Environment-to-environment content export

Update the schema in the target environment

Before exporting content from one environment to another, we recommend that you trigger a Schema Sync to make sure that the target schema is similar to the source schema.

For example, if you want to export content from the Production environment to the Development environment, then update your Development schema first.

This will reduce the risk of errors during the Content Export. Once your target schema is ready, continue with the next step to trigger a test export.

Run the test export

Follow the steps below to start the Content Export by running a test export.

1. First, navigate to the source environment from where you want the content exported. For example, the Production environment.
2. Go to the Content tab.
3. Hover over the content items and select the ones that you want to export.
4. If you want to select all content items, click the icon at the top of the content item list.
5. Click the icon at the top of the content item list to trigger the test export.
6. Select the target environment, for example, Development, and click the Test export button.

Fix errors

If there are inconsistencies between the target and source schema such as extra validations in the target schema, or missing models, the test export will display a report with a list of descriptive errors. If errors are displayed, you can fix them directly from this modal.

• Fix content items. When you click the Update items button, you will automatically be directed to a filtered list of the content items in the source environment which failed the validation.

  The Update items button will be disabled when more than 50 content items are in error.

  
  

• Fix the target schema.

  • If you click the Change validation button, you will automatically be directed to the model in the target environment where the applicable validation rule is enabled. If the error is related to validations in a component then you will automatically be directed to the model that includes the component.
  • In the case of a missing model, click the Update schema button to add the missing model to the schema. Use the sync schema process to ensure consistency.

Once fixed, click the Try again button to rerun the test export.

Export the content

When the test export is completed without any errors, click the Export items button to run the actual export.

Once done, navigate to the target environment to find the exported content items.

• If the target environment was completely empty then the source content items and related assets are simply copied to the target environment.
• If content items already existed in the target environment the export finds matching content items and assets and overwrite these. Matching content items have the same slug value, while assets are matched by their URL.