Import a list or document library in SharePoint Server 2010

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010, SharePoint Foundation 2010

Although you can use either Windows PowerShell or Central Administration to export a site, list, or document library, you can use only Windows PowerShell to import a site, list, or document library. For information about how to export lists or libraries, see Export a site, list, or document library in SharePoint Server 2010.

You can use importing as a method of restoring the items, or as a method of moving or copying the items from one farm to another farm. You can import a site, list, or document library from a backup of the current farm, from a backup of another farm, or from a read-only content database. To import from a read-only content database, you must first attach the read-only database. For more information, see Attach and restore a read-only content database (SharePoint Server 2010).

Import a site, list, or document library in SharePoint

You can use Windows PowerShell to manually import a site, list, or document library or as part of a script that can be run at regular intervals.

To import a site, list or document library by using Windows PowerShell

1. Verify that you meet the following minimum requirements: See Add-SPShellAdmin.

2. On the Start menu, click All Programs.

3. Click Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products.

4. Click SharePoint 2010 Management Shell.

5. At the Windows PowerShell command prompt (that is, PS C:\>), type the following command, and then press ENTER:

   Import-SPWeb -Identity <Site URL> -Path <Export file name> [-Force] [-NoFileCompression] [-Verbose]

   Important

   The site or subsite that you are importing must have a template that matches the template of the site specified by Identity.

   You can also use the Get-SPWeb cmdlet and pass the ID to Import-SPWeb by using the Windows PowerShell pipeline. The value of the Path parameter specifies the path and file name of the file from which to import the list or library. To include the user security settings with the list or document library, use the IncludeUserSecurity parameter. To overwrite the list or library that you specified, use the Force parameter. You can use the UpdateVersions parameter to specify how versioning conflicts will be handled. To view the progress of the operation, use the Verbose parameter.

   The NoFileCompression parameter lets you specify that no file compression is performed during the import process. Using this parameter can lower resource usage up to 30% during the export and import process. If you are importing a site, list, or document library that you exported from Central Administration, or if you exported a site, list, or document library by using Windows PowerShell and you did not use the NoFileCompression parameter in the Export-SPWeb cmdlet, you cannot use this parameter in the Import-SPWeb cmdlet.

   Note

   There is no facility in the Import-SPWeb cmdlet import a subset of the items within the export file. Therefore, the import operation will import everything from the file.

For more information, see Import-SPWeb.

See Also

Concepts

Export a site, list, or document library in SharePoint Server 2010