Importing Content
If you already have a website on another platform, you can bring your content into ClearCMS. The import tool connects to your existing site, finds your content, and copies it over. No need to re-enter everything by hand.
What can be imported
The import tool can bring in:
- Pages -- titles, body content, URLs, and SEO metadata
- Blog posts -- titles, content, excerpts, publish dates, and featured images
- Media -- images, documents, and other uploaded files with their metadata
- Other content -- any structured data your old CMS stored (team members, events, products, etc.)
Supported sources
ClearCMS currently supports importing from:
- Payload CMS -- connects directly to your Payload database
Support for additional platforms (WordPress, Contentful, Strapi) is planned.
Before you start
A few things to do before running an import:
- Back up your ClearCMS site -- importing adds new content and does not delete anything, but a backup gives you peace of mind.
- Have your database details ready -- you will need the address, database name, username, and password for your old site's database.
- Review your content -- take a quick look at what you have in your old site (pages, posts, images, etc.) so you know what to expect.
Starting an import
- Open your ClearCMS admin panel.
- Go to Settings in the left sidebar.
- Click Import.
- Choose your source platform (e.g., Payload CMS).
Step 1: Connect to your database
Enter your database connection details:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Host | The address of your database (e.g., db.example.com) |
| Port | The port number (usually 5432) |
| Database | The name of your database |
| Username | Your database username |
| Password | Your database password |
| SSL | Leave checked for most databases |
Click Test Connection to check that ClearCMS can reach your database. You will see a success message if it works, or an error with details if something is wrong.
Step 2: Discover content
After a successful connection, click Discover Content. ClearCMS scans your database and shows you:
- A list of every content group it found (e.g., Pages, Posts, Media)
- How many items are in each group
- Which ClearCMS content type each group will become
- An estimated time for the import
Step 3: Choose what to import
Review the list and select which groups you want to import. Each group maps to a ClearCMS content type:
| Source collection | Maps to in ClearCMS |
|---|---|
| Pages | Pages |
| Posts | Blog posts |
| Media | Media library |
| Team / Members | Team members |
| Events | Events |
| Products | Products |
You can uncheck any group you do not want to import.
Step 4: Run the import
Click Start Import. ClearCMS imports each group one at a time. You will see progress as it works:
- Which group is being imported
- How many items have been imported so far
- Any items that were skipped (usually duplicates)
- Any errors that occurred
The import may take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes depending on how much content you have.
After the import
Once the import finishes, you will see a summary showing:
- Total items imported per group
- Items skipped (if any)
- Errors (if any)
Verify your content
Take a few minutes to check that everything came through correctly:
- Pages -- open a few pages in the editor and check that the content looks right.
- Blog posts -- verify that titles, dates, and featured images are correct.
- Media -- open the media library and confirm your images and files are there.
- URLs -- check that page and post URLs (slugs) match what you had before, so existing links still work.
Tips
- Start small -- if you have a lot of content, try importing one group first to make sure everything looks right before importing the rest.
- Check rich text -- formatted content (bold, links, headings) usually converts well, but review a few items to make sure.
- Review media -- imported images may need new alt text or descriptions. You can use the AI-powered media tools in ClearCMS to generate these.
- No duplicates -- if you run an import a second time, items with the same address are skipped to avoid duplicates.
- Ask for help -- if you run into issues, use the Help button in the ClearCMS editor.
Importing from other platforms
If your current platform is not supported by the built-in import tool, you have two options:
- Export and re-enter manually -- export your content from your old site as a file, then create items in ClearCMS by hand. See Content Types for the available fields.
- Ask a developer for help -- a developer can use the ClearCMS tools to move content over automatically.
You can import content from unsupported platforms using the Headless API. Export the content as a file, map fields to ClearCMS content types, then use the API to create items.