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VMP™ Security plugin documentation and support

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Import/Export

Import and export are the simplest way to move your VMP Security configuration between sites or preserve it across a reinstall. The plugin packages every option you have set into a single file, and a matching import on the destination site restores those options. For larger fleets, VMP Security Portal Templates are a more powerful alternative, but Import/Export is the right tool for one-off transfers and backups.

In This Article

Exporting options

  1. Open VMP Security → Tools and switch to the Import/Export Options tab.
  2. Click Export options.
  3. The browser downloads a single JSON file. The default filename includes the site domain and the export date, which is useful when you accumulate several exports over time.

The export file contains every option that the plugin owns. It does not contain Live Traffic data, scan results, audit logs, or anything else that is the output of the plugin’s operation — just the inputs (configuration). The file is small, usually under 100 KB.

Treat exported files like other configuration backups: store them somewhere durable and somewhere private. They contain firewall settings and trusted IPs, which an attacker would find informative if they got hold of one.

Importing options

  1. On the destination site, open VMP Security → Tools and switch to the Import/Export Options tab.
  2. Click Import options and pick the JSON file.
  3. The plugin shows you a preview of which options will change and which will stay as they are. Review the preview — this is the moment to catch a wrong file or unexpected diffs.
  4. Click Apply. The new options take effect immediately.

Importing replaces the destination site’s options with the values from the file. It does not merge. Any setting that was customized on the destination but is not in the import file will be reset to the import file’s value (or the default, if the import did not specify it).

The license key is not transferred. If the destination site needs a Premium license, enter the key after import.

What is included in the export

The export bundles:

  • General settings (visitor IP source, trusted proxies, dashboard display, update settings).
  • WAF settings (status, rule states, allowlist entries, advanced firewall options).
  • Scan settings and exclusions.
  • Login Protection settings (2FA policy, reCAPTCHA configuration, login hardening).
  • Audit settings.
  • Notification settings (which events alert, which addresses receive them).
  • Whitelist / blacklist (allowlisted IPs and services, blocked URL patterns).
  • Advanced settings (debug toggles, deactivation behaviour, miscellaneous).

Things that are not in the export — and have to be re-established on the destination site:

  • Per-user 2FA enrollments. Each user enrolls their own authenticator on the destination site.
  • The Premium license key.
  • Site-specific data: scan results, Live Traffic, audit log, blocked IPs.
  • Connection to VMP Security Portal. Set up the Portal connection on the destination site separately.

Troubleshooting

Import fails with “version mismatch”

The export file was made by a different major version of the plugin than the destination site is running. Update the destination site to the same or newer version and try again. Imports can read older formats; they cannot read newer formats.

Some options did not transfer

Some options are deliberately not portable because they reference site-specific resources — for example, an allowlist entry tied to an IP that only makes sense on the source site. The import preview shows which entries were skipped and why. Set them on the destination site by hand if needed.

Import succeeds but the firewall behavior did not change

OPcache or page cache may be serving the previous configuration. Clear caches and reload. The Firewall Troubleshooting article covers this in more detail.

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