--- title: Import and Export Configurations slug: import-and-export-configurations type: how-to plugin: huxx-connect summary: Export API configurations to JSON and import from HuxxConnect, WPGetAPI, Postman, or OpenAPI sources by file, paste, or URL — with preview and selective endpoint import. keywords: [import, export, backup, postman, openapi, wpgetapi, json] version_added: 1.2.5 version_updated: 1.2.5 level: intermediate related: [migrate-from-wpgetapi, store-credentials-outside-the-database, configure-environment-lock, your-first-api-connection] --- The **Import / Export** screen moves API configurations between sites and pulls in configurations from other tools. It exports HuxxConnect JSON (and Postman with Pro), and imports four formats with automatic detection. > **Quick version:** > 1. Go to **HuxxConnect → Import / Export**. > 2. Export: pick a **Format**, optionally select APIs and > **Include sensitive values (tokens, passwords)**, click > **Download Export**. > 3. Import: upload a file, paste JSON/YAML, or fetch a URL — the format is > detected automatically. > 4. Pick an **Import Mode**, review the **Preview**, untick endpoints you > don't want, click **Import**. ## Export a configuration In the **Export** card: 1. **Format** — **HuxxConnect JSON** is the native format and the right choice for backups and site-to-site moves. With HuxxConnect Pro active, **Postman Collection v2.1** is also available for hand-off to API tooling. 2. **APIs to Export** — shown when you have more than one API. The default is **All APIs**; expand the accordion to pick a subset. 3. **Include sensitive values (tokens, passwords)** — HuxxConnect JSON only. Off by default: exports contain configuration but no decrypted [credentials](/docs/connect/explanation/glossary/#credentials). Turn it on only when moving to a site you control, and treat the file like a password. Constant references (e.g. `CLICKUP_API_KEY`) are always included, since they contain no secret — see [Store credentials outside the database](/docs/connect/how-to/store-credentials-outside-the-database/). 4. Click **Download Export**. If [Environment Lock](/docs/connect/how-to/configure-environment-lock/) is active, the checkbox is disabled and the screen notes: *"Credentials cannot be exported while the environment is locked."* That is the lock doing its job — configuration still exports, credentials don't. ## The four import formats Every import source accepts every format — HuxxConnect detects which one you gave it and shows a confirmation banner (e.g. *"HuxxConnect format detected"*). | Format | Detected by | Availability | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | HuxxConnect JSON | `export_version` + `apis` fields | Free | Full APIs and endpoints — the round-trip format | | WPGetAPI export | `endpoints` list without `export_version` | Free | Endpoints only — you choose which existing API receives them | | Postman Collection v2.1 | `info` + `item` fields | Pro | Collections from Postman's exporter | | OpenAPI 3.x / Swagger 2.0 (JSON or YAML) | `openapi`/`swagger` + `paths` | Pro | Generates a full API from the spec | When a Pro-only format is detected without Pro active, a Pro badge row appears and the **Import** button stays disabled. WPGetAPI exports need one extra choice: because they contain only endpoints, an **Import into API** selector appears — pick the existing API to receive them. To migrate an entire WPGetAPI installation (APIs, endpoints, and settings together), use the **Migrate from WPGetAPI** card that appears at the top of this screen when WPGetAPI data is detected — see [Migrate from WPGetAPI](/docs/connect/how-to/migrate-from-wpgetapi/). :::novice An export file is a snapshot of your API configurations — base URLs, [endpoints](/docs/connect/explanation/glossary/#endpoint), parameters — as a text file you can back up or load on another site. Background: [How HuxxConnect works](/docs/connect/explanation/how-huxxconnect-works/). ::: ## Choose an import source The **Import** card offers three sources; open one accordion at a time: - **Upload a File** — accepts `.json`, `.yaml`, and `.yml` files. - **Paste JSON / YAML** — paste the content and click **Load Pasted Content**. Handy when the file is already open in an editor. - **Import from a URL** — enter the address (e.g. `https://api.example.com/openapi.json`) and click **Fetch**. The server fetches the file and detects its format. **Size-limit workaround:** large OpenAPI specs can exceed your PHP upload limit and fail as a file upload. **Import from a URL** sidesteps the limit entirely, because nothing passes through the upload pipeline — as the screen puts it, *"Best for large specs that exceed your upload limit."* ## Preview and selective import Before anything is written, review what will happen: 1. **Import Mode** — **Merge (update existing, add new)**, **Add New Only (skip existing)**, or **Overwrite All (replace everything)**. Merge is the default; Overwrite All replaces your current configuration, so export a backup first. 2. **Preview** — each API is listed with the action badge it will receive under the selected mode; endpoints appear in the **Endpoints to Import** checklist (showing method, name, and path) rather than with badges. 3. **Endpoints to Import** — a checklist with a running count (e.g. `12/30`) and a **Select all** / **Deselect all** toggle. Untick anything you don't want; the import skips it. 4. **API ID** — shown only when the import creates exactly one new API; set its ID here (lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores). It is used in shortcodes and code and **cannot be changed after import**, so pick a short one now. 5. **Authentication** — the detected auth type is shown for confirmation. If the source defines per-endpoint auth that differs from the API level, an opt-in checkbox — **Apply per-endpoint authentication overrides** — controls whether those overrides are applied. When off, every endpoint uses the API-level authentication. Click **Import**. Parse-time notes appear under *"Notes from the spec"* (unsupported auth schemes, dropped parameters), and any post-import issues are listed under *"Import completed with warnings."* ## If it didn't work - **The Import button stays disabled.** Three causes: the detected format requires Pro (Postman or OpenAPI without Pro active); a WPGetAPI export with no **Import into API** selection; or an endpoint checklist with nothing ticked. - **"Unrecognized file. Expected a HuxxConnect, WPGetAPI, Postman, or OpenAPI/Swagger spec."** The content isn't parseable — usually a truncated download or a hand-edited file. Re-export and try again. Note that YAML is accepted only for OpenAPI/Swagger specs; HuxxConnect and WPGetAPI exports must be JSON. - **Credentials are empty after importing.** The export was made without **Include sensitive values** (the default), or on an environment-locked site. Re-enter the credentials on the new site, or switch the API to constant/`env:` references so credentials never need to travel in a file.