Better Messages Personal Data Export (Messages Only)

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