Migrate from Simple File List Pro

FileDeck Pro imports a Simple File List library in one click. Go to Documents → Import & Export → Migrate, and if the plugin’s data is on your site FileDeck offers it as a source. Files, folders, descriptions, dates and access restrictions come across.

Simple File List was closed on 23 July 2026 and removed from the WordPress.org plugin directory, pending review. If you are running it, you can no longer install or update it — and you may be reading this because of that. The import below works whether or not the plugin is still active, because it reads the data already on your own site.

What gets imported

Simple File List	FileDeck
The display name (or the filename, if none)	Document title
The file description	Document description
Sub-folder the file sits in	Category, with nesting preserved
Date added	Document date
The file itself	A real Media Library attachment
Role- or user-restricted files	Members-only documents
Submitter name and comments	Kept in the document body

Every list is imported, not just the first — Simple File List’s Advanced add-on can create several, and all of them are found.

The files move into your Media Library

This is the important difference from other imports. Simple File List keeps its files in a plugin-managed folder (normally wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/) rather than the Media Library, so FileDeck copies each file in as a proper attachment.

Your originals are left exactly where they are. Nothing is moved or deleted, so the old plugin keeps working during and after the import, and you can retry safely.

Bringing files in is what lets FileDeck actually own them — PDF thumbnails, content search, checksums, and above all the protected vault. That last one is why FileDeck does not simply link to the old folder: that folder has no deny-all rule, so a linked file would stay readable by anyone with the URL, and could never be locked down.

Folders become categories

Simple File List has no categories — folders on disk are its only grouping. So a file at policies/hr/leave.pdf lands in an HR category nested under Policies, and files at the top level get no category at all. Folder names are tidied for display (hr-policies becomes "Hr Policies"), so rename any that read awkwardly afterwards.

Restricted files

If the Advanced add-on restricted a file to a role or a list of users, FileDeck imports it as members-only and moves the file into the protected vault immediately. FileDeck’s per-document gate is logged-in or not, so the specific role or user list is not carried across — check anything sensitive after importing and apply a category password or role restriction if you need finer control.

Nothing is ever imported as public that was restricted at the source.

Safe to re-run

The import is idempotent: every document records which source record it came from, so running it again picks up only what is new. If it is interrupted it resumes rather than duplicating.

After the import

1. Check a few documents — title, description, category, and that the file downloads.
2. Check anything that was restricted is still marked members-only.
3. Put a [filedeck] shortcode or the Document Library block on the page that used to hold the file list.
4. Only then deactivate Simple File List. Nothing is deleted by the import, so there is no rush.

FAQ

Do I need the plugin active to import?

No. The import reads the data already in your site’s database and files on disk, so it works with the plugin deactivated — useful given it can no longer be reinstalled from the directory.

What if a file is missing from disk?

The document is still created with its title, description and category, and is flagged as having an unverified file so you can spot it on the Migrate screen. The import does not stop.

Are my original files changed?

No. Files are copied into the Media Library; the originals stay in the Simple File List folder untouched.