Title: Partial Database Export with data specified by a configuration file Author: WordPress VIP Documentation Published: December 5, 2025 --- 1. [Databases](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/) 2. [Partial Database Exports](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/partial-database-exports/) 3. Partial Database Export with data specified by a configuration file # Partial Database Export with data specified by a configuration file A configuration file formatted with valid JSON can be used to specify the data for export in the [Partial Database Export](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/partial-database-exports/) file. To use the configuration file, pass the absolute or relative path to the file in the `--config-file` option when running the VIP-CLI command `[vip export sql](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/commands/export/sql/)`. For example: ```lang-shell vip @example-app.develop export sql --config-file=~/Users/example-user/Desktop/example-file.json ``` The configuration file must be located on the user’s local machine and be set to a type of data export: `full`, `tables`, `site_ids`, or `wpcli_command`. ## `full` Set the configuration file type to `full` in order to export a database in its entirety. example-file.json ```lang-json // Export the entire database { "type": "full" } ``` ## `tables` Set the configuration file type to `tables` in order to export specific database tables. In this example, the `wp_posts`, `wp_postmeta`, `wp_users`, `wp_terms`, and `wp_options` tables will be exported in the Partial Database Export file. example-file.json ```lang-json // Export specific database tables { "type": "tables", "tables": { "wp_posts": {}, "wp_postmeta": {}, "wp_users": {}, "wp_terms": {}, "wp_options": {} } } ``` ### SQL dump options More specific data from within the tables can be exported by adding SQL dump options to the configuration file. Options that are allowed to be added to a configuration file set to `tables` type: * `[insert-ignore](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/9.2/en/mysqldump.html#option_mysqldump_insert-ignore)`( boolean) Write `INSERT IGNORE` rather than `INSERT` statements. This will prevent the insertion of a row if it potentially creates a duplicate key. * `[no-create-info](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/9.2/en/mysqldump.html#option_mysqldump_no-create-info)`( boolean) Do not write `CREATE TABLE` statements that re-create each dumped table. Export data with `INSERT` statements instead. * `[no-data](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/9.2/en/mysqldump.html#option_mysqldump_no-data)`( boolean) Do not include table contents. Only include table schema. * `[replace](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/9.2/en/mysqldump.html#option_mysqldump_replace)`( boolean) Write `REPLACE` statements rather than `INSERT` statements. * `[skip-add-drop-table](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/9.2/en/mysqldump.html#option_mysqldump_add-drop-table)`( boolean) Do not add a `DROP TABLE` statement before each `CREATE` TABLE statement. * `[where](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/9.2/en/mysqldump.html#option_mysqldump_where)`( string) Only include rows selected by the given `WHERE` condition. ```lang-json // Export specific data from the database tables { "type": "tables", "tables": { "wp_posts": { "no-create-info": true, // Export data with INSERT statements but do not include CREATE TABLE statements "insert-ignore": true // Prevent the insertion of a row if it potentially creates a duplicate key }, "wp_postmeta": { "no-data": true // Only table schema, no data }, "wp_users": { "insert-ignore": true, "where": "ID IN (SELECT DISTINCT post_author FROM wp_posts WHERE post_status = 'publish')" // Any valid SQL WHERE clause }, "wp_terms": { "no-data": true }, "wp_options": { "skip-add-drop-table": true, // Export data but do not include DROP TABLE IF EXISTS statements "replace": true // Replace existing } } } ``` ## `site_ids` Set the configuration file type to `site_ids` in order to export only the tables related to the network sites of a WordPress multisite that are requested by ID. In this example, the tables related to site IDs 2, 5, and 10 will be exported in the Partial Database Export file. example-file.json ```lang-json // Export database tables related to specific network sites { "type": "site_ids", "site_ids": [2, 5, 10] } ``` ### Export specific data from network site tables SQL dump options can also be added to a configuration file set to the `site_ids` type. This allows specific data from within the tables related to the requested network site(s) to be included in the Partial Database Export file. example-file.json ```lang-json // Export specific data from the tables related to the requested network sites { "type": "site_ids", "site_ids": [2, 5, 10], "tables": { "wp_posts": { "where": "post_status = 'publish'" }, "wp_options": { "insert-ignore": true } } } ``` ## `wpcli_command` Set the configuration file type to `wpcli_command` in order to apply the logic of a custom WP-CLI command to specify the data to be included in the Partial Database Export file. The custom WP-CLI command referred to in the configuration file must exist within the branch that deploys to the environment from which the data will be exported. The logic of the custom WP-CLI command should be configured to retrieve the desired set of data for the export. In this configuration file example, data based on the logic of the custom WP-CLI command `my-custom-data-export` will be retrieved from the past 180 days and exported. example-file.json ```lang-json // Export the entire database { "type": "wpcli_command", "wpcli_command": "my-custom-data-export --days=180" } ``` Last updated: December 05, 2025