Every single time anyone signs into your website on WordPress, the platform will store the information they provide in a database. There will come a time when you would want to be saving this information. It is quite easy to get this database out of WordPress. In this article, you will learn how you can import & export your business database in and out of WordPress.
WordPress has, by default, a built-in option for exporting and importing databases. You will be able to save them to the user database you access and migrate them as well. There can be plenty of situations where you can find this function quite handy. So, this is what you would be required to do:
There are two methods to import & export the user databases in your WordPress:
The first method will make use of a plugin while the second method will use no plugin.
1. Use the Plugin for importing or exporting the user database
You should check your dashboard in WordPress first; you can notice two main tabs which are called “Import” and “Export” under the Tools section.
WordPress’ export tab: If you click on Export tab, you can see the option for saving all the data of your business website on WordPress. This includes all your posts, all the comments, various pages, customized fields, different categories, and their tags. The User List will not be a part of your default package; you can add this function in WordPress by using a plugin. You can get these plugins for free on the internet.
You must first download the plugin and then install it. After installation, you must activate the plugin. Then you can see the new User Import & Export tab under the Users section in WordPress. Inside that, you can see the option for importing user database towards the top part of your screen.
If you want to import your users to a new website, you must install another separate plugin for installing and exporting your users. After installing the plugin, you go to the Users section and then click on the User Import Export tab in WordPress, and after that click on Import Users button present at the top of your screen.
Uploading the user database
It can take some time to do the importing, as it will depend upon the length of your spreadsheet. Your plugin will be merged with the user database that you import with the existing database. This will mean that it is best that you import the database into your business website in order to not get any problems later on.
2. Export the User Data from WordPress Database
It has been said before; WordPress will be able to save a lot of the information in a database that is unique to your website. You can do the importing and exporting of your database without a plugin also.
In order to do this, you must be using a tool which is known as the phpMyAdmin. This will enable you to interact with the WordPress databases. In case your web hosting service uses the cPanel, you can easily access the phpMyAdmin there.
In certain instances, when the web hosts do not use cPanel, you will still be able to find a way for interacting with your user database. You should check the documentation of your provider and find the options that you have. After you enter the phpMyAdmin, you can see the names of all the existing databases to your left-hand side. In case you are hosting one website only, you will be able to see just one database that you can enlarge by clicking over the Plus (+) sign that is present there.
Which WordPress database should you explore?
When you check out the names on the table, you can see that there is an option that reads wp_users or something that is similar (this will be depending on host you have). This is the table that you should be concerned with. After it has been opened, you can see the list of all your present WordPress users. See, there will be one menu right at top of your screen that will show a lot of options including the Import & Export options.
The options for importing and exporting user databases
You must click on the Export option, and then you can export the user database in an SQL format, but you will be able to choose other options like CSV which can be good for you if you wish to locally browse the database. There will not be any other settings in this field; you must only click on the Go option.
Exporting your user database
The phpMyAdmin will be saving a copy of the database you have on your computer. Then you will be able to open a CSV by using a spreadsheet software that you have. You will also be able to export it in the databases of other websites with phpMyAdmin.
Importing your database
You must choose your backup for your database which you had made earlier, and you must see what the format of the database is in. You must then be scrolling down and then click the Go button again. You should remember that with this method you will delete your previous user’s table.
You can learn about business databases and their function in WordPress websites with more details at RemoteDBA.com.
Conclusion
It is very easy to import & export databases in and out of WordPress. Hopefully, the information in this article will have helped you.
About Author
Eyden Haze
Eyden Haze is a digital marketer, a web designer and technology fanatic from Sydney, Australia. With over 7 years of experience in web industry, he has helped his clients to launch their marketing campaigns successfully. He also likes to explore various online tools and share that knowledge by writing useful blog posts.