Switching community platforms feels daunting, but MateFlow is built to make the move straightforward. You do not have to rebuild everything by hand: there is a real CSV member importer that bulk-adds people and can email them an invite in one pass. This guide walks through a clean migration, from exporting your old data to announcing the new home.
Step 1: Export your data from your current platform
Before touching MateFlow, pull everything you can out of your existing tool. Most platforms let you export a member list as CSV and download your posts, lessons, or event history. At minimum, capture each member's email address โ that is the one field the importer requires. Save display names, usernames, and any tags or segments too; they map cleanly into MateFlow.
Step 2: Set up your MateFlow community
Create the shell of your community first so members arrive somewhere active, not empty:
- Create your spaces. Start with two or three focused spaces rather than ten empty ones. Mirror the categories your members already know.
- Apply your branding. Add your logo, colors, and โ on eligible plans โ a custom domain so the community feels like yours from day one.
- Seed a little content. Post a welcome thread and a "start here" message in each space so newcomers see life on arrival.
Step 3: Bulk-import your members by CSV
Open Admin → Members → Import / Export and start a new import. MateFlow gives you a downloadable template with these columns:
- email (required)
- display_name, username (optional)
- role โ member, moderator, or admin
- tags โ semicolon-separated, e.g. founding;beta
Match your exported file to that layout, then upload it (CSV only, up to the size shown in the dialog). Choose a duplicate-handling mode: Skip ignores rows whose email already exists, while Upsert updates existing members instead. Set a default role, and leave Send invitation email checked so imported members are emailed a link to join.
When the import finishes you will see totals for valid and invalid rows. If any rows failed validation, download the failures CSV, fix them, and re-run โ imports are safe to repeat.
Prefer to invite people directly?
For smaller groups, use Invite members instead of a file. You can paste a whole list of emails at once (separated by spaces, commas, or semicolons), pick a role, and send. You can also generate a shareable invite link or code with its own role and expiry for open sign-ups.
Step 4: Move your content over
MateFlow does not import posts from other tools automatically, so recreate the essentials by hand: repost your best evergreen threads, rebuild key courses and events, and pin the resources members relied on. You rarely need everything โ migrate the 20% of content that drives 80% of the value.
Step 5: Announce the move
Once members and content are in place, tell everyone. Send the invite emails, post the same announcement on your old platform, and give a clear cutover date. A short "why we moved and what is better" note goes a long way toward bringing people with you.