Exporting and importing lets you move field group configurations between WordPress sites as portable JSON files. This is essential for professional workflows: deploying changes from a staging site to production, setting up new client sites with a proven field structure, sharing configurations with colleagues, or simply backing up your field definitions before making major changes.
Unlike Local JSON Sync (which is an automated background process tied to your theme), export/import is a manual, on-demand action. You choose which field groups to export, download a JSON file, and upload it on the destination site.
When to Use Export/Import
| Scenario | What You Do |
|---|---|
| Moving field groups from staging to production | Export from staging, import on production, choose Overwrite for existing groups |
| Setting up a new client site with the same content types | Export from your template site, import on the new site |
| Backing up field definitions before a major reorganization | Export all field groups as a precautionary backup file |
| Sharing your field setup with a teammate or contractor | Export and send them the JSON file via email or chat |
| Replicating a site structure on a fresh WordPress install | Export all groups from the original, install Field Forge PRO on the new site, import |
| Moving from one hosting provider to another | Export before migration, import after setting up the new hosting environment |
Step-by-Step: Exporting Field Groups
- Go to Field Forge > Import/Export in the WordPress admin
- Find the Export section on the page
- You see a list of all your field groups with checkboxes next to each one
- Check the field groups you want to export, or click Select All to export everything
- Click Export JSON
- A
.jsonfile downloads to your computer (the filename includes the export date for easy identification) - Store this file somewhere safe — on your desktop, in a project folder, or in cloud storage
- The file is typically small (a few KB to a few hundred KB, depending on how many field groups you export)
What the Export File Contains
| Included in the Export | Not Included in the Export |
|---|---|
| Field group titles and settings | Actual post content (the data editors typed into fields) |
| All fields with types, labels, names, and configurations | Media files (images, documents, videos) |
| Sub-fields inside Repeaters, Groups, and Flexible Content | Options Page data (the values on options pages) |
| Location rules | Theme code or templates |
| Conditional logic rules | WordPress settings or user accounts |
| Layout settings and wrapper widths | Other plugin data |
| Field order |
This means the export is a blueprint of your field structure. It tells the destination site what fields exist and how they are configured, but it does not carry any actual content data.
Step-by-Step: Importing Field Groups
- On the destination site, go to Field Forge > Import/Export
- Find the Import section
- Click Choose File (or drag and drop the JSON file onto the upload area)
- Select the
.jsonfile you exported - Click Import JSON
- Field Forge reads the file and processes each field group
- A success message shows how many field groups were imported
- Go to Field Forge > Field Groups to verify they all appear in the list
- Open 2-3 imported field groups to spot-check that fields, types, and settings transferred correctly
- Set or adjust location rules if needed (location rules reference post types and templates by name — if the destination site uses different names, you will need to update the rules)
Handling Duplicates on Import
If the destination site already has a field group with the same internal key (which happens when you are updating an existing site rather than importing to a fresh one):
- Field Forge detects the duplicate and pauses
- You are prompted to choose: Skip or Overwrite
- Skip — keeps the existing version on the destination site, ignores the imported version
- Overwrite — replaces the existing version with the imported version
- Choose Overwrite when you want the imported (newer) version to replace the current one
- Choose Skip when the destination site has changes you want to keep
Practical Workflow: Staging to Production Deployment
Here is a step-by-step professional workflow for deploying field group changes from a staging environment to a live production site:
- Build and test your field groups on the staging site — add fields, configure settings, test with real content
- Have your content team review the staging site to confirm the fields make sense and the editing experience is smooth
- On the staging site, go to Field Forge > Import/Export
- Select All field groups and click Export JSON
- Save the export file with a descriptive name like
field-forge-export-2026-04-10-v2.json - Log into the production site’s WordPress admin
- Go to Field Forge > Import/Export
- Upload the export file and click Import JSON
- For each existing field group, choose Overwrite to apply the staging changes
- Verify by opening 3-5 posts on the production site to confirm fields appear with their existing data intact
- Check the frontend of 3-5 key pages to make sure everything displays correctly
- Archive the export file in your project folder for future reference
> What happens without PRO: JSON export and import are PRO-only features. On the free plan, you would need to manually recreate field groups on each site. If you manage more than one WordPress site, the PRO export/import feature saves hours of repetitive work.
> Tip: Make it a habit to export your field groups whenever you make significant changes. The JSON file is small and serves as a portable backup of your field configuration. Store exports alongside your other project files so you always have a snapshot you can restore from.
> Common mistake: Importing field groups and expecting content data to transfer. The export only contains the field structure (definitions), not the values that editors entered. To move content data between sites, you need a database migration tool or the Field Forge value migration feature.
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