Import export (#194)

* start with export/import code

* messing about with decoding/encoding

* some more fiddling

* stuff is WORKING

* working pretty alright!

* go fmt

* fix up tests, add docs

* start backup/restore doc

* tweaks

* credits

* update advancedVisibility settings

* update bun library -> v1.0.4

Signed-off-by: kim (grufwub) <grufwub@gmail.com>

* update oauth library -> v4.3.1-SSB

Signed-off-by: kim (grufwub) <grufwub@gmail.com>

* handle oauth token scope, fix user.SigninCount + token.UserID

Signed-off-by: kim (grufwub) <grufwub@gmail.com>

* update oauth library --> v4.3.2-SSB

Signed-off-by: kim (grufwub) <grufwub@gmail.com>

* update sqlite library -> v1.13.0

Signed-off-by: kim (grufwub) <grufwub@gmail.com>

* review changes

* start with export/import code

* messing about with decoding/encoding

* some more fiddling

* stuff is WORKING

* working pretty alright!

* go fmt

* fix up tests, add docs

* start backup/restore doc

* tweaks

* credits

* update advancedVisibility settings

* review changes

Co-authored-by: kim (grufwub) <grufwub@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: kim <89579420+NyaaaWhatsUpDoc@users.noreply.github.com>

19 files changed, 1364 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/internal/trans/decoders.go b/internal/trans/decoders.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4f146023
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/decoders.go
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"crypto/x509"
+	"encoding/pem"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
+	transmodel "github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/trans/model"
+)
+
+func newDecoder(target interface{}) (*mapstructure.Decoder, error) {
+	decoderConfig := &mapstructure.DecoderConfig{
+		DecodeHook: mapstructure.StringToTimeHookFunc(time.RFC3339), // this is needed to decode time.Time entries serialized as string
+		Result:     target,
+	}
+	return mapstructure.NewDecoder(decoderConfig)
+}
+
+func (i *importer) accountDecode(e transmodel.Entry) (*transmodel.Account, error) {
+	a := &transmodel.Account{}
+	if err := i.simpleDecode(e, a); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// extract public key
+	publicKeyBlock, _ := pem.Decode([]byte(a.PublicKeyString))
+	if publicKeyBlock == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("accountDecode: error decoding account public key")
+	}
+	publicKey, err := x509.ParsePKCS1PublicKey(publicKeyBlock.Bytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("accountDecode: error parsing account public key: %s", err)
+	}
+	a.PublicKey = publicKey
+
+	if a.Domain == "" {
+		// extract private key (local account)
+		privateKeyBlock, _ := pem.Decode([]byte(a.PrivateKeyString))
+		if privateKeyBlock == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("accountDecode: error decoding account private key")
+		}
+		privateKey, err := x509.ParsePKCS1PrivateKey(privateKeyBlock.Bytes)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("accountDecode: error parsing account private key: %s", err)
+		}
+		a.PrivateKey = privateKey
+	}
+
+	return a, nil
+}
+
+func (i *importer) blockDecode(e transmodel.Entry) (*transmodel.Block, error) {
+	b := &transmodel.Block{}
+	if err := i.simpleDecode(e, b); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+func (i *importer) domainBlockDecode(e transmodel.Entry) (*transmodel.DomainBlock, error) {
+	b := &transmodel.DomainBlock{}
+	if err := i.simpleDecode(e, b); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+func (i *importer) followDecode(e transmodel.Entry) (*transmodel.Follow, error) {
+	f := &transmodel.Follow{}
+	if err := i.simpleDecode(e, f); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return f, nil
+}
+
+func (i *importer) followRequestDecode(e transmodel.Entry) (*transmodel.FollowRequest, error) {
+	f := &transmodel.FollowRequest{}
+	if err := i.simpleDecode(e, f); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return f, nil
+}
+
+func (i *importer) instanceDecode(e transmodel.Entry) (*transmodel.Instance, error) {
+	inst := &transmodel.Instance{}
+	if err := i.simpleDecode(e, inst); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return inst, nil
+}
+
+func (i *importer) userDecode(e transmodel.Entry) (*transmodel.User, error) {
+	u := &transmodel.User{}
+	if err := i.simpleDecode(e, u); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return u, nil
+}
+
+func (i *importer) simpleDecode(entry transmodel.Entry, target interface{}) error {
+	decoder, err := newDecoder(target)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("simpleDecode: error creating decoder: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := decoder.Decode(&entry); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("simpleDecode: error decoding: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/encoders.go b/internal/trans/encoders.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76c2acadc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/encoders.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"crypto/x509"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"encoding/pem"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	transmodel "github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/trans/model"
+)
+
+// accountEncode handles special fields like private + public keys on accounts
+func (e *exporter) accountEncode(ctx context.Context, f *os.File, a *transmodel.Account) error {
