Import Content using the CLI

After you have exported the content from the source stack, the next step is to import it into the destination stack. To do this, you can use the import command in several ways.

Note: Before you try the import commands, make sure you have unzipped the exported content from the folder that contains the exported content.

Content can be imported in a stack for the following modules:

• Assets
• Locales
• Environments
• Extensions
• Marketplace Apps
• Webhooks
• Global Fields
• Content Types
• Entries
• Labels
• Workflow
• Roles

Note: The imported content, in the target stack, will be automatically published to the environment and locale in which it was previously published in the source stack. If any exported content wasn’t published on any environment, that particular content won’t get published to any environment after it is imported into the target stack.

Prerequisites

• Contentstack account
• CLI installed 
• A configured management token (alias) or authtoken

Commands

The cm:stacks:import command lets you import content to your destination stack. Below we have listed down different ways in which you can use the cm:stacks:import command:

• Import Content Using Management Token and Parameters
• Import Content Using Management Token and Config file
• Import Content Using Auth Token and Parameters
• Import Content Using Auth Token and Config file

Let's discuss in detail how you can import content into your stack.

Import Content Using Management Token and Parameters

This command lets you import content using a management token. For ease, you can pass several parameters/options to this command at once.

Usage

csdx cm:stacks:import -a <<alias>>

Alternatively, refer to the following command to add several parameters/options in a single line:

csdx cm:stacks:import -a <<alias>> -d <<path_of_folder_where_content_is_stored>> 

Options

• -c, --config=config: [optional] path of config file.
  
• -k, --stack-api-key=stack-api-key: API key of the target stack.
• -a, --alias: The management token of the destination stack where you will import the content.
• -d, --data-dir=data-dir: The path or the location in your file system where the content, you intend to import, is stored. For example, -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content". If the export folder has branches involved, then the path should point till the particular branch. For example, -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content\branch_name".
• --branch=branch: The name of the branch where you want to import your content. If you don’t mention the branch name, then by default the content will be imported to the main branch.
• --module=module: (optional) Specify the module to import into the target stack. If not specified, the import command will import all the modules into the stack. The available modules are assets, content-types, entries, environments, extensions, marketplace-apps, global-fields, labels, locales, webhooks, roles and workflows.
• --backup-dir=backup-dir : (optional) backup directory name when using specific module.
• --import-webhook-status=disable: (default) This webhook state force-disables the destination stack webhooks.
• --import-webhook-status=current: (optional) This webhook state keeps the same state of webhooks as the source stack.
  
• -y, --yes: Force override all Marketplace prompts.

After importing the first module, note the name of the backup folder that was created in the workspace or in the code editor’s CLI folder.

Note: The parent backup folder created after the first import can be used to save all the backups in a single folder as it gets updated after every import operation.

When importing modules using the import command, provide the backup flag (b) along with the backup folder name as follows:

csdx cm:stacks:import -a <<alias>> -d <<path_of_folder_where_content_is_stored>> --module <<module>> --backup-dir <<backup_dir>>

Including the backup flag is essential when repeatedly using the single module import command. As these modules have inter-dependency, using the backup flag helps avoid any errors while importing. 

For every module import operation, all the latest mapping files are added to a single mapper folder, and the dependent modules use the latest UIDs of the dependency for efficient mapping.

Examples

• To import all modules into a stack:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -a mytoken  -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content"

• To import all modules in a particular branch of your stack (For example: develop).
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -a mytoken -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" --branch develop

• To import only locales into a stack:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -a mytoken  -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" --module locales 

• To import only entries into a stack:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -a mytoken  -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" --module entries 

• Including the backup flag to import only environments into a stack after your first module import.
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -a mytoken -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" --module environments --branch _backup_123 

• To import all modules into a stack by overriding any prompts:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -a mytoken  -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" –y 

Note: - When importing modules individually, make sure you follow this module sequence: locales > environments > assets > extensions > marketplace-apps > webhooks > global-fields > content-types > workflows > entries > labels > roles.  For example, before importing entries, you must have had imported assets, environments, locales, extensions, webhooks, global-fields, content-types, and workflows.
- You cannot import a single entry to a stack using CLI.

Import Content Using Management Token and Config file

This command lets you import content to your stack by using a management token and a configuration file that contains the parameters/options and the associated values.

To get started with this command, download this config file, add values to this file, and note down the path where you have saved this file.

By doing so, you don’t need to separately provide parameters/options in the command.

Usage

 csdx cm:stacks:import -a <<alias>> -c <<config_file_path>>

Options

• -a, --alias: The management token of the destination stack where you will import the content.
• -c, --config=config: The path of the JSON file containing all the options for a single run. You can refer to this example config file.

Example

• To import content using a config file:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -a mytoken -c “C:/Users/Name/Desktop/cli/config.json”

Import Content Using Auth Token and Parameters

You can use this method to import content to your stack if you have logged in to the session using the Login command. Running the Login command generates an auth token, which is used in the command below.

Usage

Refer to the command below to add several parameters/options in a single line:

csdx cm:stacks:import -k <<stack_ApiKey>> -d <<path_of_folder_where_content_is_stored>>

Note: If the management token is not specified, by default import command uses Auth token.

Options

• -k, --stack-api-key=stack-api-key: The API key of the target stack.
• -d, --data-dir=data-dir: The path or the location in your file system where the content, you intend to import, is stored. For example, -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content". If the export folder has branches involved, then the path should point till the particular branch. For example, -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content\branch_name".
• --branch=branch: The name of the branch where you want to import your content. If you don’t mention the branch name, then by default the content will be imported to the main branch.
• --module=module: (optional) Specify the module to import into the target stack. If not specified, the import command will import all the modules into the stack. The available modules are assets, content-types, entries, environments, extensions, marketplace-apps, global-fields, labels, locales, webhooks, roles and workflows.
• -y, --yes: Force override all Marketplace prompts.

After importing the first module, note the name of the backup folder that was created in the workspace or in the code editor’s CLI folder.

Note: The parent backup folder created after the first import can be used to save all the backups in a single folder as it gets updated after every import operation.

When importing modules using the import command, provide the backup flag (b) along with the backup folder name as follows:

csdx cm:stacks:import -k <<stack_ApiKey>> -d <<path_of_folder_where_content_is_stored>> --module <<module>> --backup-dir <<backup_dir>>

Including the backup flag is essential when repeatedly using the single module import command. As these modules have inter-dependency, using the backup flag helps avoid any errors while importing.

For every import module operation, all the latest mapping files are added to a single mapper folder, and the dependent modules use the latest UIDs of the dependency for efficient mapping.

Examples

• To import all modules into a stack:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -k bltxxxxxx -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content"

• To import all modules in a particular branch of your stack (For example: develop).
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -k bltxxxxxx -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" --branch develop

• To import only locales into a stack:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -k bltxxxxxx -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" --module locales

• To import only entries into a stack:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -k bltxxxxxx -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" --module entries

• Including the backup flag to import only environments into a stack after your first module import.
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -k bltxxxxxx -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" --module environments --branch _backup_123

• To import all modules into a stack by overriding any prompts:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -a mytoken  -d "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\cli\content" –y 

Note: - When importing modules individually, make sure you follow this module sequence: locales > environments > assets > extensions > marketplace-apps > webhooks > global-fields > content-types > workflows > entries > labels > roles. For example, before importing entries, you must have had imported assets, environments, locales, extensions, webhooks, global-fields, content-types, and workflows.
- You cannot import a single entry to a stack using CLI.

Import Content Using Auth Token and Config file

This command lets you import content to your stack by using auth token and a configuration file that contains the parameters/options and the associated values.

To get started with this command, download this config file, add values to this file, and note down the path where you have saved this file.

By doing so, you don’t need to separately provide parameters/ options in the command.

Usage

csdx cm:stacks:import -c <<config_file_path>> 

Options

• -c, --config: The path of the configuration JSON file containing all the options for a single run. You can refer to this example config file.

Example

• To import content using a config file:
  

  csdx cm:stacks:import -c “C:/Users/Name/Desktop/cli/config.json”

Support for Marketplace Apps

You can import public and private Marketplace Apps to a stack using CLI commands.

Note: You must be logged in to your Contentstack account to perform the import operation on Marketplace Apps.
- You must have owner or admin rights to perform Marketplace Apps import.
- The destination organization should have Marketplace Apps support enabled.
- If you use a region other than NA, EU, or Azure NA, you must provide the Developer Hub URL for the specific region when prompted.

Public apps:

If an app with a configuration already exists in the destination organization, then while importing it from one organization to another, you can:

• Update it with the new app configuration.
• Skip updating the configuration (If you do not update the configuration, there may be some issues with the content which you import).
• Exit to cancel the entire stack import process.

Private apps:

1. If the imported app has the same name as any existing apps in the destination, you will be prompted to change the name of the imported app.

Note: The app name must be 3-20 characters long.

2. During the stack import process, if you acknowledge and confirm, the listed private app(s) will be re-created and installed.
3. If you cancel the app re-creation, it may break the import process of entries/content types/global fields.

Note: If an error occurs while importing a private or public app, you will be prompted to confirm whether or not you should proceed with the process. If you do not proceed, the import process stops. If you proceed, the entries/content types/global fields may be affected.

Limitations

• The import command will import only the latest version of a published entry/asset.
• The import command cannot update the existing contents in a stack. The command works well when the target stack is empty.
• While importing workflows from one stack to another, admins and workflow stage users are not included. Therefore, admins and stage users of your workflows will not be migrated to the new stack.
• Currently, you cannot import content for the following modules:
  • Users
  • Releases

Additional Resources: Check out the Export Content documentation to learn how you can export content from your stack using CLI.