{"id":315349,"date":"2026-05-21T22:33:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T22:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/utf8mb4-database-converter\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T22:58:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T22:58:49","slug":"lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter","status":"publish","type":"plugin","link":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter\/","author":15414825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"version":"1.0.13","stable_tag":"1.0.13","tested":"7.0","requires":"5.8","requires_php":"7.4","requires_plugins":null,"header_name":"LightMoving UTF8MB4 Converter","header_author":"Debo Grim","header_description":"Safely scan and convert WordPress database tables to utf8mb4 for 4-byte character support, including emojis and expanded Unicode characters.","assets_banners_color":"646d7c","last_updated":"2026-05-21 22:58:49","external_support_url":"","external_repository_url":"","donate_link":"","header_plugin_uri":"https:\/\/github.com\/LightMoving\/lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter","header_author_uri":"https:\/\/github.com\/DeboGrim","rating":0,"author_block_rating":0,"active_installs":0,"downloads":42,"num_ratings":0,"support_threads":0,"support_threads_resolved":0,"author_block_count":0,"sections":["description","installation","faq","changelog"],"tags":{"1.0.13":{"tag":"1.0.13","author":"angelsrock","date":"2026-05-21 22:58:49"}},"upgrade_notice":{"1.0.8":"<p>Adds translation-ready language template and documentation while preserving the last confirmed working conversion runtime.<\/p>"},"ratings":[],"assets_icons":{"icon-128x128.png":{"filename":"icon-128x128.png","revision":3542831,"resolution":"128x128","location":"assets","locale":"","width":128,"height":128},"icon-256x256.png":{"filename":"icon-256x256.png","revision":3542832,"resolution":"256x256","location":"assets","locale":"","width":256,"height":256}},"assets_banners":{"banner-1544x500.png":{"filename":"banner-1544x500.png","revision":3542829,"resolution":"1544x500","location":"assets","locale":"","width":2097,"height":750},"banner-772x250.png":{"filename":"banner-772x250.png","revision":3542828,"resolution":"772x250","location":"assets","locale":"","width":2097,"height":750}},"assets_blueprints":{},"all_blocks":[],"tagged_versions":["1.0.13"],"block_files":[],"assets_screenshots":{"screenshot-1.png":{"filename":"screenshot-1.png","revision":3542833,"resolution":"1","location":"assets","locale":"","width":2902,"height":1776},"screenshot-2.png":{"filename":"screenshot-2.png","revision":3542835,"resolution":"2","location":"assets","locale":"","width":2892,"height":1818}},"screenshots":[]},"plugin_section":[],"plugin_tags":[31251,153,12379,9654,263882],"plugin_category":[59],"plugin_contributors":[263449],"plugin_business_model":[],"class_list":["post-315349","plugin","type-plugin","status-publish","hentry","plugin_tags-charset","plugin_tags-database","plugin_tags-emoji","plugin_tags-unicode","plugin_tags-utf8mb4","plugin_category-utilities-and-tools","plugin_contributors-angelsrock","plugin_committers-angelsrock"],"banners":{"banner":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter\/assets\/banner-772x250.png?rev=3542828","banner_2x":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter\/assets\/banner-1544x500.png?rev=3542829","banner_rtl":false,"banner_2x_rtl":false},"icons":{"svg":false,"icon":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter\/assets\/icon-128x128.png?rev=3542831","icon_2x":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter\/assets\/icon-256x256.png?rev=3542832","generated":false},"screenshots":[{"src":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter\/assets\/screenshot-1.png?rev=3542833","caption":""},{"src":"https:\/\/ps.w.org\/lightmoving-utf8mb4-converter\/assets\/screenshot-2.png?rev=3542835","caption":""}],"raw_content":"<!--section=description-->\n<p>LightMoving UTF8MB4 Converter helps modernize older WordPress databases that still use latin1, utf8, or other non-utf8mb4 collations.<\/p>\n\n<p>The plugin scans your WordPress database tables, identifies tables that are not using utf8mb4, and provides a safe administrator-controlled conversion workflow.<\/p>\n\n<p>Features include:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Database charset and collation scan<\/li>\n<li>WordPress table scan using the active table prefix<\/li>\n<li>utf8mb4 server capability detection<\/li>\n<li>Backup confirmation workflow<\/li>\n<li>Required CONVERT confirmation step<\/li>\n<li>Individual WordPress table conversion<\/li>\n<li>Clean conversion success logging<\/li>\n<li>Responsive modern admin interface<\/li>\n<li>Direct Tools link from the Plugins page<\/li>\n<li>No automatic conversion on activation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>This utility is especially useful for:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>older WordPress sites<\/li>\n<li>migrated websites<\/li>\n<li>legacy hosting environments<\/li>\n<li>Themify and older builder installs<\/li>\n<li>emoji and 4-byte character support warnings<\/li>\n<li>multilingual WordPress environments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>Safety Features<\/h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>No automatic conversion on plugin activation<\/li>\n<li>Administrator-only access<\/li>\n<li>Backup confirmation checkbox<\/li>\n<li>Required CONVERT confirmation text<\/li>\n<li>Converts only tables using the active WordPress table prefix<\/li>\n<li>Displays current database charset and collation<\/li>\n<li>Displays current table engine and collation<\/li>\n<li>Converts database default charset\/collation<\/li>\n<li>Converts WordPress tables individually<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>Important<\/h3>\n\n<p>Always create a complete database backup before converting database tables.