How to Automate Product Import Export in WooCommerce

Manually importing and exporting WooCommerce products is overwhelming. That’s why automating the process with automatic import/export is a lifesaver! This article will guide you through scheduling product imports and exports in WooCommerce, helping you save time and effort.

Managing WooCommerce products manually can quickly become daunting, especially as your store expands. Handling data imports and exports manually is labor-intensive and error-prone. Automating these processes in WooCommerce can simplify your workflow and enhance efficiency. Whether dealing with hundreds or thousands of products, automation will help you reclaim valuable time and effort.

The easiest way to do this is with plugins. With just a few clicks, you can effortlessly schedule your import and export processes. There are numerous plugins, but we will highlight one of the top choices in this article: the Product Import Export plugin by WebToffee.

Using this effective tool, we will guide you through an easy, step-by-step process to automate and schedule product imports and exports.

Manually updating your WooCommerce products might work if you have just a few items, but once your store grows, it can quickly become time-consuming and error-prone. That’s where automation comes in handy.

Here are some common situations where automating product import/export makes a big difference:

Regular Inventory Updates from Suppliers

If you rely on suppliers who frequently send updated product files with new stock levels, prices, or product details, automation ensures those changes are reflected in your store without you having to lift a finger each time.

Syncing with External Systems (ERP, POS, or Dropshipping Tools)

Many businesses use external systems like ERP software or Point of Sale (POS) tools. With automation, you can keep your WooCommerce store in sync with these systems by automatically importing or exporting product data on a set schedule.

Bulk Updates in Multi-Vendor or Multilingual Stores

Running a multi-vendor marketplace or a multilingual store often means dealing with a lot of product data. Automation allows you to make bulk updates across the board — no more wasting hours manually editing spreadsheets.

We will use the premium version of the Product Import Export Plugin by WebToffee. 

The Product Import Export plugin is one of the most advanced and feature-rich tools available for WooCommerce. Beyond its powerful import and export capabilities, its scheduling feature truly stands out. With built-in automation, you can set up recurring import and export jobs to run daily, weekly, or monthly, as needed for your workflow. This means your product data stays consistently updated without any manual intervention. Once scheduled, the plugin handles everything in the background, ensuring accuracy, saving time, and keeping your store synced with external systems or marketplaces effortlessly.

Now, let’s delve into the process of automating the export of products in your WooCommerce store. 

Before we begin, make sure you have purchased the premium version of this Product Import Export Plugin. Refer to this documentation on installing and activating the plugin. 

Step 1: Select Product as Post type for Export

Once you have completed the installation and activation,

• Go to WebToffee Import Export (Pro) > Export from your WordPress dashboard.
• From the dropdown menu, choose Product as the post type to export.

Then, proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Select Advanced Export Method

There are two types of export methods: Quick export and Advanced export.

Let’s choose Advanced export as the export method.

Then proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Filter Product Data for Export

Here, you have different product export filters. You can choose to include or exclude specific products for export.

After choosing the product filters, proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Map and Reorder Export Columns

From here, you can manually rearrange the columns in the export file using the drag-and-drop handle.

Step 5: Advanced Export Options

Here, we have some advanced export options.

• Enter an Export file name.
• Choose an Export file format.
• Enable the FTP/SFTP export option and select an FTP profile from the dropdown. 

If you have not added an FTP profile, click on the + Add new profile button to add a new FTP profile.

This will open a window where you can enter all the necessary details to create a new FTP profile.

• Click Add new, then fill in the details: Profile name, FTP username, FTP Port, FTP Server Host/IP, and FTP Password.
• Select whether you want to export using the Default export path specified in the FTP profile.
• Click on Test FTP and Save settings.

• Afterwards, click on Export/Schedule and then select Schedule.

Both Server Cron and WordPress Cron are used for scheduling and automating website tasks, but they work differently.

The main difference between Server Cron and WordPress Cron is that Server Cron is executed at the system level, while WordPress Cron is executed within the WordPress environment. Server Cron is generally considered more reliable, as it does not depend on user traffic to trigger task execution.

However, WordPress Cron is easier to use, as it is built into WordPress and does not require any server-level configuration.

• After choosing the required Cron, enter a file name and select an interval and start time to automate the process.
• Then, click on Schedule Now.

This will then schedule the import process for the set time and interval.

Automating the product import process in WooCommerce is similar to the export process. Follow the below steps to automate product import in WooCommerce.

Step 1: Select Product as Post Type for Import

• Go to WebToffee Import Export (Pro) and select Products as the post type to import.

Now, proceed to the second step.

Step 2: Select Quick Import Method

Now, choose an import method from here.

• You can either choose Quick import or Advanced import. Let’s choose Quick import here.
• Then, choose Local as the import location.
• Now, upload the products file to import the products.
• Choose a Delimiter and Date format.
• Click the Advanced options/Batch import/Scheduling button.

Step 3: Advanced Import Options

Here, you can update existing products, set batch import limits, or schedule imports. You can also save the template for future use.

After choosing the necessary options, select Schedule from the Import/Schedule button.

• Choose the schedule type as either WordPress Cron or Server Cron.
• Then, select an interval and start time to schedule the import and export process.
• Click on Schedule now to schedule the process.

Once you save the configuration, the import process will be scheduled to run automatically at the time and frequency you selected. From that point on, the plugin takes over completely – retrieving the file, processing the data, and updating your store without any manual involvement. This ensures your product information stays fresh and accurate, even if you’re not actively managing it.

The automation runs reliably in the background, giving you more time to focus on other important tasks.

Automating product imports and exports can save you tons of time, but to make sure everything runs smoothly, it’s important to follow some smart practices. Here’s how to keep your automated workflows reliable and error-free.

Validate File Formats and Test Mappings

Before enabling automation, double-check the file format you’re using (e.g., CSV, XML, XLS) and ensure it matches your field mapping in WooCommerce.

• Run a manual test import/export with a small sample file first.
• Ensure that fields such as product name, SKU, price, stock, and categories are aligned correctly. This helps prevent messy data issues or mismatched values in your store.

Schedule During Off-Peak Hours

To avoid performance issues or store slowdowns, set your import/export schedules during low-traffic hours, typically late at night or early in the morning.

• This ensures that your customers aren’t affected by any processing delays.
• It also reduces server load and minimizes the risk of timeouts or failed jobs.

Keep Backups of Imported/Exported Data

Always keep a backup copy of your files, especially before importing large batches.

• You’ll have something to fall back on if something goes wrong.
• Consider using cloud storage or a backup plugin to automate this process. For exports, you can also keep versioned records to track changes over time.

Regularly Check Logs and Reports

Even with automation in place, things can occasionally go wrong — file structure changes, server issues, or new product attributes.

• Regularly review import/export logs to catch errors or skipped rows early.
• Look out for failed jobs, missing fields, or mapping mismatches.

In conclusion, the Product Import Export Plugin is a valuable tool for WooCommerce store owners. It simplifies the import-export process through automatic import/export, helping you save time and reduce errors. This plugin allows you to efficiently handle large volumes of product data without the burden of manual updates.

The WordPress Product Import Export plugin we mentioned in this article also has a free version. Although the free version includes some helpful features, the scheduling function is only accessible through the premium upgrade, which is worth considering if you’re looking to enhance your workflow even more.

We’d love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions you may have. Drop a comment below, and we’ll be happy to help!