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HTML Import Pro is a powerful Joomla component for importing HTML content from various sources directly into Joomla articles. It provides intelligent content extraction, image handling, and batch processing capabilities.

Key Features

• Import from HTML files (single or batch via ZIP)
• Import directly from URLs
• Parse and import from XML sitemaps
• CSS selector-based content extraction
• Smart content detection (Readability algorithm)
• Automatic image downloading and path updating
• WebP image conversion support
• SEO metadata preservation
• Reusable import profiles
• Comprehensive import logging
• CLI support for automation
• Joomla 4, 5 & 6 compatible

Perfect For

• Migrating content from static HTML websites
• Importing blog posts from other platforms
• Bulk content creation from web sources
• Archiving web pages as Joomla articles
• Content aggregation from multiple sources
• Website redesign and content migration

HTML Import Pro simplifies content migration with an intuitive interface and powerful extraction algorithms, making it easy to bring external content into your Joomla site.

Downloading the Component

After purchasing the extension, you will receive a download link for the component file: com_htmlimport.zip

Installing the Component

1. Log in to your Joomla backend
2. Navigate to System > Install > Extensions
3. Drag and drop the com_htmlimport.zip file or click "Upload Package File" to browse
4. The installation will process automatically
5. A success message will be displayed once complete

System Requirements

• Joomla: 4.0 or higher (4.x, 5.x, 6.x supported)
• PHP: 8.1 or higher (8.2+ recommended)
• MySQL: 5.7 or higher / MariaDB 10.3+
• PHP Extensions: cURL, DOM, libxml, GD (for WebP conversion)

After Installation

Access the component from Components > HTML Import Pro

You will see the dashboard with:

• Import statistics overview
• Quick action buttons for different import methods
• Recent import activity
• Profile and log counts

Post-Installation Checklist

1. Review component options (Options button in toolbar)
2. Set default category for imported articles
3. Configure default content selectors
4. Set image import preferences
5. Configure user agent for URL fetching

Importing from HTML Files

Import content from local HTML files, either individually or in batch via ZIP archives.

Supported File Types

• .html: Standard HTML files
• .htm: Alternative HTML extension
• .xhtml: XHTML files
• .zip: ZIP archives containing multiple HTML files

Step-by-Step Process

1. Navigate to Components > HTML Import Pro > Import
2. Click From File
3. Drag and drop your file(s) or click to browse
4. Configure extraction settings
5. Set article options (category, state, access)
6. Click Import to create articles

Extraction Settings

• Content Selector: CSS selector to target main content (e.g., article, .post-content, #main)
• Title Selector: CSS selector for the title (e.g., h1, .entry-title)
• Strip Tags: Elements to remove (e.g., script, nav, .sidebar)
• Auto Detect: Use smart detection to find content automatically

ZIP Archive Import

For batch imports using ZIP files:

• All HTML files in the ZIP are processed
• Nested folder structures are supported
• Each HTML file becomes one article
• Images referenced in HTML can be included in the ZIP

Tips for Best Results

• Use UTF-8 encoded HTML files
• Include complete HTML with proper structure
• Test with one file before batch importing
• Use specific CSS selectors for consistent extraction

Importing from URLs

Fetch and import content directly from web pages using their URLs.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Navigate to Components > HTML Import Pro > Import
2. Click From URL
3. Enter one or more URLs (one per line)
4. Click Add URLs to queue them
5. Configure extraction and article settings
6. Click Start Import

AJAX-Based Processing

URL imports use AJAX for real-time feedback:

• Progress bar shows overall completion
• Current URL being processed is displayed
• Each URL shows status (pending, fetching, completed, error)
• Import continues even if individual URLs fail

URL Import Settings

• Fetch Interval: Delay between requests (prevents rate limiting)
• User Agent: Browser identification string
• Request Timeout: Maximum wait time per URL
• Respect robots.txt: Honor website crawling rules

Automatic Alias Generation

Article aliases are automatically generated from URLs:

• https://example.com/my-article/ → my-article
• Duplicate aliases get numeric suffixes (my-article-2)

Handling Errors

Common issues and solutions:

• 403 Forbidden: Website may block bots. Try different User Agent.
• Timeout: Increase request timeout in settings
• SSL Error: Server may have certificate issues
• Firewall Block: Your server's firewall may block outgoing requests

Importing from Sitemaps

Parse XML sitemaps to discover and import multiple pages automatically.

