Migration Guide

BellaBuffs to Luster

Import members, affiliates, and fan codes from a BellaBuffs flat-file fanlisting install into Luster.

Important!

Before You Start

  • Backup your BellaBuffs install! Do not delete it until you have manually checked that your data has imported correctly. Keep the old files longer if you want extra reassurance. (Your BellaBuffs install is not deleted or changed.)
  • Backup your Luster database (if you've already settled into Luster)
  • Create or import the target listing first. BellaBuffs manages exactly one fanlisting per install, so this import always targets a single Luster listing that you choose — it doesn't create a new listing for you.

BellaBuffs is a flat-file fanlisting script — it stores everything in plain text files (members.txt, newbies.txt, affiliates.txt, buttons.txt) instead of a database. Luster reads those files directly, so there's no database connection to set up for this import.

Import Scope

What Is Imported

What Luster Imports

  • Approved members (members.txt) — name, email, URL, country, whether their email is shown, and join date (set to the day you run the import)
  • Pending members (newbies.txt) — same fields, added as awaiting approval
  • Affiliates (affiliates.txt) — name, URL, email, and button image
  • Fan codes (buttons.txt) — width, height, donor credit, and code image
  • Obfuscated emails — BellaBuffs scrambles addresses with tokens like ATTIE, DOTTY, DASHY, UNDERSCORE, [at], and [dot]. Luster decodes these back into normal email addresses automatically.

What Luster Does Not Import

Luster does not import:

  • Passwords. BellaBuffs' password format isn't carried over. Every imported member gets a blank password field and needs to use Luster's password reset before they can update their info.
  • The member "favorite" field some BellaBuffs installs collect (there's no matching column in Luster's core member fields)
  • BellaBuffs admin accounts or settings
  • Site design/theme — you'll re-create your site's look using Luster's embed system
  • Guestbooks or any other BellaBuffs feature outside members, affiliates, and codes
Members will need to reset their password.

Since BellaBuffs passwords can't be migrated, let members know they'll need to use Luster's password reset (or KIM reset, if you use KIM) before they can update their info.

Walkthrough

Step-by-Step Import Instructions

  1. Open the Import Wizard

    In the Luster admin panel, go to Import Data → BellaBuffs.

  2. Connect to BellaBuffs

    On the Connect step, choose one of two modes:

    • Server folder path — use this when BellaBuffs is on the same server as Luster. This supports members, affiliates, fan codes, and button images. Enter the folder BellaBuffs is installed in — it should contain members.txt, affiliates.txt, buttons.txt, and the buttons/ image directory.
    • Upload files — use this when BellaBuffs is on another server you can't connect to directly. Upload mode only imports members (members.txt is required, newbies.txt is optional) — affiliates, fan codes, and images aren't available in this mode.

  3. Choose What to Import

    On the Options step, pick the target Luster listing this data belongs to, then check the boxes for what to bring in — pending members, affiliates, and fan codes are all optional and only appear when the matching file was found. Approved members always import.

  4. Preview the Import

    The Preview step shows how many rows Luster found in each file, how many will import, and how many will be skipped as duplicates.

  5. Run the Import

    When the Preview looks right, run the import. The Done step shows how many rows were imported per type, plus how many affiliate/code images were copied.

Concrete Examples

Examples

Server Path Mode

Your BellaBuffs install lives at /home/user/public_html/myfanlisting, containing members.txt, newbies.txt, affiliates.txt, buttons.txt, and a buttons/ image folder. Choosing Server folder path lets you import all four data types plus their images in one pass.

Upload Mode

You only have members.txt saved locally (BellaBuffs is hosted elsewhere and you can't connect to it). Choosing Upload files and uploading just that file imports your approved members — affiliates and codes need the server path option instead.

Obfuscated Email Decoding

BellaBuffs stores Jane,jane DOTTY doe ATTIE example DOTTY com,yes,https://jane.example/,United States. Luster imports this as an approved member named Jane, with email jane.doe@example.com, country United States, and her URL shown.

Troubleshooting

Edge Cases & FAQ

A member's password doesn't work

This is expected — BellaBuffs passwords are never migrated. Point members to Luster's password reset (or the KIM reset form, if you use KIM) to set a new one.

Some rows were skipped

Members are skipped when their email already exists in the target listing's member table (also true for rows with no usable email after decoding). Affiliates are skipped when the same URL already exists for that listing. Codes are skipped when a code with the same original filename and dimensions already exists. Re-running the import is safe — it always skips rows that are already there.

A fan code was skipped because its image was missing

Fan codes require their image to copy successfully. If the file listed in buttons.txt can't be found in the buttons/ folder (or fails the image safety check), that code is skipped rather than imported without an image.

The buttons folder wasn't found

If Luster can't find the buttons/ image folder next to buttons.txt, affiliate and code rows still import, but without their images. You can upload images for them manually afterward.

Does this import my site's design or templates?

No. BellaBuffs uses static HTML/CSS, which has no Luster equivalent. You'll set up your join/update/stats pages using Luster's embed snippets and templates.

Can I import affiliates and codes without server access?

Not directly. Upload mode only handles members. If you can't get server folder access, you'd need to add affiliates and codes manually afterward.

Can I run the BellaBuffs import more than once?

Yes. Members, affiliates, and codes that already exist in the target listing are automatically skipped, so re-running with more data (e.g. an updated members.txt) won't create duplicates.

What happens to the "favorite" field some BellaBuffs installs have?

It isn't imported — Luster's core member fields don't have a matching column. If you need it, add it to the listing as a custom additional field and fill it in manually.

When can I remove my old BellaBuffs files?

Wait until you've checked your imported members, affiliates, and codes in Luster, and confirmed your new embed pages are working. Keep a backup even after removing the old files.