Today, I am extremely pleased to announce the launch of MenuPilot, a preview-first menu import and export plugin for WordPress.
Now you can export a navigation menu from one WordPress site, preview exactly what will happen on the destination site, and import it with confidence.
If you have ever moved a menu from staging to production, you know the usual problems. Hardcoded staging links sneak into production. Some import tools miss menu metadata like classes and attributes. And most tools do not show a real preview before the import, so you either re-export repeatedly or fix things directly on the live site.
My goal with MenuPilot is to make menu migration predictable. You should be able to review what will be created, what will match, what will not match, and what URLs will change, before anything is imported.
MenuPilot follows a safety-first approach. It never overwrites your existing menus. It creates a new menu during import, so you can review it and assign it to your theme location when you are ready.
Key Features in MenuPilot
1. Preview before import
See the full menu structure and item-by-item match status before importing anything, so there are no surprises.
2. One-click export to JSON
Export any menu into a clean JSON file that preserves hierarchy, order, and important menu details.
3. Intelligent auto-matching
MenuPilot matches menu items to existing pages, posts, and taxonomy terms using practical matching rules, so most menus import with minimal effort.
4. Manual mapping control
Override any match, map unmatched items to the right content, or keep them as custom links when needed.
5. Automatic URL replacement
Internal links can be updated from the source site URL to the destination site URL during import, while external links remain untouched.
6. Remove items before import
Remove menu items you do not want to bring over, and undo removals if you change your mind.
7. Preserves structure and metadata
Keeps parent and child hierarchy, item order, CSS classes, attributes, and descriptions so the imported menu stays true to the original.
8. Clear import feedback
You get clear progress indicators and messages during import, plus a direct link to edit the newly created menu.
Getting Started
Install MenuPilot from the WordPress.org plugin directory by searching for MenuPilot, then activate it.
To export a menu, go to MenuPilot in your WordPress admin, select the menu you want, and download the JSON file.
To import, upload the JSON file on the destination site, review the preview, adjust mappings if needed, and import. MenuPilot will create a new menu that you can assign to your theme location.
Request a Feature and Share Feedback
This is version 1.0.2 and it is just the beginning.
I wanted to release MenuPilot early because real feedback is what helps shape a plugin into something truly useful. If you have a workflow you want supported, an edge case you hit during migration, or a feature request, please share it.
You can request features and report bugs on GitHub, and you can ask support questions on the WordPress.org support forum. If you include a short description of your scenario and a sample export file, it becomes much easier to reproduce and improve.
What is Coming Next?
In future versions, I plan to expand MenuPilot with features like WP-CLI support, menu duplication within the same site, bulk exports, import and export history, and multisite support.
While I build those additions, I wanted to get the core workflow out now, so you can start using it and tell me what to improve.
Thank you for your support, and I hope MenuPilot helps you move menus between WordPress sites faster, safer, and with fewer surprises.