Supported Sitemap Formats

• Standard XML sitemaps (sitemap.xml)
• Sitemap index files (with nested sitemaps)
• Uploaded local XML files

Step-by-Step Process

1. Navigate to Components > HTML Import Pro > Import
2. Click From Sitemap
3. Enter sitemap URL or upload an XML file
4. Click Parse Sitemap
5. Review discovered URLs
6. Remove unwanted URLs from the list
7. Configure extraction and article settings
8. Click Start Import

URL Filtering

After parsing, you can filter URLs:

• Search: Filter URLs by keyword
• Select/Deselect: Choose specific URLs to import
• Remove: Delete URLs from the import queue
• Pattern Filter: Include/exclude URLs matching patterns

Upload Local Sitemap

You can also upload a local XML sitemap file:

1. Click the Upload XML File tab
2. Select your sitemap.xml file
3. Click Parse File
4. URLs are extracted and displayed for selection

Large Sitemap Handling

For sitemaps with hundreds of URLs:

• Parsing is done via AJAX with progress indication
• Import processes URLs one at a time
• Set appropriate fetch intervals to avoid rate limiting
• Consider importing in batches for very large sitemaps

Using Import Profiles

Profiles allow you to save import configurations for repeated use with different websites or content types.

What Profiles Save

• Content extraction selectors
• Title extraction selectors
• Elements to strip/remove
• Target category
• Article state and access level
• Image import settings
• WebP conversion preference

Creating a Profile

1. Go to Components > HTML Import Pro > Profiles
2. Click New
3. Enter a descriptive title (e.g., "WordPress Blog Import")
4. Configure all import settings
5. Save the profile

Using Profiles During Import

1. Start any import method (File, URL, Sitemap)
2. In the Import Settings section, select a profile from the dropdown
3. Settings are automatically loaded
4. Modify if needed for this specific import
5. Optionally save changes as a new profile

Quick Save from Import Page

You can save current settings as a profile directly from the import page:

1. Configure your import settings
2. Click Save Profile
3. Enter a profile name
4. Profile is saved for future use

Profile Best Practices

• Create profiles for each source website
• Use descriptive names (include source site name)
• Test profile settings with single URL first
• Update profiles when source site structure changes

Image Import Options

HTML Import Pro can automatically handle images found in imported content.

Image Import Settings

• Import Images: Enable/disable image downloading
• Image Folder: Destination folder (default: images/imported)
• Convert to WebP: Automatically convert images to WebP format

How Image Import Works

1. HTML content is scanned for <img> tags
2. Each image URL is downloaded to your server
3. Images are saved to the configured folder
4. Image paths in content are updated to local paths
5. Original external URLs are replaced

WebP Conversion

When enabled, images are converted to WebP format:

• Smaller file sizes (typically 25-35% smaller)
• Maintains image quality
• Requires PHP GD extension with WebP support
• Original format used as fallback if conversion fails

Supported Image Formats

• JPEG/JPG
• PNG
• GIF
• WebP (passthrough)

Image Path Structure

Downloaded images are organized as:

images/imported/[article-alias]/image-name.webp

Troubleshooting Images

• Images not downloading: Check if source allows hotlinking
• WebP not working: Verify GD extension has WebP support
• Broken images: Source images may require authentication
• Large images: Increase PHP memory_limit if needed

Command Line Import

HTML Import Pro includes CLI support for automation and scheduled imports.

Basic Usage

php cli/joomla.php htmlimport:import [options]

Available Options

Example Commands

Import single URL:

php cli/joomla.php htmlimport:import --url="https://example.com/page"

Import from sitemap:

php cli/joomla.php htmlimport:import --sitemap="https://example.com/sitemap.xml"

Import with profile:

php cli/joomla.php htmlimport:import --url="https://example.com" --profile=1

Scheduled Imports

Use cron jobs for automated imports:

# Import from sitemap daily at 2 AM
0 2 * * * cd /path/to/joomla && php cli/joomla.php htmlimport:import --sitemap="https://example.com/sitemap.xml"

CLI Best Practices

• Test commands manually before scheduling
• Use profiles to ensure consistent settings
• Monitor logs for any import issues
• Set appropriate intervals for sitemap imports

Component Options

Access component configuration via the Options button in the toolbar.

