Import & Export

Kraken Careers provides ZIP exports for transferring jobs and candidates between websites, and CSV exports for use in spreadsheets.

The available tools are:

  • Jobs: Export and import jobs with their linked company profiles, locations, benefits, and available media.
  • Candidates: Export and import Candidates and Talent Pool records with their available document attachments.
  • Candidates CSV: Export candidate details in spreadsheet format.
  • Export as CSV: Export selected Talent Pool records.

Use the matching Kraken Careers ZIP importer when transferring records. These importers do not accept CSV files.

Before You Begin

Make sure Kraken Careers is active on both websites.

Create a website backup before importing into an existing installation. An import can update matching records and overwrite changes made on the destination website.

The server must support ZIP archives. If an error mentions ZipArchive, ask your hosting provider to enable that PHP extension.

These exports contain recruitment records and related files. They do not replace a full WordPress backup.

Permissions

Access depends on your account’s permissions:

  • Jobs exports require WordPress export permission.
  • Candidate exports require candidate export permission and access to the candidates’ private information.
  • Imports require WordPress import permission.
  • Selected Talent Pool exports also require permission to edit the selected records.

WordPress Administrators can use the import and export tools. Careers Admins have candidate export permission by default, but do not receive WordPress import permission.

Reviewer-only restrictions still apply to candidate exports, including those performed by an Administrator.

For role details, see Setting up Users.

Export Jobs

  1. Go to Tools → Export.
  2. Find Kraken Careers Exports.
  3. Select Export beneath Jobs.
  4. Keep the page open while the archive is prepared.
  5. Save the downloaded ZIP.

The archive includes:

  • Job titles and written content.
  • Saved job fields, statuses, and dates.
  • Assigned taxonomy terms.
  • Linked company profiles.
  • Linked job locations.
  • Linked benefits summaries.
  • Associated media files available to the exporter.

Company profiles, locations, and benefits are included through their job assignments. Unused records are not exported as a separate collection.

Keep the ZIP intact. It contains jobs.json and the related files needed by the Jobs importer.

Export Candidates

  1. Go to Tools → Export.
  2. Find Kraken Careers Exports.
  3. Select Export beneath Candidates.
  4. Wait for the archive to finish preparing.
  5. Save the downloaded ZIP.

This exports accessible records from both Candidates and Talent Pool, together with their available documents.

Stored candidate data includes:

  • Names, contact details, and addresses.
  • Submission dates and associated job information.
  • Review stages and reviewer assignments.
  • Internal notes and screening-question answers.
  • Reference, interview, and candidate communication records.
  • Saved communication drafts.
  • Interviewer evaluation assignments and completed responses stored with the candidate.
  • Résumés, cover letters, and other document attachments.

The archive contains applications.json and the included documents.

Reusable question sets from Careers → Evaluations are separate records and are not included. The candidate’s stored evaluation questions and responses do not recreate those reusable sets on the destination.

Export Candidates to CSV

Use Candidates CSV when you need candidate details in a spreadsheet.

  1. Go to Tools → Export.
  2. Find Kraken Careers Exports.
  3. Select Export beneath Candidates CSV.
  4. Open the downloaded file in your spreadsheet application.

The CSV includes accessible Candidates and Talent Pool records, with fields such as:

  • Job ID and job title.
  • Submission date.
  • Job location.
  • Candidate review stage.
  • First, middle, and last names.
  • Phone number and email address.
  • Address details.
  • Document links.

The CSV is a summary export. It does not contain the full notes, communication histories, reference responses, or interviewer evaluation results included in the candidate ZIP data.

Document links point to files on the source website. They do not include the files themselves, and access remains subject to that website’s permissions.

Export Selected Talent Pool Records

To export a specific group:

  1. Go to Careers → Talent Pool.
  2. Select the candidates to include.
  3. Choose Export as CSV from Bulk actions.
  4. Select Apply.
  5. Save the downloaded file.

Only selected records you are permitted to edit and access are included.

Export Progress

ZIP exports display progress while records and files are prepared. Keep the page open until the download begins.

Exporting creates a copy. It does not remove records from the source website.

Import Jobs

Use the original ZIP created by the Jobs export.

  1. Go to Tools → Import.
  2. Find Kraken Careers Jobs.
  3. Select Run Importer.
  4. Choose the Jobs ZIP.
  5. Select Upload and Import.
  6. Review the completion summary, Import Details, and any errors.

The importer processes linked company profiles, locations, and benefits before connecting them to the jobs. It also imports available media and restores assigned taxonomy terms.

The archive must contain jobs.json. Do not extract or rebuild the ZIP before uploading it.

Import Candidates

Use the original ZIP created by the Candidates export.

  1. Go to Tools → Import.
  2. Find Kraken Careers Candidates.
  3. Select Run Importer.
  4. Choose the Candidates ZIP.
  5. Select Upload and Import.
  6. Keep the page open during uploading and processing.
  7. Review the completion message and any errors.

Candidate archives upload in 5 MB chunks and are processed in batches. Progress covers the upload, archive checks, and candidate import.

Records return to their corresponding Candidates or Talent Pool section. The importer restores stored candidate data, imports available attachments, and attempts to reconnect candidates to previously imported jobs.

The archive must contain applications.json.

Cancel or Retry an Import

Select Cancel Import to stop a candidate import.

Cancellation does not undo records already created or updated. Completed work remains saved.

If processing stops, resolve the reported problem and upload the same archive again. The importer uses its matching rules to update previously imported records and process the remaining candidates.