+	a.Type = transmodel.TransAccount
+
+	// marshal public key
+	encodedPublicKey := x509.MarshalPKCS1PublicKey(a.PublicKey)
+	if encodedPublicKey == nil {
+		return errors.New("could not MarshalPKCS1PublicKey")
+	}
+	publicKeyBytes := pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+		Type:  "RSA PUBLIC KEY",
+		Bytes: encodedPublicKey,
+	})
+	a.PublicKeyString = string(publicKeyBytes)
+
+	if a.Domain == "" {
+		// marshal private key for local account
+		encodedPrivateKey := x509.MarshalPKCS1PrivateKey(a.PrivateKey)
+		if encodedPrivateKey == nil {
+			return errors.New("could not MarshalPKCS1PrivateKey")
+		}
+		privateKeyBytes := pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+			Type:  "RSA PRIVATE KEY",
+			Bytes: encodedPrivateKey,
+		})
+		a.PrivateKeyString = string(privateKeyBytes)
+	}
+
+	return e.simpleEncode(ctx, f, a, a.ID)
+}
+
+// simpleEncode can be used for any type that doesn't have special keys which need handling differently,
+// or for types where special keys have already been handled.
+//
+// Beware, the 'type' key on the passed interface should already have been set, since simpleEncode won't know
+// what type it is! If you try to decode stuff you've encoded with a missing type key, you're going to have a bad time.
+func (e *exporter) simpleEncode(ctx context.Context, file *os.File, i interface{}, id string) error {
+	_, alreadyWritten := e.writtenIDs[id]
+	if alreadyWritten {
+		// this exporter has already exported an entry with this ID, no need to do it twice
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	err := json.NewEncoder(file).Encode(i)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("simpleEncode: error encoding entry with id %s: %s", id, err)
+	}
+
+	e.writtenIDs[id] = true
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/export.go b/internal/trans/export.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a432975be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/export.go
@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/package trans
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/db"
+	transmodel "github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/trans/model"
+)
+
+func (e *exporter) exportAccounts(ctx context.Context, where []db.Where, file *os.File) ([]*transmodel.Account, error) {
+	// select using the 'where' we've been provided
+	accounts := []*transmodel.Account{}
+	if err := e.db.GetWhere(ctx, where, &accounts); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportAccounts: error selecting accounts: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// write any accounts found to file
+	for _, a := range accounts {
+		if err := e.accountEncode(ctx, file, a); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportAccounts: error encoding account: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return accounts, nil
+}
+
+func (e *exporter) exportBlocks(ctx context.Context, accounts []*transmodel.Account, file *os.File) ([]*transmodel.Block, error) {
+	blocksUnique := make(map[string]*transmodel.Block)
+
+	// for each account we want to export both where it's blocking and where it's blocked
+	for _, a := range accounts {
+		// 1. export blocks owned by given account
+		whereBlocking := []db.Where{{Key: "account_id", Value: a.ID}}
+		blocking := []*transmodel.Block{}
+		if err := e.db.GetWhere(ctx, whereBlocking, &blocking); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportBlocks: error selecting blocks owned by account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+		}
+		for _, b := range blocking {
+			b.Type = transmodel.TransBlock
+			if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, b, b.ID); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportBlocks: error encoding block owned by account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+			}
+			blocksUnique[b.ID] = b
+		}
+
+		// 2. export blocks that target given account
+		whereBlocked := []db.Where{{Key: "target_account_id", Value: a.ID}}
+		blocked := []*transmodel.Block{}
+		if err := e.db.GetWhere(ctx, whereBlocked, &blocked); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportBlocks: error selecting blocks targeting account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+		}
+		for _, b := range blocked {
+			b.Type = transmodel.TransBlock
+			if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, b, b.ID); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportBlocks: error encoding block targeting account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+			}
+			blocksUnique[b.ID] = b
+		}
+	}
+
+	// now return all the blocks we found
+	blocks := []*transmodel.Block{}
+	for _, b := range blocksUnique {
+		blocks = append(blocks, b)
+	}
+
+	return blocks, nil
+}
+
+func (e *exporter) exportDomainBlocks(ctx context.Context, file *os.File) ([]*transmodel.DomainBlock, error) {
+	domainBlocks := []*transmodel.DomainBlock{}
+
+	if err := e.db.GetAll(ctx, &domainBlocks); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportBlocks: error selecting domain blocks: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	for _, b := range domainBlocks {
+		b.Type = transmodel.TransDomainBlock
+		if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, b, b.ID); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportBlocks: error encoding domain block: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return domainBlocks, nil
+}
+
