Comments Export/Import Manager

A powerful WordPress plugin for exporting and importing comments with flexible filtering and status mapping options. Perfect for site migrations, spam filtering workflows, and comment backups.

🚀 Features

Export Features

• Selective Status Export: Choose specific comment statuses to export (Approved, Pending, Spam, Trash)
• Flexible Filename Options: Customize export filenames with site name, URL, date, time, and status information
• Complete Data Preservation: Exports all comment metadata including author info, timestamps, and content
• CSV Format: Industry-standard CSV format for maximum compatibility
• Comment Statistics: View current comment counts by status before export

Import Features

• Smart Status Mapping: Map imported comment statuses to new statuses during import
• Enhanced Duplicate Prevention: Comprehensive duplicate detection using multiple criteria
• Detailed Import Reporting: Clear notifications showing what was imported vs. skipped
• Flexible File Support: Compatible with CSV files from this plugin or other WordPress exports
• Validation & Error Handling: Robust validation with user-friendly error messages

User Experience

• Persistent Preferences: Plugin remembers your export/import preferences across sessions
• Real-time Notifications: Instant feedback with bubble notifications for all actions
• Clean Interface: Intuitive admin interface with helpful descriptions and select all/deselect all options
• Mobile Responsive: Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile devices

📸 Screenshots

Main Interface

The plugin provides a clean, organized interface with export and import sections:

🛠️ Installation

From WordPress Admin

1. Go to Plugins > Add New
2. Search for \"Comments Export/Import Manager\"
3. Install and activate the plugin
4. Navigate to Comments > Export/Import

Manual Installation

1. Download the plugin files
2. Upload to /wp-content/plugins/tr-comments-import-export/
3. Activate through the WordPress admin panel
4. Go to Comments > Export/Import to start using

Via WP-CLI

wp plugin install tr-comments-import-export --activate

🎯 Usage

Exporting Comments

1. Navigate to Export Section

   • Go to Comments > Export/Import
   • Locate the \"Export Comments\" section

2. Select Comment Statuses

   • Choose which statuses to include: Approved, Pending, Spam, Trash
   • Use \"Select All\" or \"Deselect All\" for quick selection
   • See live comment counts for each status

3. Customize Filename (Optional)

   • Include/exclude site name, URL, date, time
   • Include comment status codes in filename
   • Preview shows how your filename will look

4. Export

   • Click \"Export Comments\"
   • CSV file downloads automatically
   • Filename example: mysite.com_comments_appr_pend_2025-05-31_14-30-25.csv

Importing Comments

1. Prepare CSV File

   • Use CSV exported from this plugin
   • Or create compatible CSV with required headers
   • Ensure proper encoding (UTF-8 recommended)

2. Select Import File

   • Click \"Choose File\" in Import section
   • Select your CSV file
   • File validation occurs automatically

3. Configure Status Mapping

   • Choose which statuses to import
   • Map each original status to desired new status
   • Example: Import \"Spam\" comments as \"Pending\" for review

4. Import

   • Click \"Import Comments\"
   • View detailed results showing:
     • Number of comments imported
     • Number of duplicates skipped
     • Status breakdown of imported comments

🔧 Technical Details

CSV Format

The plugin uses a standardized CSV format with the following headers:

comment_ID,comment_post_ID,comment_author,comment_author_email,comment_author_url,comment_author_IP,comment_date,comment_date_gmt,comment_content,comment_karma,comment_approved,comment_agent,comment_type,comment_parent,user_id

Duplicate Detection

The plugin uses a comprehensive duplicate detection system:

1. Primary Check: Comment ID matching
2. Secondary Check: Content + Author + Email + Post ID + Date combination
3. Flexible Matching: Handles comments with or without IDs
4. Data Validation: Sanitizes and validates all fields before comparison

Database Operations

• All operations use prepared statements for security
• Bulk operations optimized for performance
• Transactional safety for large imports
• Proper WordPress hooks and filters integration

🔌 Developer Hooks

The plugin provides hooks for developers:

Actions: tr_cei_before_export, tr_cei_after_export, tr_cei_before_import, tr_cei_after_import

Filters: tr_cei_export_query, tr_cei_export_filename, tr_cei_validate_import_data, tr_cei_is_duplicate_comment

🚨 Troubleshooting

Export Issues:

• Verify comments exist for selected statuses
• Check server file download permissions

Import Issues:

• Check file size limits and CSV format
• Increase max_execution_time for large imports
• Verify CSV headers match expected format

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

Reporting Issues

1. Check existing issues on GitHub
2. Provide detailed bug reports with:
   • WordPress version
   • PHP version
   • Plugin version
   • Steps to reproduce
   • Expected vs actual behavior

Feature Requests

1. Search existing feature requests
2. Describe the use case clearly
3. Explain the expected functionality
4. Consider backward compatibility

Code Contributions

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Follow WordPress coding standards
4. Write clear commit messages
5. Submit a pull request

Coding Standards

• Follow WordPress Coding Standards
• Use meaningful variable and function names
• Add inline documentation for complex logic
• Test on multiple WordPress versions

📋 Requirements

System Requirements

• WordPress: 5.0 or higher
• PHP: 7.4 or higher
• MySQL: 5.6 or higher (or MariaDB equivalent)

Server Requirements

• Memory: 256MB minimum (512MB recommended for large imports)
• Execution Time: 60 seconds minimum for imports
• File Upload: 32MB minimum for large CSV files

Browser Compatibility

• Chrome 80+
• Firefox 75+
• Safari 13+
• Edge 80+

📞 Support & Documentation

Getting Help

• Documentation: Check this README and plugin help text
• WordPress Support: WordPress.org Plugin Support
• GitHub Issues: Report bugs and request features
• Author Website: TechReader.com

Premium Support

For priority support, custom development, or consulting:

• Visit TechReader.com
• Email: support@techreader.com

💖 Support Development

If this plugin has been helpful, consider supporting its development:

Your support helps:

• Keep the plugin free and updated
• Add new features based on user feedback
• Provide community support
• Maintain compatibility with new WordPress versions

📄 License

This plugin is licensed under the GPLv3.

Copyright (C) 2025 TechReader

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
GNU General Public License for more details.

🏷️ Changelog

Version 1.7.7 (Current)

• Security improvements with static prepared statements and enhanced caching
• Complete WordPress coding standards compliance for database operations
• Final resolution of all plugin check database warnings

Version 1.6.0

• MAJOR IMPROVEMENT: Enhanced duplicate detection system
• NEW: Comprehensive duplicate checking using multiple criteria
• NEW: Detailed import notifications with skip reason breakdown
• IMPROVED: Better error handling and validation
• TECHNICAL: Refactored import logic for better performance

Version 1.5.0

• Persistent checkbox selections across page loads
• Export filename customization options
• Better notifications and user experience

View complete changelog in readme.txt

🔮 Roadmap

Planned Features:

• Advanced filtering by date ranges, authors, keywords
• Additional export formats (JSON, XML)
• Automated scheduling
• REST API endpoints

Under Consideration:

• Multi-site support
• Custom fields support
• Advanced field mapping

Made with ❤️ by TechReader

If this plugin has been helpful, consider supporting development at https://techreader.com/donate.