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Looking for an easy way to move or back up your WordPress users? You can quickly import and export WordPress users using an Excel file, a simple, organized method for site migration or user management.
Transferring your WordPress users is an important task, whether you are moving to a new website or creating multiple sites within a network. One of the easiest ways to do this is to import and export user data from an Excel file, which makes the process both efficient and organized.
In this article, we’ll show you how to use the premium version of the WebToffee WordPress user import plugin to effortlessly import and export your WordPress users through an Excel file. Let’s get started!
Key Takeaways
- Importing and exporting WordPress users from an Excel file is an easy, structured way to migrate user data, whether moving to a new site or managing multiple sites.
- Using a plugin simplifies the migration process, ensuring accuracy and consistency are easily maintained when importing or exporting users through Excel files.
- Dedicated plugins, like the WebToffee WordPress user import plugin, make it easy to transfer all user data quickly and accurately to and from an Excel file with just a few clicks.
You might need to import or export users in WordPress in various situations. These include:
- Data Backup: Exporting users to Excel serves as a backup copy of your user data, which can be invaluable in the event of accidental deletion or database corruption.
- Data Migration: Exporting users to Excel can facilitate the migration of your user base to a different platform or website. It is also helpful when merging two websites with their user bases and content.
- Integrate Content: Easily incorporate the content and target audience of a newly acquired website, such as registered users, into your main website, which is crucial for maintaining customer relationships.
- Set Up Email List or CRM: Creating an email list or CRM for your business is crucial for managing customer data, improving communication, and optimizing customer relationships.
- Migrating Subscriber List: Transferring your subscriber list to a new website or another business site to retain all information and ensure continuity in communication.
If you run a membership site or a WooCommerce store, keeping all your customer data is crucial to ensure a smooth experience. Migrating your users and their related data allows you to maintain continuity and deliver top-notch service.
Before you begin importing users, make sure your Excel file is properly set up. This file acts as a map that tells WordPress what information to import for each user.
Here’s how to structure it:
Start by creating columns for key user details, such as Username, Email, First Name, Last Name, Password, and User Role. These are the fields the plugin will use to build each user profile.
Among these, Username and Email are required fields. Without them, WordPress won’t know how to identify or contact each user. So, make sure every user has a unique username and a valid email address.
Next, double-check your User Roles (e.g., subscriber, customer, editor, administrator). The role you assign determines what each user can access or do on your site. If you’re importing WooCommerce customers, for example, the role should be set as customer.
For passwords, you can either include your own (in plain text) or leave the column blank and let WordPress automatically generate secure ones for new users.
Now, we will see how a plugin can be a game-changer in quickly migrating your users. A reliable migration plugin ensures that all user information, such as usernames, email addresses, roles, etc., is accurately transferred.
Follow the steps below to export WordPress users to Excel.
Step 1: Install & Activate WordPress Users Import Export Plugin
To export WordPress users to .xls files, you should first purchase and download the pro version of the WordPress Users Import Export plugin. The pro version is currently the only one with this feature.
- From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New Plugin
- Download the plugin file and upload it to the WordPress plugin directory.
- Install and Activate the plugin.
Step 2: Select User as Post Type for Export
Once you have installed and activated the plugin,
- Go to Webtoffee Import Export (Pro) > Export from your WordPress dashboard.
- Select User/Customer as the post type to export.
- Click the Select Export method button.
Step 3: Select Advanced Export Method
There are two options for export: Quick export and Advanced export.
We will choose the Advanced export option here as we need more filtering and column selection options to export.
Once done, proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Filter WordPress User Data
You can filter data that needs to be exported by choosing from the available criteria.
If you do not need to change the default settings, you can proceed to the next step by clicking on the Mapping & reorder export columns button.
Step 5: Map & Reorder User Export Columns
Once you filter the data, it’s time for renaming and reordering columns to export.
Here, you can reorder the columns according to the priority, rename the columns, and enable or disable the columns you want to add to your export Excel file.
Once you’re done with the necessary changes, proceed to the next step.
Step 6: Set Advanced User Export Options
This is the final part of the User/Customer exporting.
Here, you can simply export the users and customers by providing a file name and selecting the export file format.
- Select XLS from the export file format drop-down.
- Then click the Export button.
Note: If your export fails due to a time-out, you can lower the batch number in advanced options and try again.
A pop-up will appear when you click the Export button. Click the Download file button.
Your exported users’ Excel files will be downloaded to your computer.
Below is a sample of the exported Excel file.
Follow the below steps to import users to your WordPress website from an Excel file.
Step 1: Select User as Post Type to Import
- Go to Webtoffee Import Export (Pro) > Import.
- Select User/Customer as the post type to import.
Proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Select Quick Import Method
Upload the file you want to import into your site. Before uploading, ensure that the file you’re importing contains the user’s email ID for a successful import.
Note that the Advanced import option also supports Excel file format. Let’s use the Quick import option to import users/customers easily and quickly.
Pro Tip: If the input file was generated with the same plugin, use the Quick import method for faster results.
Once done, click on Import.
When an import is successful, a pop-up window will display the import status and the number of successful and unsuccessful imports (if any).
Also Read: How to Bulk Update WordPress Users?
You can also check out this informative video for an in-depth look at how to import and export users using the plugin!
Yes. As long as your user data is formatted in a compatible Excel or CSV file (with columns like email, username, role, etc.), you can import users from other CMS or CRM platforms.
Yes. You can export existing users along with their passwords, and when importing, those passwords will remain encrypted for security. If passwords are not included, WordPress will automatically generate new ones for new users.
Yes, the premium version allows scheduled imports and exports via FTP, URL, or cloud storage. This is helpful if you want to sync user data regularly between sites or external systems.
If a user with the same email or username already exists, the plugin can either skip that user or update their existing details, depending on the import settings you choose.
Yes. You can map any custom user meta fields available in your file during the mapping step, and the plugin will import that data along with the default fields.
Yes. Use the Advanced Export option to apply filters such as user role, registration date, or email domain to export only the users you need.
In short, whether you’re merging websites, improving customer or subscriber relationships, or pursuing other goals, knowing how to export and import WordPress users is essential. Although WordPress doesn’t offer built-in support for user import and export, many plugins are available to help with this task.
If you need a free solution to import and export WordPress users, you can download the free version of this plugin from the WordPress plugin library. Remember that the free version typically only supports the import and export of WordPress users through CSV files.
By following the steps in this guide, you should be well-prepared to export and import WordPress users successfully. We hope you find this information useful. Please comment below with your thoughts or feedback.
