/ Plugin Category

/ Site Administration & Utilities

/ Site Migration & Cloning

/ Widget Importer & Exporter

Widget Importer & Exporter

By Steven Gliebe

Site Administration & Utilities / Site Migration & Cloning

Widget Importer & Exporter Review - In-Depth Analysis

Easily import and export your WordPress widgets between sites. Backup and restore widgets seamlessly.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.91/10

User Rating

4.7/5 (based on 117+ reviews)

Active Installations

200,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Widget Importer & Exporter is a plugin designed to help you move widgets from one WordPress site to another. It is particularly useful for backing up widgets and for theme developers who want to provide users with sample widgets.

Importing is straightforward. You can upload an export file created by the plugin, and the results will be displayed in a formatted table. This table explains what happened with each widget area and widget during the import process.

The plugin ensures that widget areas that do not exist in the current theme will have their widgets imported as inactive. It also prevents duplication by not importing widgets that already exist in the same widget area. Additionally, unsupported widgets will not be imported.

On the export side, Widget Importer & Exporter can generate an export file in JSON format, which you can use to transfer currently active widgets to other sites or restore them later on the same site.

For developers, the plugin provides hooks like wie_before_import and wie_after_import, allowing for custom actions during the import process. You can also find the plugin's source code and report issues on GitHub.

Comparing to Alternatives

Widget Importer & Exporter is a straightforward tool focused on migrating widgets between WordPress sites, standing out among various migration plugins with its specific niche functionality.

Top alternatives

jc-importer ( WPS: 6.66)
prime-mover ( WPS: 6.81)
migrate-guru ( WPS: 6.91)

Strengths

Specializes in importing and exporting widgets efficiently.
Supports widgets built with Gutenberg blocks.
Simple and user-friendly interface suitable for quick tasks.
Lightweight plugin with minimal setup required.

Weaknesses

Limited to widget migration only, lacks full site migration features.
No premium version with advanced capabilities.
Does not handle database or media file migration.
Fewer integrations compared to comprehensive migration plugins.

User Sentiment Analysis

Users appreciate the plugin's simplicity and effectiveness, especially for handling widgets in the block editor environment.

Positive highlights

'Clear and fast plugin' - Unreal Themes
'Simple and easy to use' - quyle
'Works with blocks, too!' - jofer
'Thank you very much, 6 star plugin' - raffmediapub
'Does what I need' - Chris Lovie-Tyler

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Limited functionality beyond widget import/export.
No advanced features or premium support options.
May not meet needs for full site migration.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who need a quick and easy solution to export and import widgets between WordPress sites, especially those using block-based widgets.

Not ideal for

Those looking for a comprehensive site migration tool or needing to migrate databases, themes, and media files along with widgets.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides full functionality for importing and exporting widgets, including support for block-based widgets, with no apparent limitations.

Final Verdict

Widget Importer & Exporter is a focused and effective plugin for migrating widgets, including those created with Gutenberg blocks, making it a valuable tool for users needing this specific functionality.

While it lacks broader migration features and a premium version, its simplicity and reliability make it a solid choice for widget migration tasks without unnecessary complexity.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Widget Importer & Exporter plugin.

Widget Importer

Widget Exporter

WordPress widgets

Screenshots

FAQ

The export file contains JSON data that is not compatible with any other plugin. Therefore it has a proprietary file extension. This keeps people from confusing export files from other widget import/export plugins.