WordPress. Export and Import function.

WordPress provides a simple built in process to Export and Import various components of a WordPress installation.

I recently used this to Export all posts and comments from ONE selected category only.  I then used the Import section in another website to import those same posts.

I had the feeling that any identical posts would be re-created with a new name, ie: adding -2 at the end of the posts URL slug, which often seems to happen when manually creating a post with the same name.

But, it didn’t.  I received this message instead:

Import WordPress
Post “xxx1 ” already exists.
Post “xxx2” already exists.
Post “xxx3″ already exists.
Post “xxx4 ” already exists.
Post “xxx5” already exists.
Post “xxx6″ already exists.

All done. Have fun!

I checked to see what had been imported

I had 15 posts already, and tried to import 19, but 6 were duplicates.

I now have 28, my original 15, plus 13 of the 19 that I tried to import.  That confirms that the other SIX were NOT imported.

But I need them, as they have comments attached that I also want transferred over.

I suppose I could change the names manually, and then re-import again. That would bring in the remaining 6, which I will then have to work out how to merge together.

I checked these 6 posts and only 4 have comments (on the old installation), so I only need to bring in those 4 as duplicates.

Using the quick edit function in Posts, I added -2 to the URL slug of those 4 posts.  Making them unique posts on the new WP Installation.

I re-exported, then imported again.  But, I still have 28 posts !!

This is more complex than I thought… 😀