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Import & Migration Tools - Complete Guide

Complete documentation for importing data from external platforms into nChat.

Overview

The Import & Migration Tools provide a comprehensive system for importing data from:

  • Slack - Complete workspace exports with channels, users, messages, threads, and reactions
  • Discord - Server exports with guilds, channels, messages, and embeds
  • CSV - Generic CSV files with automatic field mapping
  • JSON - Generic JSON files with flexible schema detection

Features

Core Features

  • ✅ Multi-platform support (Slack, Discord, CSV, JSON)
  • ✅ Complete import wizard with step-by-step guidance
  • ✅ Real-time progress tracking
  • ✅ Automatic field mapping for CSV/JSON
  • ✅ Error handling and recovery
  • ✅ Import validation and preview
  • ✅ Selective import (users, channels, messages, files)
  • ✅ Date range filtering
  • ✅ Channel filtering
  • ✅ Preserve threading and reactions
  • ✅ Duplicate detection
  • ✅ Cancel/retry support

Import Options

  • Import users with profile data
  • Import channels (public/private)
  • Import messages with full history
  • Import file attachments
  • Import message reactions
  • Import thread conversations
  • Date range filtering
  • Channel filtering
  • Preserve original IDs
  • Overwrite existing data

Architecture

Components

src/
├── lib/import/
│   ├── types.ts              # Type definitions
│   ├── slack-importer.ts     # Slack import service
│   ├── discord-importer.ts   # Discord import service
│   ├── generic-importer.ts   # CSV/JSON import service
│   └── index.ts              # Main exports
├── components/admin/
│   └── ImportData.tsx        # Import wizard UI
└── app/api/import/
    └── route.ts              # Import API endpoint

Import Flow

1. Select Source (Slack/Discord/CSV/JSON)
   ↓
2. Upload File
   ↓
3. Configure Options
   ↓
4. Validate & Parse
   ↓
5. Import Data (with progress tracking)
   ↓
6. Show Results & Statistics

Usage

Admin Interface

Navigate to /admin/import to access the import wizard:

import ImportData from '@/components/admin/ImportData'

export default function ImportPage() {
  return <ImportData />
}

Programmatic Import

Slack Import

import { SlackImporter } from '@/lib/import'

const importer = new SlackImporter({
  importUsers: true,
  importChannels: true,
  importMessages: true,
  importFiles: true,
  importReactions: true,
  importThreads: true,
})

// Parse Slack export file
const slackData = await importer.parseSlackExport(file)

// Import with progress tracking
const result = await importer.import(slackData, (progress) => {
  console.log(`${progress.currentStep}: ${progress.progress}%`)
  console.log(`Processed: ${progress.itemsProcessed}/${progress.itemsTotal}`)
})

console.log('Import completed:', result.stats)

Discord Import

import { DiscordImporter } from '@/lib/import'

const importer = new DiscordImporter({
  importUsers: true,
  importChannels: true,
  importMessages: true,
})

const discordData = await importer.parseDiscordExport(file)
const result = await importer.import(discordData, (progress) => {
  // Handle progress updates
})

CSV Import

import { GenericImporter } from '@/lib/import'

const importer = new GenericImporter({
  importUsers: true,
  importChannels: false,
  importMessages: false,
})

const csvData = await importer.parseCSV(file)
const result = await importer.import(csvData)

JSON Import with Field Mapping

import { GenericImporter } from '@/lib/import'

const mapping = {
  users: {
    id: 'user_id',
    email: 'email_address',
    username: 'login_name',
    displayName: 'full_name',
  },
}

const importer = new GenericImporter(options, mapping)
const jsonData = await importer.parseJSON(file)
const result = await importer.import(jsonData)

Slack Import

Export from Slack

  1. Go to your Slack workspace settings
  2. Navigate to Settings & administration → Workspace settings
  3. Click Import/Export Data
  4. Select Export tab
  5. Choose date range
  6. Click Start Export
  7. Download the ZIP file when ready

Slack Export Format

slack-export.zip
├── channels.json         # Channel definitions
├── users.json           # User profiles
└── [channel-name]/      # Messages per channel
    ├── 2024-01-01.json  # Messages per day
    ├── 2024-01-02.json
    └── ...

