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manifest / privacy / better-messages-export

Better Messages Personal Data Export (Messages Only)

Extends the core WordPress Personal Data Export tool to include all sent messages from the Better Messages plugin, ensuring GDPR/privacy compliance.

by teethy · github.com/teethyorg/better-messages-export · website

★ 0stars

Install

Download source zip No release zip yet

This is the repository archive. It installs, but the folder name will carry the branch suffix and updates will not flow.

Install straight from GitHub with WP-CLI:

wp plugin install https://github.com/teethyorg/better-messages-export/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
No built-in updater. New versions won't appear under Dashboard → Updates. Install new releases yourself, or let Git Updater track the repository.
Readme github.com/teethyorg/better-messages-export ↗

A lightweight and focused WordPress plugin that extends the core Personal Data Export tool to include all sent messages from the Better Messages plugin, ensuring GDPR and user privacy compliance.

✨ Overview

This plugin registers a custom data exporter with the native Tools » Export Personal Data utility (introduced in WordPress 4.9.6 for GDPR compliance).

If your website uses the Better Messages plugin for user communication, this extension ensures that when a user requests an export of their personal data, it includes a complete, machine-readable record of all messages they have sent.

It is designed to be a simple, 'fire-and-forget' solution for site owners who need to be fully compliant with user data export requirements.

🤝 Compatibility & Testing

This plugin has been specifically developed and tested only within an environment using the following plugins:

  • Better Messages (Core functionality dependency)
  • Fluent Community (The common platform/context for Better Messages usage)

While it may work with other community/membership setups that utilize Better Messages, its functionality and stability are guaranteed only in combination with the Fluent Community plugin.

🔑 Key Features

  • Seamless Integration: Hooks directly into the standard WordPress Personal Data Export process.
  • Targeted Export: Specifically targets the bm_message_messages and bm_message_meta database tables.
  • Messages & Meta: Exports both the message content (message, date_sent, thread_id) and all associated message metadata (meta_key, meta_value).
  • Pagination: Implements pagination logic (200 items per batch) to handle large volumes of data without timeouts, ensuring reliable export completion.
  • Privacy Focused: Only exports data where the user is the sender, aligning with user-requested data portability.

⚙️ Installation

Method 1: Upload via WordPress Dashboard

  1. Download: Download the latest release ZIP file of this repository.
  2. Upload: In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins » Add New » Upload Plugin and upload the ZIP file.
  3. Activate: Click Activate Plugin.

Method 2: Manual (via FTP/SFTP)

  1. Extract: Extract the plugin ZIP file.
  2. Upload: Upload the extracted folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
  3. Activate: Go to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and activate the Better Messages Personal Data Export (Messages Only) plugin.

💻 Usage

Once the plugin is installed and activated:

  1. Navigate to Tools » Export Personal Data in your WordPress admin.
  2. Enter the user's email address to generate the request.
  3. When the export file is generated, the resulting ZIP will contain a JSON file with the user's data. This file will now include two new data groups:
    • Better Messages – Messages
    • Better Messages – Meta

⚠️ Requirements

  • WordPress: Version 4.9.6 or higher.
  • Better Messages Plugin: Must be installed and active on your site.

🤝 Contribution

Contributions are welcome! If you find a bug or have a suggestion, please feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request on GitHub.

📜 License

This plugin is licensed under the GPL v2 or later.

Plugin Name: Better Messages Personal Data Export (Messages Only)
Author: teethy
Author URI: https://teethy.org