<\/p>\n\n<p>Large tables may require additional time depending on hosting resources. Conversion operations may temporarily lock tables while MySQL or MariaDB processes ALTER TABLE operations.<\/p>\n\n<!--section=installation-->\n<ol>\n<li>Upload the plugin folder to <code>\/wp-content\/plugins\/<\/code><\/li>\n<li>Activate the plugin<\/li>\n<li>Go to Tools \u2192 LightMoving UTF8MB4 Converter<\/li>\n<li>Review your database and table status<\/li>\n<li>Create a full database backup<\/li>\n<li>Confirm and run the conversion<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<!--section=faq-->\n<dl>\n<dt id=\"does%20this%20run%20automatically%3F\"><h3>Does this run automatically?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>No. The plugin never converts database tables automatically on activation.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"does%20this%20support%20emojis%3F\"><h3>Does this support emojis?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>Yes. utf8mb4 adds support for 4-byte Unicode characters including emojis.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"will%20this%20convert%20all%20tables%3F\"><h3>Will this convert all tables?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>The plugin converts WordPress tables using the currently active WordPress table prefix.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"should%20i%20create%20a%20backup%20first%3F\"><h3>Should I create a backup first?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>Yes. Always create a complete database backup before running database conversion operations.<\/p><\/dd>\n\n<\/dl>\n\n<!--section=changelog-->\n<h4>1.0.13<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Renamed plugin to LightMoving UTF8MB4 Converter for improved WordPress.org name distinctiveness<\/li>\n<li>Updated plugin slug, text domain, headers, and language template references<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.11<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Added targeted PHPCS disable\/enable documentation around intentional ALTER DATABASE and ALTER TABLE conversion queries<\/li>\n<li>Further reduced Plugin Check warnings for required database conversion operations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.10<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Added properly placed translator comments for placeholder strings<\/li>\n<li>Finalized Plugin Check cleanup for internationalization messages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.9<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Removed discouraged set_time_limit usage<\/li>\n<li>Added translator comments for placeholder strings<\/li>\n<li>Added PHPCS documentation for intentional database metadata and conversion queries<\/li>\n<li>Reduced readme tags to meet WordPress.org tag limits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.8<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Restored package from the last confirmed working runtime build<\/li>\n<li>Added translation-ready POT language template<\/li>\n<li>Added GitHub README.md documentation<\/li>\n<li>Improved WordPress.org readme formatting and compatibility<\/li>\n<li>Added contributor metadata for WordPress.org standards<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.4<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Added direct Tools link on the WordPress Plugins page<\/li>\n<li>Improved plugin discoverability after activation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.3<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Added polished full-width success banner after completed conversion<\/li>\n<li>Improved conversion log styling and readability<\/li>\n<li>Removed redundant post-conversion success notice output<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.2<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Fixed post-conversion output so successful table conversions render as one success notice and one conversion log card<\/li>\n<li>Prevented one WordPress success notice from being printed for each converted table<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.1<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Improved post-conversion success output with a single clean conversion log summary<\/li>\n<li>Reduced stacked admin notices after successful table conversion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.0<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Initial release<\/li>\n<li>Added database utf8mb4 support scan<\/li>\n<li>Added WordPress table collation scan<\/li>\n<li>Added manual backup confirmation workflow<\/li>\n<li>Added database default charset\/collation conversion<\/li>\n<li>Added individual WordPress table conversion<\/li>\n<\/ul>","raw_excerpt":"Safely scan and convert WordPress database tables to utf8mb4 for 4-byte character support, including emojis and multilingual Unicode characters.","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin\/315349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/plugin"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315349"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wporg\/v1\/users\/angelsrock"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"plugin_section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_section?post=315349"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_tags?post=315349"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_category?post=315349"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_contributors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_contributors?post=315349"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_business_model","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_business_model?post=315349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}