Moving from Advanced File Manager
Turn a document folder into a searchable library.
FileDeck imports supported files and recreates subfolders as categories, ready for your descriptions and access settings.
Which folders can be imported
FileDeck offers Advanced File Manager on the Migrate screen when the folder it manages is a documents folder inside wp-content/uploads — not the uploads folder itself, and not a WordPress installation folder. If it is still on its default setting, or it is not offered, point it at your documents folder (for example wp-content/uploads/documents) and reload the Migrate screen.
On your own site
Switch in three steps
Point it at a documents folder
Check that Advanced File Manager’s managed folder is your documents folder inside wp-content/uploads, as described above.
Import as drafts
Install FileDeck Pro, then go to Documents → Import & Export → Migrate. FileDeck shows the folder with a count of importable files. Choose Import as drafts and click Import. It runs in the background, so a large folder will not tie up your browser.
Fill in what only you know
The source records no descriptions or access rules, so your documents arrive with a title, a category and a file. Add descriptions, set access, then publish.
What comes across
Advanced File Manager is a file manager, not a document library, so it records the file and where it sits — and that is what FileDeck imports.
Files copied into your Media Library
Each file becomes a document with its filename tidied into a readable title. The file is copied into your Media Library as a real attachment; the original stays in its folder.
Subfolders become categories
Your folder structure is recreated as document categories, with nesting kept. Folder names are tidied for display, so rename any that read awkwardly.
Dates from the filesystem
With no date-added recorded by the source, FileDeck uses each file’s modification time as the document date.
Code and clutter left behind
File types WordPress does not accept as uploads, web assets (.js, .css, .html, .xml), hidden files, and the file manager’s own .trash and .tmb folders are skipped.
Why teams move to FileDeck
Search inside your files
Pro searches the text inside supported PDFs and Office files stored on your site, with OCR for scanned PDFs when you enable it — so people can find a file by what’s in it.
Access control that scales
Gate categories by role, by password or to logged-in users, with client areas for private document sets and per-document assignment to named people — set once for a whole category, not file by file.
Honest, flat pricing
Renewals cost the same as your first year, and paid plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. No introductory discount that jumps at renewal.
Want help with the move?
Free assisted migration is available. Tell us how your folder is organised and we’ll help you plan the import and check the result on your own site — no credential handoff needed. Our migration offer can also add the remaining time on your current eligible paid plan to your FileDeck licence; contact us to confirm how it applies.
Questions about moving
Why is Advanced File Manager not offered on the Migrate screen?
Its managed folder is not a documents folder inside wp-content/uploads — it may still be on its default setting, point at the uploads folder itself, or point at a WordPress installation folder. Set it to your documents folder and reload the Migrate screen. Full details here.
What does not come across?
Descriptions, dates added, owners and access rules — Advanced File Manager does not record them. A document arrives with a title, a category and a file, and no access restriction; add descriptions and set the intended access before you publish.
What happens to the original files?
They stay in their folder. FileDeck works from its own copies in the Media Library, so review who can still reach the originals once the new library is live.
Is there a limit on how many files?
A single import scans up to 5,000 files. If your folder holds more, contact us before importing and we’ll help you plan the move.
Is this the right import for me?
It is for people with a folder of real documents who want visitors to browse and search them. If you have used Advanced File Manager purely to manage server files from wp-admin, there may be little worth importing. If your documents live in another plugin instead, see the guide for that plugin.
Make your next document library FileDeck.
Bring the supported files and metadata across, review the result, then replace your library page when it is ready. FileDeck Pro includes the source-specific importer and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Free assisted migration is available.
Try the free library first if you want to evaluate the display. Source-specific automatic import requires Pro. For private libraries, verify permissions with representative accounts before publishing.
Written by the FileDeck team. What the importer brings across was reviewed against the current FileDeck Pro importer on 26 September 2026 — read about our methods.
Advanced File Manager is a trademark of its respective owner. FileDeck is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by it; the name is used only to identify the plugin you are migrating from.