gistfile1.txt

Yes, you *can* import data from your local **SQLite** database into your **production PostgreSQL** database in a **Django + Wagtail** app — but you’ll need to be careful, especially with things like IDs, foreign keys, and data integrity.

Here’s a breakdown of your options and steps:

---

## ✅ Option 1: Use `manage.py dumpdata` + `loaddata`

### Step 1: Dump the data from SQLite
On your **local machine**, run:

```sh
python manage.py dumpdata --exclude=contenttypes --exclude=auth.permission --indent=2 > local_data.json
```

> You can filter by app too: `dumpdata myapp.ModelName`.

This creates a portable JSON file of your data.

### Step 2: Clean the file (optional but recommended)
- Check for model differences between environments
- Make sure file sizes are reasonable
- Remove anything you don't want imported (like test users)

### Step 3: Load into PostgreSQL (production)

**‼️ WARNING:** This can overwrite data and should not be done blindly on prod. Ideally:

- Test on a **staging environment first**
- Back up your production DB before importing

Then run:

```sh
python manage.py loaddata local_data.json
```

> Note: This may fail if there are PK clashes or constraints not met in Postgres (e.g., stricter data types).

---

## ⚠️ Option 2: Use Django fixtures per app or model

To avoid importing *everything*, do this per model:

```sh
python manage.py dumpdata myapp.ModelName > mymodel.json
python manage.py loaddata mymodel.json
```

This helps avoid breaking core Wagtail or Django tables.

---

## 🔁 Option 3: Migrate content via Wagtail's Export/Import

If you’re mostly moving **pages or Wagtail-specific content**, check out:

- [`wagtail-import-export`](https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail-import-export)
- Custom scripts using Wagtail's API to export and recreate pages

---

## 🧠 Tips & Best Practices

- Avoid touching `auth` and `admin` related models unless you know what you're doing
- Clean out local-only or development data before importing
- Consider using a **PostgreSQL local DB** for future development to avoid format mismatch

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Want help writing a script or handling a specific app/model’s migration? I’ve got you.