Password Manager Migrator

Migrating password managers is one of the highest-stakes household data moves: do it wrong and you lose TOTP seeds, attachments, and folder structure — or silently drop accounts you won't notice for a year. The export formats don't map 1:1 (Bitwarden JSON has folders + TOTP; KeePass has groups + icons + history; Chrome CSV loses both), and every path has specific traps.

This skill builds the migration plan, never touching your secrets: it works from metadata (counts, formats) and produces checklists, worksheets, and the audit logic.

When to Use

• Switching managers (any direction among Bitwarden, 1Password, KeePass, Chrome/Safari, Proton Pass)
• Merging two vaults (personal + inherited, couple merge, work split)
• Post-migration audit: what didn't survive the import
• Deciding WHICH route: direct import vs CSV vs JSON

Don't use for: live secret values — nothing here ever needs your actual passwords. If a tool asks for them outside the manager itself, stop.

The Method

1. plan — from → to: the best route (native import > JSON > CSV), what transfers and what's LOST per hop, ordered steps with checkpoints, rollback point (keep the old vault read-only for 30 days).
2. worksheet — the field-mapping CSV template + precedence rules for duplicates (newer modified-date wins; conflicts flagged for manual review, never auto-merged silently).
3. totp — TOTP inventory + re-enrollment list: which sites' 2FA won't survive and must be re-enrolled BEFORE deleting anything.
4. audit — paste counts (pre/post item counts per type, duplicates found, weak flags) → verification verdict + residual-risk list.

Quick Start

# Bitwarden -> 1Password
python3 scripts/vault_migrate.py plan --from bitwarden --to 1password

# Merge two Bitwarden vaults (couple merge)
python3 scripts/vault_migrate.py plan --from bitwarden --to bitwarden --merge

# The TOTP trap list for Chrome CSV hop
python3 scripts/vault_migrate.py totp --via csv

# Post-migration numbers check
python3 scripts/vault_migrate.py audit --pre-logins 412 --post-logins 398 \
    --pre-notes 55 --post-notes 55 --pre-cards 9 --post-cards 9 \
    --duplicates 41 --weak-left 23

# Field mapping worksheet (CSV) for the hop
python3 scripts/vault_migrate.py worksheet --from keepass --to bitwarden

Stdlib-only Python 3. Offline. Zero network. Zero secrets.

Route Matrix (what the script encodes)

The Traps (ranked by pain)

1. TOTP seeds are one-shot. Exported seeds that fail to import are RECOVERABLE ONLY by re-enrolling each site (needs password + working 2FA). Inventory BEFORE deleting the old vault.
2. Chrome CSV drops TOTP + everything but URL/user/pass — fine as an intermediate, fatal as "the migration."
3. Attachments don't ride exports. Count them; they move manually or get re-added as secure notes/attachments.
4. Modified-date lies after CSV hops (export date replaces it) — breaks "newer wins" dedupe. Prefer JSON/native routes when merging.
5. Duplicate storm after merge. Import everything, dedupe INSIDE the target, never pre-dedupe two half-copies.
6. Old vault deleted too early. Keep read-only 30 days; the login you need in week 3 WILL be the one that didn't import.

Common Pitfalls

1. Doing the export on a machine you're about to wipe. Export + import
   • audit on stable hardware, then wipe.
2. Unencrypted JSON export left in Downloads. The export contains EVERYTHING in plaintext. Secure-delete it after verified import; never let it touch cloud sync folders.
3. Trusting the importer's success message. Count-based audit (pre vs post per type) is the only real verification.
4. Merging and migrating in one step. Two operations, two audits.
5. Ignoring password-based (not link-based) sharing entries — shared items need re-sharing from the new vault, they don't migrate.

Verification Checklist

• Export created (count items per type first — that's your pre-count)
• Import done into the TARGET with 2FA on the account already
• audit run with pre/post counts — deltas explained
• TOTP re-enrollment list worked through (each site: old code still valid → enroll new → verify → note it)
• Attachments count matches
• Plaintext export secure-deleted
• Old vault kept read-only 30 days, calendar reminder set
• One real login test per category (bank, email, shopping)

References

• references/route-matrix.md — full per-hop details, per-manager export menu paths, importer quirks, encrypted-export options
• references/audit-worksheet.md — the dedupe precedence rules, TOTP re-enrollment protocol, merge conflict workflow, 30-day cutover plan