+func (e *exporter) exportFollows(ctx context.Context, accounts []*transmodel.Account, file *os.File) ([]*transmodel.Follow, error) {
+	followsUnique := make(map[string]*transmodel.Follow)
+
+	// for each account we want to export both where it's following and where it's followed
+	for _, a := range accounts {
+		// 1. export follows owned by given account
+		whereFollowing := []db.Where{{Key: "account_id", Value: a.ID}}
+		following := []*transmodel.Follow{}
+		if err := e.db.GetWhere(ctx, whereFollowing, &following); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportFollows: error selecting follows owned by account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+		}
+		for _, follow := range following {
+			follow.Type = transmodel.TransFollow
+			if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, follow, follow.ID); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportFollows: error encoding follow owned by account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+			}
+			followsUnique[follow.ID] = follow
+		}
+
+		// 2. export follows that target given account
+		whereFollowed := []db.Where{{Key: "target_account_id", Value: a.ID}}
+		followed := []*transmodel.Follow{}
+		if err := e.db.GetWhere(ctx, whereFollowed, &followed); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportFollows: error selecting follows targeting account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+		}
+		for _, follow := range followed {
+			follow.Type = transmodel.TransFollow
+			if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, follow, follow.ID); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportFollows: error encoding follow targeting account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+			}
+			followsUnique[follow.ID] = follow
+		}
+	}
+
+	// now return all the follows we found
+	follows := []*transmodel.Follow{}
+	for _, follow := range followsUnique {
+		follows = append(follows, follow)
+	}
+
+	return follows, nil
+}
+
+func (e *exporter) exportFollowRequests(ctx context.Context, accounts []*transmodel.Account, file *os.File) ([]*transmodel.FollowRequest, error) {
+	frsUnique := make(map[string]*transmodel.FollowRequest)
+
+	// for each account we want to export both where it's following and where it's followed
+	for _, a := range accounts {
+		// 1. export follow requests owned by given account
+		whereRequesting := []db.Where{{Key: "account_id", Value: a.ID}}
+		requesting := []*transmodel.FollowRequest{}
+		if err := e.db.GetWhere(ctx, whereRequesting, &requesting); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportFollowRequests: error selecting follow requests owned by account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+		}
+		for _, fr := range requesting {
+			fr.Type = transmodel.TransFollowRequest
+			if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, fr, fr.ID); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportFollowRequests: error encoding follow request owned by account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+			}
+			frsUnique[fr.ID] = fr
+		}
+
+		// 2. export follow requests that target given account
+		whereRequested := []db.Where{{Key: "target_account_id", Value: a.ID}}
+		requested := []*transmodel.FollowRequest{}
+		if err := e.db.GetWhere(ctx, whereRequested, &requested); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportFollowRequests: error selecting follow requests targeting account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+		}
+		for _, fr := range requested {
+			fr.Type = transmodel.TransFollowRequest
+			if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, fr, fr.ID); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportFollowRequests: error encoding follow request targeting account %s: %s", a.ID, err)
+			}
+			frsUnique[fr.ID] = fr
+		}
+	}
+
+	// now return all the followRequests we found
+	followRequests := []*transmodel.FollowRequest{}
+	for _, fr := range frsUnique {
+		followRequests = append(followRequests, fr)
+	}
+
+	return followRequests, nil
+}
+
+func (e *exporter) exportInstances(ctx context.Context, file *os.File) ([]*transmodel.Instance, error) {
+	instances := []*transmodel.Instance{}
+
+	if err := e.db.GetAll(ctx, &instances); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportInstances: error selecting instance: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	for _, u := range instances {
+		u.Type = transmodel.TransInstance
+		if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, u, u.ID); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportInstances: error encoding instance: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return instances, nil
+}
+
+func (e *exporter) exportUsers(ctx context.Context, file *os.File) ([]*transmodel.User, error) {
+	users := []*transmodel.User{}
+
+	if err := e.db.GetAll(ctx, &users); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportUsers: error selecting users: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	for _, u := range users {
+		u.Type = transmodel.TransUser
+		if err := e.simpleEncode(ctx, file, u, u.ID); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("exportUsers: error encoding user: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return users, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/exporter.go b/internal/trans/exporter.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3dc0558f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/exporter.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/db"
+)
+
+// Exporter wraps functionality for exporting entries from the database to a file.
+type Exporter interface {
+	ExportMinimal(ctx context.Context, path string) error
+}
+
+type exporter struct {
+	db         db.DB
+	log        *logrus.Logger
+	writtenIDs map[string]bool
+}
+
+// NewExporter returns a new Exporter that will use the given db and logger.
+func NewExporter(db db.DB, log *logrus.Logger) Exporter {
+	return &exporter{
+		db:         db,
+		log:        log,
+		writtenIDs: make(map[string]bool),
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/exportminimal.go b/internal/trans/exportminimal.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9ace9b91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/exportminimal.go
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/db"
+)
+
+func (e *exporter) ExportMinimal(ctx context.Context, path string) error {
+	if path == "" {
+		return errors.New("ExportMinimal: path empty")
+	}
+
+	file, err := os.Create(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: couldn't export to %s: %s", path, err)
+	}
+
+	// export all local accounts we have in the database
+	localAccounts, err := e.exportAccounts(ctx, []db.Where{{Key: "domain", Value: nil}}, file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting accounts: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// export all blocks that relate to local accounts
+	blocks, err := e.exportBlocks(ctx, localAccounts, file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting blocks: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// for each block, make sure we've written out the account owning it, or targeted by it --
+	// this might include non-local accounts, but we need these so we don't lose anything
+	for _, b := range blocks {
+		_, alreadyWritten := e.writtenIDs[b.AccountID]
+		if !alreadyWritten {
+			_, err := e.exportAccounts(ctx, []db.Where{{Key: "id", Value: b.AccountID}}, file)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting block owner account: %s", err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		_, alreadyWritten = e.writtenIDs[b.TargetAccountID]
+		if !alreadyWritten {
+			_, err := e.exportAccounts(ctx, []db.Where{{Key: "id", Value: b.TargetAccountID}}, file)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting block target account: %s", err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// export all follows that relate to local accounts
+	follows, err := e.exportFollows(ctx, localAccounts, file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting follows: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// for each follow, make sure we've written out the account owning it, or targeted by it --
+	// this might include non-local accounts, but we need these so we don't lose anything
+	for _, follow := range follows {
+		_, alreadyWritten := e.writtenIDs[follow.AccountID]
+		if !alreadyWritten {
+			_, err := e.exportAccounts(ctx, []db.Where{{Key: "id", Value: follow.AccountID}}, file)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting follow owner account: %s", err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		_, alreadyWritten = e.writtenIDs[follow.TargetAccountID]
+		if !alreadyWritten {
+			_, err := e.exportAccounts(ctx, []db.Where{{Key: "id", Value: follow.TargetAccountID}}, file)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting follow target account: %s", err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// export all follow requests that relate to local accounts
+	followRequests, err := e.exportFollowRequests(ctx, localAccounts, file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting follow requests: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// for each follow request, make sure we've written out the account owning it, or targeted by it --
+	// this might include non-local accounts, but we need these so we don't lose anything
+	for _, fr := range followRequests {
+		_, alreadyWritten := e.writtenIDs[fr.AccountID]
+		if !alreadyWritten {
+			_, err := e.exportAccounts(ctx, []db.Where{{Key: "id", Value: fr.AccountID}}, file)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting follow request owner account: %s", err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		_, alreadyWritten = e.writtenIDs[fr.TargetAccountID]
+		if !alreadyWritten {
+			_, err := e.exportAccounts(ctx, []db.Where{{Key: "id", Value: fr.TargetAccountID}}, file)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting follow request target account: %s", err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// export all domain blocks
+	if _, err := e.exportDomainBlocks(ctx, file); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting domain blocks: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// export all users
+	if _, err := e.exportUsers(ctx, file); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting users: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// export all instances
+	if _, err := e.exportInstances(ctx, file); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting instances: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// export all SUSPENDED accounts to make sure the suspension sticks across db migration etc
+	whereSuspended := []db.Where{{
+		Key:   "suspended_at",
+		Not:   true,
+		Value: nil,
+	}}
+	if _, err := e.exportAccounts(ctx, whereSuspended, file); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ExportMinimal: error exporting suspended accounts: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	return neatClose(file)
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/exportminimal_test.go b/internal/trans/exportminimal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2bffffcfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/exportminimal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/trans"
+)
+
+type ExportMinimalTestSuite struct {
+	TransTestSuite
+}
+
+func (suite *ExportMinimalTestSuite) TestExportMinimalOK() {
+	// use a temporary file path that will be cleaned when the test is closed
+	tempFilePath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", suite.T().TempDir(), uuid.NewString())
+
+	// export to the tempFilePath
+	exporter := trans.NewExporter(suite.db, suite.log)
+	err := exporter.ExportMinimal(context.Background(), tempFilePath)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+
+	// we should have some bytes in that file now
+	b, err := os.ReadFile(tempFilePath)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.NotEmpty(b)
+	fmt.Println(string(b))
+}
+
+func TestExportMinimalTestSuite(t *testing.T) {
+	suite.Run(t, &ExportMinimalTestSuite{})
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/import.go b/internal/trans/import.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..74624e540
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/import.go
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+
+	transmodel "github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/trans/model"
+)
+
+func (i *importer) Import(ctx context.Context, path string) error {
+	if path == "" {
+		return errors.New("Export: path empty")
+	}
+
+	file, err := os.Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Import: couldn't export to %s: %s", path, err)
+	}
+
+	decoder := json.NewDecoder(file)
+	decoder.UseNumber()
+
+	for {
+		entry := transmodel.Entry{}
+		err := decoder.Decode(&entry)
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				i.log.Infof("Import: reached end of file")
+				return neatClose(file)
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("Import: error decoding in readLoop: %s", err)
+		}
+		if err := i.inputEntry(ctx, entry); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Import: error inputting entry: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (i *importer) inputEntry(ctx context.Context, entry transmodel.Entry) error {
+	t, ok := entry[transmodel.TypeKey].(string)
+	if !ok {
+		return errors.New("inputEntry: could not derive entry type: missing or malformed 'type' key in json")
+	}
+
+	switch transmodel.Type(t) {
+	case transmodel.TransAccount:
+		account, err := i.accountDecode(entry)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error decoding entry into account: %s", err)
+		}
+		if err := i.putInDB(ctx, account); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error adding account to database: %s", err)
+		}
+		i.log.Infof("inputEntry: added account with id %s", account.ID)
+		return nil
+	case transmodel.TransBlock:
+		block, err := i.blockDecode(entry)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error decoding entry into block: %s", err)
+		}
+		if err := i.putInDB(ctx, block); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error adding block to database: %s", err)
+		}
+		i.log.Infof("inputEntry: added block with id %s", block.ID)
+		return nil
+	case transmodel.TransDomainBlock:
+		block, err := i.domainBlockDecode(entry)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error decoding entry into domain block: %s", err)
+		}
+		if err := i.putInDB(ctx, block); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error adding domain block to database: %s", err)
+		}
+		i.log.Infof("inputEntry: added domain block with id %s", block.ID)
+		return nil
+	case transmodel.TransFollow:
+		follow, err := i.followDecode(entry)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error decoding entry into follow: %s", err)
+		}
+		if err := i.putInDB(ctx, follow); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error adding follow to database: %s", err)
+		}
+		i.log.Infof("inputEntry: added follow with id %s", follow.ID)
+		return nil
+	case transmodel.TransFollowRequest:
+		fr, err := i.followRequestDecode(entry)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error decoding entry into follow request: %s", err)
+		}
+		if err := i.putInDB(ctx, fr); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error adding follow request to database: %s", err)
+		}
+		i.log.Infof("inputEntry: added follow request with id %s", fr.ID)
+		return nil
+	case transmodel.TransInstance:
+		inst, err := i.instanceDecode(entry)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error decoding entry into instance: %s", err)
+		}
+		if err := i.putInDB(ctx, inst); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error adding instance to database: %s", err)
+		}
+		i.log.Infof("inputEntry: added instance with id %s", inst.ID)
+		return nil
+	case transmodel.TransUser:
+		user, err := i.userDecode(entry)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error decoding entry into user: %s", err)
+		}
+		if err := i.putInDB(ctx, user); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("inputEntry: error adding user to database: %s", err)
+		}
+		i.log.Infof("inputEntry: added user with id %s", user.ID)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	i.log.Errorf("inputEntry: didn't recognize transtype '%s', skipping it", t)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (i *importer) putInDB(ctx context.Context, entry interface{}) error {
+	return i.db.Put(ctx, entry)
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/import_test.go b/internal/trans/import_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..137a5fae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/import_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/gtsmodel"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/trans"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/testrig"
+)
+
+type ImportMinimalTestSuite struct {
+	TransTestSuite
+}
+
+func (suite *ImportMinimalTestSuite) TestImportMinimalOK() {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	// use a temporary file path
+	tempFilePath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", suite.T().TempDir(), uuid.NewString())
+
+	// export to the tempFilePath
+	exporter := trans.NewExporter(suite.db, suite.log)
+	err := exporter.ExportMinimal(ctx, tempFilePath)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+
+	// we should have some bytes in that file now
+	b, err := os.ReadFile(tempFilePath)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.NotEmpty(b)
+	fmt.Println(string(b))
+
+	// create a new database with just the tables created, no entries
+	testrig.StandardDBTeardown(suite.db)
+	newDB := testrig.NewTestDB()
+	testrig.CreateTestTables(newDB)
+
+	importer := trans.NewImporter(newDB, suite.log)
+	err = importer.Import(ctx, tempFilePath)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+
+	// we should have some accounts in the database
+	accounts := []*gtsmodel.Account{}
+	err = newDB.GetAll(ctx, &accounts)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.NotEmpty(accounts)
+
+	// we should have some blocks in the database
+	blocks := []*gtsmodel.Block{}
+	err = newDB.GetAll(ctx, &blocks)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.NotEmpty(blocks)
+
+	// we should have some follows in the database
+	follows := []*gtsmodel.Follow{}
+	err = newDB.GetAll(ctx, &follows)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.NotEmpty(follows)
+
+	// we should have some domain blocks in the database
+	domainBlocks := []*gtsmodel.DomainBlock{}
+	err = newDB.GetAll(ctx, &domainBlocks)
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.NotEmpty(domainBlocks)
+}
+
+func TestImportMinimalTestSuite(t *testing.T) {
+	suite.Run(t, &ImportMinimalTestSuite{})
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/importer.go b/internal/trans/importer.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ea8866f53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/importer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/db"
+)
+
+// Importer wraps functionality for importing entries from a file into the database.
+type Importer interface {
+	Import(ctx context.Context, path string) error
+}
+
+type importer struct {
+	db  db.DB
+	log *logrus.Logger
+}
+
+// NewImporter returns a new Importer interface that uses the given db and logger.
+func NewImporter(db db.DB, log *logrus.Logger) Importer {
+	return &importer{
+		db:  db,
+		log: log,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/model/account.go b/internal/trans/model/account.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2350048d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/model/account.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"crypto/rsa"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Account represents the minimum viable representation of an account for export/import.
+type Account struct {
+	Type                  Type            `json:"type" bun:"-"`
+	ID                    string          `json:"id" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CreatedAt             *time.Time      `json:"createdAt" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Username              string          `json:"username" bun:",nullzero"`
+	DisplayName           string          `json:"displayName,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Note                  string          `json:"note,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Domain                string          `json:"domain,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	HeaderRemoteURL       string          `json:"headerRemoteURL,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	AvatarRemoteURL       string          `json:"avatarRemoteURL,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Locked                bool            `json:"locked"`
+	Language              string          `json:"language,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	URI                   string          `json:"uri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	URL                   string          `json:"url" bun:",nullzero"`
+	InboxURI              string          `json:"inboxURI" bun:",nullzero"`
+	OutboxURI             string          `json:"outboxURI" bun:",nullzero"`
+	FollowingURI          string          `json:"followingUri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	FollowersURI          string          `json:"followersUri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	FeaturedCollectionURI string          `json:"featuredCollectionUri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ActorType             string          `json:"actorType" bun:",nullzero"`
+	PrivateKey            *rsa.PrivateKey `json:"-" mapstructure:"-"`
+	PrivateKeyString      string          `json:"privateKey,omitempty" mapstructure:"privateKey" bun:"-"`
+	PublicKey             *rsa.PublicKey  `json:"-" mapstructure:"-"`
+	PublicKeyString       string          `json:"publicKey,omitempty" mapstructure:"publicKey" bun:"-"`
+	PublicKeyURI          string          `json:"publicKeyUri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	SuspendedAt           *time.Time      `json:"suspendedAt,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	SuspensionOrigin      string          `json:"suspensionOrigin,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/model/block.go b/internal/trans/model/block.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..313e6a7cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/model/block.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import "time"
+
+// Block represents an account block as serialized in an exported file.
+type Block struct {
+	Type            Type       `json:"type" bun:"-"`
+	ID              string     `json:"id" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CreatedAt       *time.Time `json:"createdAt" bun:",nullzero"`
+	URI             string     `json:"uri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	AccountID       string     `json:"accountId" bun:",nullzero"`
+	TargetAccountID string     `json:"targetAccountId" bun:",nullzero"`
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/model/domainblock.go b/internal/trans/model/domainblock.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..de2bcd00a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/model/domainblock.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import "time"
+
+// DomainBlock represents a domain block as serialized in an exported file.
+type DomainBlock struct {
+	Type               Type       `json:"type" bun:"-"`
+	ID                 string     `json:"id" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CreatedAt          *time.Time `json:"createdAt" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Domain             string     `json:"domain" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CreatedByAccountID string     `json:"createdByAccountID" bun:",nullzero"`
+	PrivateComment     string     `json:"privateComment,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	PublicComment      string     `json:"publicComment,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Obfuscate          bool       `json:"obfuscate" bun:",nullzero"`
+	SubscriptionID     string     `json:"subscriptionID,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/model/follow.go b/internal/trans/model/follow.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b94f2600d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/model/follow.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import "time"
+
+// Follow represents an account follow as serialized in an export file.
+type Follow struct {
+	Type            Type       `json:"type" bun:"-"`
+	ID              string     `json:"id" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CreatedAt       *time.Time `json:"createdAt" bun:",nullzero"`
+	URI             string     `json:"uri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	AccountID       string     `json:"accountId" bun:",nullzero"`
+	TargetAccountID string     `json:"targetAccountId" bun:",nullzero"`
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/model/followrequest.go b/internal/trans/model/followrequest.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..844bcb7af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/model/followrequest.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import "time"
+
+// FollowRequest represents an account follow request as serialized in an export file.
+type FollowRequest struct {
+	Type            Type       `json:"type" bun:"-"`
+	ID              string     `json:"id" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CreatedAt       *time.Time `json:"createdAt" bun:",nullzero"`
+	URI             string     `json:"uri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	AccountID       string     `json:"accountId" bun:",nullzero"`
+	TargetAccountID string     `json:"targetAccountId" bun:",nullzero"`
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/model/instance.go b/internal/trans/model/instance.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a75aa65bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/model/instance.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Instance represents an instance entry as serialized in an export file.
+type Instance struct {
+	Type                   Type       `json:"type" bun:"-"`
+	ID                     string     `json:"id" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CreatedAt              *time.Time `json:"createdAt" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Domain                 string     `json:"domain" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Title                  string     `json:"title,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	URI                    string     `json:"uri" bun:",nullzero"`