Recommended Migration Order

When moving both jobs and candidates:

  1. Export Jobs from the source website.
  2. Export Candidates from the source website.
  3. Prepare the destination’s settings, user accounts, screening questions, and reusable evaluation question sets.
  4. Import the Jobs ZIP.
  5. Review the imported jobs and linked records.
  6. Import the Candidates ZIP.
  7. Check candidate job assignments, stages, reviewers, documents, and saved responses.

Importing jobs first allows candidate job references to be matched to the imported jobs.

If candidates were imported first, import the Jobs ZIP and then import the Candidates ZIP again to reconnect matching job references.

How Existing Records Are Matched

The importer looks for a record of the same type using:

  1. The original record ID stored during an earlier import.
  2. The record’s slug if no imported-ID match is found.

A matching record is updated. If no match exists, a new record is created.

Candidates are not merged by name or email address.

Changing slugs or removing import identifiers can create duplicates. Archives from unrelated websites can also contain overlapping identifiers, so check the source and destination before combining datasets.

Reimporting does not reconcile independent changes made on both websites.

Imported Statuses and Dates

The importer restores supported WordPress record statuses and saved Careers fields.

For jobs, Current Status and the display, closing, and expiry dates still control public availability. An imported Open job can become visible immediately if its saved dates allow it.

Review those fields on the destination. Imported jobs are not automatically placed in Draft.

What the ZIP Exports Do Not Include

The ZIP tools do not transfer:

  • Global Careers Settings.
  • Email settings and notification recipient configurations.
  • Email and communication template settings.
  • Custom candidate stage definitions.
  • Shared category and tag settings.
  • Reusable screening question sets.
  • Reusable interviewer evaluation question sets.
  • WordPress users, passwords, roles, or permissions.
  • Pending Email Queue entries and delivery records.
  • The shared Activity Log.
  • Unused company profiles, locations, or benefits.
  • Themes, plugins, or other WordPress settings.

A stored record can refer to an item without including that item’s configuration.

For example, an imported stage value does not create the destination’s custom stage definition. A reviewer assignment contains user references but does not create or match users by name or email.

Prepare these items separately and recheck their assignments after importing. Creating a record with the same title does not guarantee that an existing reference will point to it.

For configuration instructions, see:

Check Imported Jobs

Open imported jobs and confirm:

  • Company, location, and benefits assignments.
  • Job description, duties, qualifications, and education.
  • Remote-work arrangement and eligibility.
  • Wage and weekly hours.
  • Current Status and posting dates.
  • Categories and tags.
  • Candidate Notification selections.
  • Screening Questions assignments.
  • Geographic candidate filters.
  • Media, public layout, and application form.

Review Job Posting Errors and the Job Quality Grader before publishing or continuing recruitment.

Notification configurations and screening question sets must exist on the destination. Recheck their selections even when the job imported successfully.

Check Imported Candidates

Review records in both Careers → Candidates and Careers → Talent Pool.

Confirm:

  • Associated job and submission date.
  • Contact information and address.
  • Review stage and pipeline placement.
  • Reviewer assignments and visibility restrictions.
  • Screening answers and internal notes.
  • Uploaded documents.
  • Reference responses, communications, and drafts.
  • Interview dates, meeting details, and calendar entries.
  • Completed interviewer evaluations, including scores and notes.

Check reviewer assignments against the destination’s actual user accounts. User IDs can refer to different people on different websites.

Previously sent emails retain their original links. Importing candidate records does not rewrite those emails or transfer pending Email Queue messages. Check outstanding reference, interview, candidate-response, and evaluation workflows before relying on them after a move.

Review Import Results

The Jobs importer reports created and updated totals for jobs, companies, locations, and benefits.

The Candidates importer reports created and updated totals for Candidates and Talent Pool records.

Read errors alongside the totals. Some records can succeed while others fail, and retrying does not roll back earlier changes.

Troubleshooting

An Importer or Export Option Is Missing

Confirm that Kraken Careers is active and your account has the required permissions.

Exports are under Tools → Export. Importers are under Tools → Import.

ZipArchive Is Unavailable

Ask your hosting provider to enable the PHP ZipArchive extension for the PHP version running WordPress.

The Archive Cannot Be Opened

Download a fresh export and upload the original ZIP. An incomplete download or modified archive can prevent extraction.

jobs.json or applications.json Is Missing

Check that you selected the matching importer:

  • Kraken Careers Jobs requires a Jobs ZIP containing jobs.json.
  • Kraken Careers Candidates requires a Candidates ZIP containing applications.json.

These importers do not accept CSV files, standard WordPress XML exports, or archives from other plugins.

An Upload Is Too Large or Times Out

Jobs imports use the normal upload process and are subject to server upload and request limits.

Candidate imports use smaller upload chunks and accept archives up to 1 GB, subject to archive validation and hosting limits. Extraction also requires enough available storage.

If candidate processing stops, completed work remains saved. Resolve the reported error before retrying the same archive.

Attachments Are Missing

Check that the files existed and were readable when the export was created. On the destination, confirm that the upload directory is writable and the file types are allowed.

Open documents from imported records to verify them.

Duplicate Records Appear

Check whether slugs or import identifiers changed, or whether similar records were created independently on the destination.

Review the created and updated totals before repeating the import.

Candidates Are Not Connected to Jobs

Import Jobs first, then import Candidates again. Confirm that both archives came from the same source website.

Handling Exported Candidate Data

Candidate ZIP and CSV files contain personal information. Store them in an access-controlled location and share them only with authorised recipients.

Remove temporary copies when they are no longer needed. Deleting a candidate from Kraken Careers does not delete previously downloaded exports.