How to Import/Export Custom Content Types in SharePoint 2010 using Powershell

Let us first create two files of which the file names and content will be as follows:

1. File Name: CTypes.ps1. This file contains the script to export existing site content types (From: http://apps-d/myApp and Content types group: My Custom Content Types ) into an XML script (To: D:\Development\SharePoint\MYAPP\Scripts\Script-SiteContentTypes.xml)

$sourceWeb = Get-SPWeb http://apps-d/myApp
$xmlFilePath = "C:\Script-SiteContentTypes.xml"

#Create Export File
New-Item $xmlFilePath -type file -force

#Export Content Types to XML file
Add-Content $xmlFilePath ""
Add-Content $xmlFilePath "`n"
$sourceWeb.ContentTypes ForEach-Object {
if ($_.Group -eq "My Custom Content Types") {
Add-Content $xmlFilePath $_.SchemaXml
}
}
Add-Content $xmlFilePath ""

$sourceWeb.Dispose()

2. File Name: Import.ps1. This file contains the script to import the content types into http://206137l/MyApp from XML script (To: C:\Script-SiteContentTypes.xml)

$destWeb = Get-SPWeb http://206137l/MyApp
$xmlFilePath = "D:\Development\SharePoint\MYAPP\Scripts\Script-SiteContentTypes.xml"
#Create Site Content Types
$ctsXML = [xml](Get-Content($xmlFilePath))
$ctsXML.ContentTypes.ContentType ForEach-Object {

#Create Content Type object inheriting from parent
$spContentType = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.SPContentType ($_.ID,$destWeb.ContentTypes,$_.Name)

#Set Content Type description and group
$spContentType.Description = $_.Description
$spContentType.Group = $_.Group

$_.Fields.Field ForEach-Object {
if(!$spContentType.FieldLinks[$_.DisplayName])
{
#Create a field link for the Content Type by getting an existing column
$spFieldLink = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFieldLink ($destWeb.Fields[$_.DisplayName])

#Check to see if column should be Optional, Required or Hidden
if ($_.Required -eq "TRUE") {$spFieldLink.Required = $true}
if ($_.Hidden -eq "TRUE") {$spFieldLink.Hidden = $true}

#Add column to Content Type
$spContentType.FieldLinks.Add($spFieldLink)
}
}

#Create Content Type on the site and update Content Type object
$ct = $destWeb.ContentTypes.Add($spContentType)
$spContentType.Update()
write-host "Content type" $ct.Name "has been created"
}

$destWeb.Dispose()

3. Then open up SharePoint 2010 Management Shell in Administrative mode and change the directory to the script folder (i.e. D:\Development\SharePoint\MYAPP\Scripts). Then, run those scripts together with the folder location (i.e. D:\Development\SharePoint\MYAPP\Scripts\ CTypes.ps1 and D:\Development\SharePoint\MYAPP\Scripts\ Import.ps1)

Then, if we go to the new site, we will see that the content types have been imported successfully.