Title: Import database files
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: September 30, 2020
Last modified: December 29, 2025

---

 1. [Databases](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/)
 2. Import database files

#  Import database files

[Import SQL database files to a VIP Platform WordPress environment](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/import/import-with-vip-cli/)
with VIP-CLI. Customers can import a full database file to migrate a site to the
VIP Platform, or import a partial database file to update specific tables.

[Importing database files to a VIP Local Development Environment](https://docs.wpvip.com/dev-env-add-content/)
requires its own set of VIP-CLI commands and instructions to follow.

**Professional Service Upgrade**

Customers who add [WordPress VIP Migration Services](https://wpvip.com/wordpress-vip-professional-services/#migration-services)
to their support package receive expert assistance with importing their database,
media files, and codebase to the VIP Platform. Migration Services also includes 
[WordPress VIP Launch Day Services](https://wpvip.com/wordpress-vip-professional-services/#launch-day-services),
providing customers with comprehensive support for a smooth site migration and successful
launch on the VIP Platform.

## Limitations

 * **For [unlaunched](https://docs.wpvip.com/unlaunched/) environments** the database
   file for import must be smaller than **100 GB** in size.
 * **For [launched](https://docs.wpvip.com/launched/) environments** the database
   file for import must be smaller than **5 GB** in size.
 * The allowed characters that can be used in the name of the file for import are
   limited to: `0-9,a-z,A-Z,.,-,_`.

## Maintenance mode

By default, environments that are in an “[Unlaunched](https://docs.wpvip.com/launch-a-site/unlaunched/)”
state—including non-production environments—will go into maintenance mode during
a database import. While in maintenance mode, a `503 Service Unavailable` HTTP response
status code will be returned for requests to the environment.

This default behavior can be overridden by including the `--skip-maintenance-mode`
option in the `vip import sql` command. During the import, maintenance mode will
not be enabled and the environment will remain accessible. It is possible for an
environment’s performance to be unstable during an import if maintenance mode is
skipped.

The “[Launched](https://docs.wpvip.com/launch-a-site/launched/)” or “Unlaunched”
state of an environment can be referenced in the VIP Dashboard or with [the VIP-CLI command `vip app`](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/commands/app/).

## Protected options

The following options are protected during SQL imports, meaning they are backed 
up beforehand and restored afterward. Protected options are intended to prevent 
overwriting or accidentally sharing environment-specific configs. It is not possible
to extend or modify this list.

    ```lang-php
    "WP Options" = [
    	'jetpack_options',
    	'jetpack_private_options',
    	'vip_jetpack_connection_pilot_heartbeat',
    	'wordpress_api_key',
    	'vip_search_index_versions',
    	'vip_search_global_index_versions',
    ];

    // On multisites
    "Site Meta" = [
    	'vip_search_global_index_versions',
    ];
    ```

## Custom cleanup operations

The `vip_sqlimport_cleanup` hook can be used for custom cleanup or changes of application
data after an import. Some examples of cleanup operations include switching out 
production API keys, or performing brief data manipulation. It is not ideal to do
any longer-running operations here as it keeps the site under maintenance mode until
it import is completed. Instead, consider registering a one-time cron event on this
hook to do something immediately afterwards via cron.

Last updated: December 29, 2025