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… 😀
63.1 - 862,227