Title: Import Export Free Version – Table Issues
Last modified: May 29, 2026

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# Import Export Free Version – Table Issues

 *  [nycinsider](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nycinsider/)
 * (@nycinsider)
 * [1 day, 6 hours ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-export-free-version-table-issues/)
 * Hi,
 * I’m on the **free** version of Pretty Links and I’m trying to move my links into
   a **fresh WordPress install** (no 14‑year cruft) by moving only the needed database
   tables, not the whole site.
 * **What I’m trying to do**
    - Keep live site as‑is for now.
    - On a **separate fresh WP install**, bring over only Pretty Links data so I
      can rebuild everything else cleanly.
    - Both installs are standard WordPress, same table prefix (`wp_`).
 * **What I did**
    1. From the live site’s database, I exported the Pretty Links tables:
    2.  - `wp_prli_links`
        - `wp_prli_clicks`
        - `wp_prli_groups`
        - `wp_prli_link_metas`
    3. On the fresh WP site:
    4.  - Installed and activated Pretty Links free.
        - Confirmed it created its own `wp_prli_*` tables.
        - Dropped those empty tables and imported the `wp_prli_*` tables from the live
          export into the fresh site’s database (same `wp_` table prefix, correct DB).
    5. Verified in the database on the fresh site:
    6.  - `wp_prli_links` is **full of valid rows** (my links from live).
        - Other `wp_prli_*` tables are populated too.
 * **The problem**
    - In the Pretty Links admin on the fresh site, the list shows `All (0)` and 
      no links.
    - If I create a **new test Pretty Link** in the admin on the fresh site, it 
      does **not** appear in the `wp_prli_links` table where my imported rows are.
    - `wp_options` on the fresh site does **not** have a `prli_db_version` row (
      I checked).
 * So:
    - The data is definitely in `wp_prli_links` on the fresh site.
    - The plugin UI shows nothing and doesn’t seem to be reading or writing to the
      table I imported.
 * **What I’m _not_ trying to do**
    - I’m _not_ trying to migrate the whole site or reuse a 14‑year‑old DB.
    - I do **not** want to use WP All Import/Export to pull everything over; I specifically
      want a clean WordPress install and to move just Pretty Links data if possible.
    - I’m on the **free** version, so I don’t have access to the Import/Export tab
      from Pro.
 * **My questions**
    1. On the **free** version, is it officially supported to move Pretty Links by 
       simply moving the `wp_prli_*` tables into a fresh install’s database (with the
       same table prefix), or is that guaranteed not to work?
    2. If it _is_ supposed to work, what else does Pretty Links free rely on besides
       the `wp_prli_*` tables?
    3.  - Are there specific rows expected in `wp_options` (like `prli_db_version` 
          or anything else) that need to exist for the plugin to recognize existing
          data?
        - Is there any known behavior where Pretty Links will ignore existing rows 
          in `wp_prli_links` on a fresh site?
    4. Is there any **free‑version‑compatible** way to get Pretty Links to recognize
       existing `wp_prli_links` data on a fresh install without buying Pro just for
       the Import/Export feature?
 * If the official answer is “no, the free version does not support this pattern
   and the only supported way is via the Pro Import/Export tool,” I just need to
   hear that clearly so I can decide whether to pay for Pro for a one‑time migration
   or plan on replacing Pretty Links entirely if I have to manually copy links (
   don’t need click history) or pay $100 for a 1x migration.
 * Thanks in advance for any guidance that applies specifically to the **free** 
   version and to fresh‑install scenarios like this.

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

 *  Plugin Author [cartpauj](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cartpauj/)
 * (@cartpauj)
 * [1 day, 3 hours ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-export-free-version-table-issues/#post-18923213)
 * The short version is that what you’re seeing is expected, and there’s a way to
   fix it for free. The reason your imported links don’t show up is that newer versions
   of Pretty Links don’t store links only in the `wp_prli_links` table anymore. 
   Each link also has a matching entry in your wp_posts table as a custom post type(
   post_type ‘pretty-link’), and the two are tied together by the `link_cpt_id column`
   in `wp_prli_links`.
   The links list in the admin is actually the standard WordPress
   post list for that custom post type, so it reads from `wp_posts` and matches 
   up to `wp_prli_links` using `link_cpt_id`. When you copied just the `wp_prli_*`
   tables, the `link_cpt_id` values in those rows still point at post IDs from your
   old site that don’t exist on the new one, so nothing matches and the list shows
   zero. Your data is definitely there, the admin just can’t connect it to anything.(
   Quick note on the new test link not showing in the table: it actually does get
   written to `wp_prli_links`, it just gets the next auto-increment ID so it lands
   after all your imported rows. It also creates its `wp_posts` entry at the same
   time, which is why it shows in the admin and your imported ones don’t.)To answer
   your questions directly:Moving just the `wp_prli_*` tables isn’t a supported 
   migration path on its own anymore, specifically because the matching `wp_posts`
   entries don’t come along with it. Besides the tables, the plugin relies on those
   wp_posts rows (post_type ‘pretty-link’) plus the `prli_db_version` row in `wp_options`.
   And yes, any link whose `link_cpt_id `doesn’t match a real post will be ignored
   by the admin list.But you don’t need Pro to fix this. Pretty Links has a built-
   in routine that recreates the missing `wp_posts` entries for any links that don’t
   have one. We just need to tell it your imported links need that, and nudge it
   to run.Back up your database first, then on the new site (after importing the`
   wp_prli_*` tables) run these three queries in phpMyAdmin, Adminer, or wp db query.
   Change the `wp_ prefix` if yours is different:`UPDATE wp_prli_links SET link_cpt_id
   = 0;``DELETE FROM wp_options WHERE option_name = 'prli_db_version';``INSERT INTO
   wp_options (option_name, option_value, autoload) VALUES ('prli_db_version', '
   21', 'yes');`After that, just open any wp-admin page once. The plugin will notice
   the version is behind, create a post for each imported link, reconnect everything,
   and then update the version number on its own. Your links should all show up 
   in the list after that, with click counts intact.What those lines are doing: 
   setting `link_cpt_id` to 0 marks every imported link as needing a new post (the
   rebuild only touches links that don’t have one yet, so the old stale IDs have
   to be cleared). And resetting `prli_db_version` to 21 makes the plugin think 
   it’s mid-upgrade so the rebuild kicks in on the next admin page load. Any value
   from 1 to 21 works as long as it’s there and below 22. If you have a lot of links,
   that first page load might take a few seconds while it builds the posts.A couple
   of things that should reassure you: your click history (`wp_prli_clicks`) and
   your groups (`wp_prli_groups`) carry over fine, so you won’t lose those. And 
   your imported links were most likely already redirecting correctly even before
   any of this, because the redirect side looks links up directly by slug in `wp_prli_links`
   and doesn’t need the post entry. It was only the admin screens that couldn’t 
   see them.Give that a try and let me know how it goes. If anything still looks
   off afterward, reply back with what you’re seeing and I’ll help you work through
   it.
 *  Thread Starter [nycinsider](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nycinsider/)
 * (@nycinsider)
 * [23 hours, 24 minutes ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-export-free-version-table-issues/#post-18923403)
 * Thank you so much – will be a few days/week before I move the post content to
   test. But this is a very thorough and welcome response. I love you think this
   is the ‘short” version, lol – not sure I ever want to see the long one!

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

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## Tags

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

 * 2 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [nycinsider](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nycinsider/)
 * Last activity: [23 hours, 24 minutes ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-export-free-version-table-issues/#post-18923403)
 * Status: not resolved