all UM data 
   from site to site correctly – export and import the entire database.”
 * This leads me to being in a bit of a situation where there are two possible outcomes
   at this time:
    1. I copy my staging site to production with the database, I would
   lose data for the 1,000 users who signed up in the last month while the new design
   was in development (there are 16,000 users total) or 2. I would lose the design
   work that has been invested into and completed because it cannot be copied without
   the database
 * Surely there must be an option here that you can recommend as far as best practice
   that doesn’t involve losing one or the other.
 * I look forward to hearing back from someone!

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  Plugin Support [mansurahamed](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mansurahamed/)
 * (@mansurahamed)
 * [4 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exporting-importing-user-data/#post-14586225)
 * Hi [@amateurhr](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amateurhr/),
 * You don’t need to worry about other plugin/theme data as UM doesn’t have anything
   to do with that. The documentation says, you can use third party plugin to import/
   export user data ( As UM saves user data in wp_usermeta table). But it’s not 
   possible to transfer UM plugin data ( Settings or premium extensions data using
   third plugin plugins ).
 * If you are not using any of UM paid extensions, you can just import the user 
   data, and recreate UM forms, member directory with the same settings ( metakey
   names). Should work fine. It’s recommended to take a full backup before this.
 * Thanks.
 *  Plugin Contributor [Champ Camba](https://wordpress.org/support/users/champsupertramp/)
 * (@champsupertramp)
 * [4 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exporting-importing-user-data/#post-14601923)
 * Hey there!
 *  This thread has been inactive for a while so we’re going to go ahead and mark
   it Resolved.
 * Please feel free to re-open this thread by changing the Topic Status to ‘Not 
   Resolved’ if any other questions come up and we’d be happy to help. 🙂
 * Regards,

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Exporting/Importing User Data’ is closed to new replies.

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## Tags

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

 * 2 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Champ Camba](https://wordpress.org/support/users/champsupertramp/)
 * Last activity: [4 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exporting-importing-user-data/#post-14601923)
 * Status: resolved