Basic Settings

• Default Category: Category for imported articles
• Default Author: Author assigned to imports
• Default Access: Access level for new articles
• Default State: Published or unpublished

Import Settings

• Content Selector: Default CSS selector for content extraction
• Title Selector: Default CSS selector for titles
• Strip Tags: Default elements to remove
• Import Images: Enable image downloading by default
• Image Folder: Default destination for images
• Convert WebP: Enable WebP conversion by default

URL Settings

• User Agent: Browser identification for requests
• Request Timeout: Maximum wait time (seconds)
• Rate Limit: Delay between requests (seconds)
• Respect robots.txt: Honor crawling restrictions

Permissions

Configure access permissions for different user groups:

Import Logs

Every import operation is logged for tracking and troubleshooting.

What Logs Capture

• Source: File, URL, or sitemap imported
• Date/Time: When the import occurred
• Status: Success, warning, or error
• Article ID: ID of created article (if successful)
• Message: Details about the import result

Accessing Logs

1. Navigate to Components > HTML Import Pro > Logs
2. View the list of all import operations

Log Filtering

• Status: Filter by success, warning, or error
• Date Range: Filter by import date
• Search: Search by source URL or message

Log Statuses

Managing Logs

• Delete: Remove selected log entries
• Clear All: Remove all log entries

Using Logs for Troubleshooting

When imports fail, check logs for:

• HTTP error codes (403, 404, 500)
• Content extraction failures
• Image download errors
• Database save issues

Frequently Asked Questions

What Joomla versions are supported?

• HTML Import Pro is compatible with Joomla 4.x, 5.x, and 6.x.

Can I import from password-protected pages?

• Currently, only publicly accessible pages can be imported. Authentication is not supported.

Why is my content not being extracted correctly?

• The CSS selectors may not match the source page structure. Try using browser Developer Tools to find the correct selectors, or enable Auto Detect mode.

How do I handle JavaScript-rendered content?

• HTML Import Pro fetches raw HTML. Content loaded via JavaScript after page load cannot be captured. Consider using a headless browser to pre-render pages.

Why are images not downloading?

• The source website may block hotlinking or require authentication. Check if images are accessible directly in your browser.

Can I import into existing articles?

• Currently, imports always create new articles. Updating existing articles is not supported.

How do I handle rate limiting?

• Increase the fetch interval in settings. A delay of 2-5 seconds between requests is recommended for most websites.

Why do I get 403 Forbidden errors?

• The website may block automated requests. Try changing the User Agent to a standard browser string. Also check if your server's firewall is blocking outgoing requests.

Can I schedule automatic imports?

• Yes, use the CLI command with cron jobs for scheduled imports.

How do I import content in different languages?

• Set the appropriate category for each language. Content encoding (UTF-8) is preserved during import.

Common Issues and Solutions

Import Issues

No content extracted

• Check CSS selectors match the source page
• Try enabling Auto Detect mode
• View page source to verify content structure
• Test selectors in browser Developer Tools

Import times out

• Increase PHP max_execution_time
• Reduce batch size for sitemap imports
• Increase request timeout in settings

403/404 errors when fetching URLs

• Change User Agent to standard browser string
• Check if URL is publicly accessible
• Verify your server can make outgoing requests
• Check if website blocks your IP or region

Image Issues

Images not downloading

• Verify source images are accessible
• Check image folder permissions (should be writable)
• Increase PHP memory_limit for large images

WebP conversion fails

• Verify GD extension has WebP support: gd_info()
• Check PHP version (8.1+ recommended)
• Images will use original format as fallback

General Issues

Component not accessible

• Clear Joomla cache
• Verify component is installed and enabled
• Check user permissions

AJAX errors during import

• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Verify session hasn't expired
• Check for security extension conflicts (RSFirewall, etc.)

Getting Help

If issues persist:

• Check Joomla error logs
• Review import logs for specific error messages
• Contact support with detailed error information
• Include Joomla, PHP versions, and error screenshots