# Creating a basic import script, what do I need

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/creating-a-basic-import-script-what-do-i-need/62695
**Category:** Migration
**Created:** [May 14, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/creating-a-basic-import-script-what-do-i-need/62695 "2017-05-14T19:45:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 4

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### Author: ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/creating-a-basic-import-script-what-do-i-need/62695/4 "2017-05-16T19:12:54Z")

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Does your self-made forum store its data in a CSV file?

If not, in my experience, it’s easiest pull your data from the database, not from a CSV file. You’ve got several kinds of data, users, topics, replies (maybe categories?). Working from one of the existing scripts is probably your best bet.

Also, no, you don’t want to access the database directly as you asked [here](https://meta.discourse.org/t/where-is-the-user-content-stored-in-the-database/62759).

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