Slack Data Structure

channels.json:

[
  {
    "id": "C123456",
    "name": "general",
    "created": 1234567890,
    "creator": "U123456",
    "is_archived": false,
    "members": ["U123456", "U234567"],
    "topic": {
      "value": "General discussion",
      "creator": "U123456",
      "last_set": 1234567890
    }
  }
]

users.json:

[
  {
    "id": "U123456",
    "name": "john.doe",
    "real_name": "John Doe",
    "profile": {
      "email": "john@example.com",
      "display_name": "John",
      "image_192": "https://..."
    }
  }
]

Messages:

[
  {
    "type": "message",
    "user": "U123456",
    "text": "Hello world!",
    "ts": "1234567890.123456",
    "reactions": [
      {
        "name": "thumbsup",
        "users": ["U234567"],
        "count": 1
      }
    ]
  }
]

Import Process

  1. Parse Export: Extract and validate ZIP contents
  2. Import Users: Create user accounts (skip deleted users)
  3. Import Channels: Create channels (skip archived)
  4. Import Messages: Import messages with threading
  5. Import Files: Download and upload attachments
  6. Import Reactions: Add reactions to messages

Discord Import

Export from Discord

Use DiscordChatExporter tool:

  1. Download from: https://github.com/Tyrrrz/DiscordChatExporter
  2. Run the tool and select your server
  3. Choose channels to export
  4. Select JSON format
  5. Export all selected channels

Discord Export Format

{
  "guild": {
    "id": "123456789",
    "name": "My Server",
    "iconUrl": "https://...",
    "memberCount": 42
  },
  "channel": {
    "id": "987654321",
    "name": "general",
    "topic": "General discussion"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "id": "111222333",
      "type": "Default",
      "timestamp": "2024-01-01T12:00:00+00:00",
      "content": "Hello!",
      "author": {
        "id": "444555666",
        "name": "JohnDoe",
        "discriminator": "1234",
        "avatarUrl": "https://..."
      },
      "reactions": [
        {
          "emoji": { "name": "👍" },
          "count": 3
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Import Process

  1. Parse Export: Validate JSON structure
  2. Extract Users: Collect unique users from messages
  3. Import Users: Create accounts (skip bots)
  4. Import Channels: Create channels with categories
  5. Import Messages: Import with embeds and replies
  6. Import Attachments: Download and upload files

CSV/JSON Import

CSV Format

The importer automatically detects field names. Common patterns:

Users CSV:

id,email,username,display_name,role
1,john@example.com,john_doe,John Doe,member
2,jane@example.com,jane_smith,Jane Smith,admin

Channels CSV:

id,name,description,is_private
1,general,General discussion,false
2,team,Team channel,true

Messages CSV:

id,channel_id,user_id,content,created_at
1,1,1,"Hello world!",2024-01-01T12:00:00Z
2,1,2,"Hi there!",2024-01-01T12:01:00Z

JSON Format

Structured Format:

{
  "users": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "email": "john@example.com",
      "username": "john_doe",
      "displayName": "John Doe"
    }
  ],
  "channels": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "name": "general",
      "description": "General discussion"
    }
  ],
  "messages": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "channelId": "1",
      "userId": "1",
      "content": "Hello!",
      "createdAt": "2024-01-01T12:00:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

Array Format:

[
  {
    "id": "1",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "username": "john_doe"
  }
]

Field Mapping

The importer automatically detects common field names:

User Fields:

  • id, user_id, userId
  • email, email_address
  • username, user_name, login
  • display_name, displayName, full_name, name
  • avatar, avatar_url, avatarUrl, photo, picture
  • role, type, level

Channel Fields:

  • id, channel_id, channelId
  • name, channel_name
  • description, desc, topic, purpose
  • private, is_private, isPrivate
  • created_by, creator, owner

