Title: WordPress Needs a Built-In Export Function Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # WordPress Needs a Built-In Export Function * [TerranceDC](https://wordpress.org/support/users/terrancedc/) * (@terrancedc) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/) * I know there’s an export plugin, but I’ve yet to be able to get it to work, or figure out why it doesnt’ work for me. * I know I can do an SQL dump of my database. * What I didn’t know about WordPress before I chose it was that it just isn’t built to be moved easily. I’m not sure why this is. Can anyone enlighten me here? * Basically, I need to switch host’s The easiest thing to do would be to export and then import into another database. WordPress doesn’t do exports itself. I can’t get the plugin to work. Supposedly there’s a problem in 1.5.2 that’s been corrected in 1.6, but that means sticking with a host I’m unhappy with until 1.6 comes out. * I’ve tried doing an SQL dump. Unfortunately, my database is so big that it can’t be done in phpmyadmin. Instead I have to do it in Terminal, at the command line, etc.; something I’m not entirely sure how to do. At this point, I’m considering paying someone to do it for me, because I have a lot of content that I don’t want to abandon. I’m getting desperate. * Can someone explain to me why, or give me a good reason why WordPress doesn’t have a built-in export function? Why build something with a way in and no way out? Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) * [Mark (podz)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/podz/) * (@podz) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265210) * Too big ? How big ? I have exported a db of 200meg+ and successfully imported a couple of blogs over 60meg. * I’ll try and sort it for you if you want ? tamba2 @ gmail . com * The best way though is to clear the db of all the data you don’t need (spam logs, rss feeds from the dashboard, any stats) and then export by table. Tedious and very easy to make a mistake but effective. * Importing – reverse process. * “Supposedly there’s a problem in 1.5.2 that’s been corrected in 1.6, ” – I’ve not heard of that and I have worked with lots of db’s. * feel free to drop me an email 🙂 * [ifelse](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ifelse/) * (@ifelse) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265214) * Skippy has made [WP-DB-Backup](http://www.skippy.net/blog/category/wordpress/plugins/wp-db-backup/) which is an excellent plugin for the backing up (i.e. export) of the WP-DB. * Thread Starter [TerranceDC](https://wordpress.org/support/users/terrancedc/) * (@terrancedc) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265569) * The problem is that if I wanted to take my content and go to another blogging platform, I can’t. If there was an export function, I could. * [TechGnome](https://wordpress.org/support/users/techgnome/) * (@techgnome) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265607) * Moving to a new blogging tool is different from being able to move our blog ( from site a to site b). However, why should WP do that for you? I seriously doubt that MovableType or TextPAttern do the same…. * then again, maybe it’s just me…. * -tg * [vrada](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vrada/) * (@vrada) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265623) * TechGnome is right. But then again you could use another blogging program which should have an import tool. * Thread Starter [TerranceDC](https://wordpress.org/support/users/terrancedc/) * (@terrancedc) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265663) * Actually, Movable Type does have an export function. So someone could move their blog without having to use phpmyadmin or command-line prompts to move a database. It’s just an easier, more user-friendly way to do it. * WordPress does have an import function that accepts Moveable Type export files, but you can’t export from WordPress itself. It just makes extra work when it comes to moving a blog from one server to another. * In my caes, my database is to large to ues phpmyadmin’s web interface. Either it times out or I end up with an empty file. I have to do it via command-line in terminal, which is a bit like trying to do something in a language you’ve never read before. * It would be easier if I could just export my blog into a format that I could then import back into WordPress when I get it set up elswhere; easier than going in through the back-end and trying to do it in a way that isn’t all that user friendly. * I enjoy using WordPress, so I don’t want to necessarily switch blogging tools. I could, but I’d rather not leave two years worth of content behind. * But, I picked WordPress because of the ease of installation and the ease of use, as well as because there’s a pretty good amount of support in these forums. I just think adding an export function would make WordPres even better, by making it even easier to use. * I guess I don’t get why an export function would be a bad thing to have native in WordPress, or what would be wrong with that. * [jaseone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jaseone/) * (@jaseone) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265664) * Did you not see the link to [http://www.skippy.net/blog/category/wordpress/plugins/wp-db-backup/](http://www.skippy.net/blog/category/wordpress/plugins/wp-db-backup/)? * The majority of end users these days use cpanel moves to move between hosts anyway, it isn’t that having an export function is a bad thing it just hasn’t been written as the developers have been working on features that are more important to the majority of users. * Plus I believe you can also import into a new WordPress blog via using the RSS feeds but I’ve never tried that personally. * Your new host should be able to help you get everything sorted out as well. * Thread Starter [TerranceDC](https://wordpress.org/support/users/terrancedc/) * (@terrancedc) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265666) * Yeah, I saw the back-up plugin. I have it installed. I’ll probably use it, becaues I don’t have any other option. My database is too large to use the phpmyadmin web interface. It either times out or I get an empty file. I’ve never used cpanel. Don’t know what that is. So, I have to use terminal and command-line prompts, which is someting I dont’ know how to do. So I have to get someone to do it for me, and show me how to do it. * I just wish it could be easier. That’s all. * [Firas](https://wordpress.org/support/users/firas/) * (@firas) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265667) * I’m not sure why people are getting defensive. Of course WP needs an export function. It just doesn’t quite have one yet. * A good way of thinking about this: by the time you tell someone to log into phpmyadmin, the WP software and its development community have already failed. phpMyAdmin is a generic sql adminstrator, not a WP tool. * [TechGnome](https://wordpress.org/support/users/techgnome/) * (@techgnome) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265668) * How BIG is your database? I’ve got four years worth of stuff in mine, and I have* never* had a problem with the phpMyAdmin export. And that includes SK2 and blackilist information. I select the database, click the Export tab, click the “Select All” to select all of the tables, make sure the options are set right (complete inserts), mark it to “Save as File” no compression. And click Go. It then down loads my file. Now, when re-uploading the data, I usualy have to copy (from the file) and paste it (back into phpMyAdmin SQL screen) in blocks to get it to reload properly. * -tg * [TechGnome](https://wordpress.org/support/users/techgnome/) * (@techgnome) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265671) * Firas – like all things people get defensive about around here, it’s all about presentation. It sounded like he was bent out of sorts because WP didn’t provide an export so that he could move to a new blog tool. That’s the way it came across. At least that’s the way I took it. * If no one minds or objects, and if there is enough need or desire for one, after I’m done with my theme work and drop cap plugin, I think I can do some work on an export/import process using XML. Anyone interested? It isn’t going to be a quick turnaround on it, so it probably won’t be of much use to the OP, but some one else may have better luck with it. * -tg * [billsaysthis](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billsaysthis/) * (@billsaysthis) * [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265680) * Writing an export utility (for someone like me with basic PHP skills) should not be much of an effort, just a few SQL queries, cycle through the rows and save into one or more files. What is more important, and less easy to understand, is what the output files should look like, not XML or SQLdump or CSV, but the organization of the material. * MT’s export might be a good model but the answer should be based on what the output will be used for. TerranceDC’s the one asking for this but has given two different answers (move to WP on a different host, move to a different tool) and so the issue is still open. Skippy’s backup plugin is probably sufficient for moving WP but the idea of a more generic export was on my mind last week too. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) The topic ‘WordPress Needs a Built-In Export Function’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [export](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/export/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 12 replies * 8 participants * Last reply from: [billsaysthis](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billsaysthis/) * Last activity: [20 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-needs-a-built-in-export-function/#post-265680) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics