LiveJournal Importer
Plugin Review
AI-ResearchedWhat is LiveJournal Importer?
LiveJournal Importer is a WordPress plugin designed to transfer content from the LiveJournal blogging platform directly into a WordPress site. Developed by briancolinger, this plugin has been available for 16 years. It currently shows 8K+ active installs, indicating a small but persistent user base. The plugin carries a 2.0/5 rating from 7 reviews, with 14% 43% one-star ratings. The current version is 0.5, and it was last updated on Oct 16, 2014.
The plugin’s description is minimal: “Simple importer to bring your LiveJournal over to WordPress.” This matches its straightforward purpose. It handles the basic task of migrating blog posts and comments from a LiveJournal account to a self-hosted WordPress site. Given its age and limited updates, it represents a legacy tool for a specific migration need.
Key Features of LiveJournal Importer
- Direct LiveJournal import: Pulls posts and comments directly from your LiveJournal account using its export system.
- WordPress Tools integration: Appears under Tools → Import, following the standard WordPress importer workflow.
- Simple activation process: Requires only upload, activation, and selection from the Import screen.
- No configuration required: No settings pages or API key setup needed beyond basic installation.
- Lightweight footprint: A single-function plugin that does not add bloat to your WordPress dashboard.
- Legacy compatibility: Designed for users migrating from a now-niche platform to modern WordPress.
- Basic comment migration: Transfers comments associated with imported posts from LiveJournal.
Who Should Use LiveJournal Importer?
This plugin is for users who still maintain a LiveJournal blog and want to move that content to WordPress. The ideal user has a technical comfort level with basic WordPress administration—uploading a plugin folder and navigating the Tools menu. It suits personal bloggers, hobbyists, or archival projects where preserving old posts matters. With 8K+ active installs, the audience is small but specific.
The plugin targets users migrating from LiveJournal, a platform that peaked in the early 2000s. If you have a dormant LiveJournal account with years of entries, this tool offers a direct path to import livejournal posts and comments wordpress. It is not intended for high-traffic sites or users needing advanced migration features. The 16-year age and version 0.5 suggest it serves a niche, retro-migration use case.
Installation & Setup
Installation follows a manual process: upload the livejournal-importer folder to /wp-content/plugins/, then activate it through the Plugins menu. After activation, go to Tools → Import and click on LiveJournal. The setup is beginner-friendly if you can handle FTP or file manager uploads. No additional configuration or API credentials are required, making it a direct how to import livejournal to wordpress solution.
Support & Community
Support data reveals a concerning picture. Over the last two months, the plugin shows 0 open threads and 0 resolved threads, resulting in a 0% resolution rate. This likely reflects the plugin’s age and lack of recent updates. The rating breakdown tells a similar story: 43% of reviewers gave 3% gave five stars. The 2.0/5 average from 7 ratings suggests many users encountered issues.
For a plugin last updated in 2014, community support is essentially nonexistent. Users attempting a livejournal to wordpress migration tool should expect no developer assistance. The absence of recent support threads may indicate low current usage, but it also means unresolved problems remain. If you choose this plugin, be prepared to troubleshoot independently or seek help from general WordPress forums.
Pros & Cons
- With over 8K+ active installs, it serves a niche but dedicated user base migrating from LiveJournal.
- It fulfills the single core promise of importing LiveJournal content, which is exactly what many users need.
- The plugin is free and simple, requiring no complex setup for basic migration tasks.
- Its low rating of 2.0 from 7 ratings highlights that users find it functional for straightforward imports despite issues.
- The 14% five-star reviews indicate some users successfully completed their migration without problems.
- A 43% one-star review rate suggests frequent failures or data loss during the import process.
- With 0 resolved support threads out of 0 total, there is no active developer support for troubleshooting import errors.
- The plugin has not been updated recently, which may cause compatibility issues with newer WordPress versions or PHP changes.
Technical Details
- Requires WordPress
- 3.0+
- Tested up to WP
- 4.1.42
- First Released
- 2010 (16+ years)
- Support (last 2 months)
- 0 threads
Feature Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, LiveJournal Importer is completely free and available on WordPress.org. It has 8K+ active installs and is rated 2.0/5.
LiveJournal Importer has 8K+ active installs. This number reflects the sites currently using the plugin, though it was last updated Oct 16, 2014.
LiveJournal Importer requires WordPress 3.0 or higher. It has been tested up to WordPress version 4.1.42.
No, LiveJournal Importer is not regularly updated — its current version is 0.5 and it was last updated Oct 16, 2014. With 0 support threads in the last 2 months, most users should expect no further development.
The plugin facts do not specify a required PHP version. However, since it requires WordPress 3.0+ and was last updated Oct 16, 2014, you should check compatibility with your current PHP setup.
Support is minimal — there have been 0 total support threads in the last 2 months, with 0 resolved. The plugin has only 7 ratings with a 2.0/5 average, suggesting limited community help.
Yes, it is suitable for beginners as it works through the standard WordPress Tools > Import screen. However, since it hasn't been updated since Oct 16, 2014, you may encounter issues with newer WordPress versions.
The main feature is simple importing of your LiveJournal content into WordPress. It is a basic importer with no advanced options, and its current version is 0.5.