Message Fields:

  • id, message_id, messageId
  • channel_id, channelId, room_id
  • user_id, userId, author_id, sender_id
  • content, text, message, body
  • created_at, createdAt, timestamp, sent_at
  • parent_id, parentId, thread_id, reply_to

Custom Field Mapping

const mapping = {
  users: {
    id: 'user_id',
    email: 'user_email',
    username: 'login_name',
    displayName: 'full_name',
    avatarUrl: 'profile_picture',
    role: 'user_role',
  },
  channels: {
    id: 'room_id',
    name: 'room_name',
    description: 'room_desc',
    isPrivate: 'is_secure',
  },
  messages: {
    id: 'msg_id',
    channelId: 'room_id',
    userId: 'sender_id',
    content: 'message_text',
    createdAt: 'sent_date',
  },
}

const importer = new GenericImporter(options, mapping)

Import Options

Complete Options Reference

interface ImportOptions {
  // What to import
  importUsers: boolean // Import user accounts
  importChannels: boolean // Import channels
  importMessages: boolean // Import message history
  importFiles: boolean // Import file attachments
  importReactions: boolean // Import message reactions
  importThreads: boolean // Import threaded conversations

  // Filters
  dateRangeStart?: Date // Only import messages after this date
  dateRangeEnd?: Date // Only import messages before this date
  channelFilter?: string[] // Only import specific channels
  userFilter?: string[] // Only import specific users

  // Behavior
  preserveIds: boolean // Try to preserve original IDs
  overwriteExisting: boolean // Overwrite existing data vs skip
}

Example Configurations

Full Import:

{
  importUsers: true,
  importChannels: true,
  importMessages: true,
  importFiles: true,
  importReactions: true,
  importThreads: true,
  preserveIds: false,
  overwriteExisting: false,
}

Users Only:

{
  importUsers: true,
  importChannels: false,
  importMessages: false,
  importFiles: false,
  importReactions: false,
  importThreads: false,
}

Recent Messages Only:

{
  importUsers: true,
  importChannels: true,
  importMessages: true,
  importFiles: false,
  importReactions: true,
  importThreads: true,
  dateRangeStart: new Date('2024-01-01'),
  dateRangeEnd: new Date('2024-12-31'),
}

Specific Channels:

{
  importUsers: true,
  importChannels: true,
  importMessages: true,
  importFiles: true,
  importReactions: true,
  importThreads: true,
  channelFilter: ['general', 'announcements', 'team'],
}

Progress Tracking

Progress Object

interface ImportProgress {
  status: 'idle' | 'validating' | 'importing' | 'completed' | 'error' | 'cancelled'
  currentStep: string
  totalSteps: number
  currentStepNumber: number
  progress: number // 0-100
  itemsProcessed: number
  itemsTotal: number
  errors: ImportError[]
  warnings: ImportWarning[]
  startedAt?: Date
  completedAt?: Date
  estimatedTimeRemaining?: number // seconds
}

Progress Callback

await importer.import(data, (progress) => {
  console.log(`Step ${progress.currentStepNumber}/${progress.totalSteps}: ${progress.currentStep}`)
  console.log(`Progress: ${progress.progress}%`)
  console.log(`Items: ${progress.itemsProcessed}/${progress.itemsTotal}`)

  if (progress.errors.length > 0) {
    console.log(`Errors: ${progress.errors.length}`)
  }

  if (progress.warnings.length > 0) {
    console.log(`Warnings: ${progress.warnings.length}`)
  }
})

Error Handling

Error Types

interface ImportError {
  type: 'user' | 'channel' | 'message' | 'file' | 'validation' | 'unknown'
  message: string
  details?: string
  item?: unknown
  timestamp: Date
  recoverable: boolean
}

Warning Types

interface ImportWarning {
  type: 'skipped' | 'modified' | 'unsupported' | 'duplicate'
  message: string
  details?: string
  item?: unknown
  timestamp: Date
}

Handling Errors

const result = await importer.import(data)

if (!result.success) {
  console.error('Import failed')

  for (const error of result.progress.errors) {
    console.error(`${error.type}: ${error.message}`)
    if (error.recoverable) {
      console.log('This error can be retried')
    }
  }
}

for (const warning of result.progress.warnings) {
  console.warn(`${warning.type}: ${warning.message}`)
}

Import Statistics

Stats Object

interface ImportStats {
  usersImported: number
  usersSkipped: number
  usersFailed: number
  channelsImported: number
  channelsSkipped: number
  channelsFailed: number
  messagesImported: number
  messagesSkipped: number
  messagesFailed: number
  filesImported: number
  filesSkipped: number
  filesFailed: number
  reactionsImported: number
  threadsImported: number
  totalDuration: number // milliseconds
}

Example Output

{
  usersImported: 42,
  usersSkipped: 3,      // Bots or deleted users
  usersFailed: 0,
  channelsImported: 15,
  channelsSkipped: 2,   // Archived channels
  channelsFailed: 0,
  messagesImported: 15847,
  messagesSkipped: 123, // Outside date range
  messagesFailed: 5,
  filesImported: 234,
  filesSkipped: 12,     // Too large or unsupported
  filesFailed: 3,
  reactionsImported: 1023,
  threadsImported: 456,
  totalDuration: 45382  // ~45 seconds
}

API Integration

REST API

Start Import:

POST /api/import

{
  "source": "slack",
  "options": {
    "importUsers": true,
    "importChannels": true,
    "importMessages": true
  },
  "fileData": "base64EncodedFileContent",
  "filename": "slack-export.zip"
}

Response:
{
  "success": true,
  "progress": { ... },
  "stats": { ... }
}

Get Import Status:

GET /api/import?id=import-123

Response:
{
  "id": "import-123",
  "status": "importing",
  "progress": 65,
  "stats": { ... }
}

Cancel Import:

DELETE /api/import?id=import-123

Response:
{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Import cancelled"
}

Best Practices

Performance

  1. Large Imports: For >10,000 messages, consider batching
  2. File Uploads: Compress large files before upload
  3. Progress Updates: Throttle progress callbacks to avoid UI lag
  4. Memory: Process messages in chunks for very large imports

Data Quality

  1. Validate First: Always preview data before importing
  2. Test Import: Test with small dataset first
  3. Backup: Backup existing data before large imports
  4. Deduplication: Enable duplicate detection when re-importing
  5. Field Mapping: Verify field mappings for CSV/JSON imports

Error Recovery

  1. Retry Failed Items: Use recoverable error flag
  2. Incremental Import: Import in smaller batches
  3. Log Errors: Save error logs for debugging
  4. Rollback: Have a rollback plan for failed imports

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Failed to parse export file"

  • Verify file format (ZIP for Slack, JSON for Discord)
  • Check file is not corrupted
  • Ensure export is complete (not partial)

"No users found in export"

  • Check export includes user data
  • Verify JSON structure is correct
  • For Discord, users are extracted from messages

"Messages skipped"

  • Check date range filters
  • Verify channel filters
  • Ensure parent channels are imported first

"File import failed"

  • Check file size limits
  • Verify file URLs are accessible
  • Ensure sufficient storage space

"High memory usage"

  • Process in smaller batches
  • Reduce concurrent imports
  • Clear cache between imports

Future Enhancements

Planned Features

  • Background/async import with job queue
  • Import scheduling
  • Incremental sync (updates only)
  • Custom transform functions
  • Export to other formats
  • Import templates/presets
  • Bulk import management
  • Import audit logs
  • Advanced field transformations
  • Multi-file imports

Platform Support

  • Microsoft Teams import
  • Mattermost import
  • Rocket.Chat import
  • Telegram import
  • WhatsApp export import
  • Email thread import
  • RSS feed import

License

Part of nChat platform. See main LICENSE file.

Support

For issues or questions:

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