Thank you for the valuable suggestion regarding JSON-based media import/export.
After reviewing the issues you mentioned, we’d like to clarify that media export already includes structured JSON metadata. When exporting media, the system generates a ZIP file that contains:
- All media files
- A
media_metadata.json file with complete attachment data
So technically, JSON support is already part of the process.
If you’re working with a large website (thousands of posts/media files), you may experience timeouts during import or export. This is usually caused by server limitations – not the file format itself.
We’re have plan and actively working on introducing batch-based (chunked) export and import processing. This enhancement is designed specifically to support large websites with more than thousands of posts or heavy media libraries.
For now, you can update these limits in one of the following ways, depending on your hosting setup.
Immediate Workarounds You Can Try:
✅ Option 1: Contact Your Hosting Provider (Recommended)
This is the safest and most reliable method.
Send your hosting support team this message:
Please increase my PHP limits to the following values:
max_execution_time = 600
max_input_time = 600
memory_limit = 512M
upload_max_filesize = 500M
post_max_size = 500M
Most hosting providers can apply this within minutes.
✅ Option 2: Update .htaccess (Apache Servers Only)
If your server uses Apache, you can try adding this to your .htaccess file:
- Open
public_html
- Edit
.htaccess
- Add:
php_value max_execution_time 600
php_value max_input_time 600
php_value memory_limit 512M
php_value upload_max_filesize 500M
php_value post_max_size 500M
✅ Option 3: Update wp-config.php (Memory Only)
You can increase memory via WordPress:
- Open
wp-config.php
- Add above the line:
/* That's all, stop editing! */
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');
define('WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');
Important: This only affects memory limit. It does NOT change execution time or upload size.
🔍 How to Verify Changes. Use the Built-in System Test (Before Changing Anything). You can find it directly below the Post & Media Import/Export section.
This tool automatically checks your server configuration and shows whether your environment is suitable for large import/export operations.