+	SuspendedAt            *time.Time `json:"suspendedAt,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	DomainBlockID          string     `json:"domainBlockID,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ShortDescription       string     `json:"shortDescription,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Description            string     `json:"description,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Terms                  string     `json:"terms,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ContactEmail           string     `json:"contactEmail,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ContactAccountUsername string     `json:"contactAccountUsername,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ContactAccountID       string     `json:"contactAccountID,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Reputation             int64      `json:"reputation"`
+	Version                string     `json:"version,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/model/type.go b/internal/trans/model/type.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76f57c843
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/model/type.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+// TypeKey should be set on a TransEntry to indicate the type of entry it is.
+const TypeKey = "type"
+
+// Type describes the type of a trans entry, and how it should be read/serialized.
+type Type string
+
+// Type of the trans entry. Describes how it should be read from file.
+const (
+	TransAccount          Type = "account"
+	TransBlock            Type = "block"
+	TransDomainBlock      Type = "domainBlock"
+	TransEmailDomainBlock Type = "emailDomainBlock"
+	TransFollow           Type = "follow"
+	TransFollowRequest    Type = "followRequest"
+	TransInstance         Type = "instance"
+	TransUser             Type = "user"
+)
+
+// Entry is used for deserializing trans entries into a rough interface so that
+// the TypeKey can be fetched, before continuing with full parsing.
+type Entry map[string]interface{}
diff --git a/internal/trans/model/user.go b/internal/trans/model/user.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..293b124a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/model/user.go
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"time"
+)
+
+// User represents a local instance user as serialized to an export file.
+type User struct {
+	Type                Type       `json:"type" bun:"-"`
+	ID                  string     `json:"id" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CreatedAt           *time.Time `json:"createdAt" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Email               string     `json:"email,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	AccountID           string     `json:"accountID" bun:",nullzero"`
+	EncryptedPassword   string     `json:"encryptedPassword" bun:",nullzero"`
+	CurrentSignInAt     *time.Time `json:"currentSignInAt,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	LastSignInAt        *time.Time `json:"lastSignInAt,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	InviteID            string     `json:"inviteID,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ChosenLanguages     []string   `json:"chosenLanguages,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	FilteredLanguages   []string   `json:"filteredLanguage,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Locale              string     `json:"locale" bun:",nullzero"`
+	LastEmailedAt       time.Time  `json:"lastEmailedAt,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ConfirmationToken   string     `json:"confirmationToken,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ConfirmationSentAt  *time.Time `json:"confirmationTokenSentAt,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ConfirmedAt         *time.Time `json:"confirmedAt,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	UnconfirmedEmail    string     `json:"unconfirmedEmail,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	Moderator           bool       `json:"moderator"`
+	Admin               bool       `json:"admin"`
+	Disabled            bool       `json:"disabled"`
+	Approved            bool       `json:"approved"`
+	ResetPasswordToken  string     `json:"resetPasswordToken,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+	ResetPasswordSentAt *time.Time `json:"resetPasswordSentAt,omitempty" bun:",nullzero"`
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/trans_test.go b/internal/trans/trans_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a231486b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/trans_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans_test
+
+import (
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/db"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/testrig"
+)
+
+type TransTestSuite struct {
+	suite.Suite
+	db  db.DB
+	log *logrus.Logger
+}
+
+func (suite *TransTestSuite) SetupTest() {
+	suite.db = testrig.NewTestDB()
+	suite.log = testrig.NewTestLog()
+	testrig.StandardDBSetup(suite.db, nil)
+}
+
+func (suite *TransTestSuite) TearDownTest() {
+	testrig.StandardDBTeardown(suite.db)
+}
diff --git a/internal/trans/util.go b/internal/trans/util.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4ccc1a4b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/trans/util.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package trans
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+)
+
+func neatClose(f *os.File) error {
+	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error closing file: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}