How to Import & Export Woocommerce Products Using Excel

This article walks you through how to import and export your products in WooCommerce using an Excel file. Whether you’re updating product listings or adding new products, this method makes it simple to manage your product data in bulk.

Managing your WooCommerce store’s product data doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complex. With the ability to import and export products using an Excel file, you can streamline everything from bulk updates to adding new items.

Thankfully, there are plugins that simplify the WooCommerce product export import process, especially if they’re stored in an Excel file. This article will walk you through importing and exporting your WooCommerce products, making it easier than ever to keep your store organized and up to date with minimal effort.

Let’s get started.

Excel is one of the most widely used tools for organizing product data. Store owners, catalog managers, agencies, and marketplace teams often prefer spreadsheets because they make it easy to review and edit product information in bulk.

Instead of opening each WooCommerce product individually, you can manage hundreds or thousands of products in a structured spreadsheet and then import the changes into your store.

Here are the main benefits of using Excel for WooCommerce product management.

1. Bulk Product Updates Are Faster

If you need to update prices, stock quantities, product descriptions, categories, or SKUs, doing it manually can take hours. With Excel, you can edit product data in bulk and import the updated file into WooCommerce.

This is especially useful for:

• Seasonal price changes
• Bulk stock updates
• Catalog cleanups
• Product title or description edits
• Category restructuring
• Updating product images or image URLs

2. Excel Keeps Product Data Organized

Excel’s row-and-column format makes WooCommerce product data easier to review. Each row can represent a product, while each column contains a product field such as SKU, name, price, stock, category, or image URL.

This structure helps reduce confusion when managing large product catalogs.

3. You Can Create a Bidirectional Workflow

A WooCommerce Excel workflow is not just about exporting data. The real advantage is being able to move data both ways:

1. Export WooCommerce products to Excel.
2. Edit product details in the spreadsheet.
3. Import the updated Excel file back into WooCommerce.
4. Review the changes in your store.

This import + export workflow is ideal for stores that regularly update product information.

4. Plugins Make Excel Import Easier

WooCommerce does not natively support every advanced Excel import/export use case. A dedicated plugin like WebToffee Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce helps simplify the process by allowing you to map Excel columns to WooCommerce product fields, handle complex product types, and manage large product catalogs more efficiently.

To export WooCommerce products to an Excel file, you need the premium version of the WooCommerce Product Import Export plugin.

Before we begin, ensure you have purchased and downloaded the plugin file from My Accounts > Downloads on your WebToffee account.

Step 1: Install & Activate the Product Import Export Plugin

• From your WordPress admin console, navigate to Plugins > Add New Plugin.
• Click Upload Plugin, then upload the plugin file you downloaded.
• Click on Install Now and then Activate the plugin.

If you need help activating the import-export plugin, refer to this article.

Step 2: Select Product as Post Type to Export

After you have installed and activated the plugin, let’s see how the export process is carried out.

• Go to – WebToffee Import Export (Pro) > Export.
• Choose the post type as Product and proceed to select the export method.

Step 3: Choose Advanced Export Method

• Now select the method for exporting the products. You will have two options: Quick export and Advanced export.

• Let’s select Advanced export and proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Filter Product Data to Export

Here, you can customize the export by selecting the number of products to be exported and specifying which products, categories, or tags to include or exclude.

However, if you want to export all products, it’s best to skip these configurations and move to the next step.

Step 5: Map and Rename Export Columns

Here, you can decide which information to export and how to organize it. You can rearrange the product fields, rename the columns, and select specific fields to appear in the output export file.

Since we have to export the whole set of products, you can skip configuring and proceed directly to the next step. If you prefer to rename or rearrange any fields, you can do so before moving forward.

Step 6: Configure Advanced Export Options

This is the final step for exporting WooCommerce product data.

• Specify a file name for the export file.
• From the export file format dropdown, choose XLS or XLSX to export to Excel.
• Select the number of products to be exported in a single batch. By default, it’s set to 30.
• In the Delimiter drop-down, choose a separator (comma, semi-colon, tab, space) that differentiates columns in the CSV file.
• Click Export to export WooCommerce product data.

After completion, you will receive a prompt message to download the export file. Click the Download button to save the Excel file to your local storage.

You can see an image tab in the export file with a URL to download the images.

Here is a preview of the exported Excel file:

To import your WooCommerce products from an Excel file easily, follow these detailed steps:

Step 1: Select Product as Post Type for Import

From the dashboard,

• Go to Webtoffee Import Export (Pro) > Import.
• Select Product as post type to import from the drop-down list,
• Proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Choose Quick Import Method

There are two import methods available: quick import and advanced import. Both methods support the .xls file format for importing products.

• Let’s go with the Quick import option.
• Upload the .xls file to import and click the Import button.

After completing the import, review your products by going to Products > All Products. Ensure all the details have been correctly imported, and make any necessary adjustments.

If your WooCommerce Excel export is not working as expected, the issue is often related to file format, product data, plugin settings, or server limits. Here are common problems and how to fix them.

1. Export File Is Not Downloading

If the Excel export file does not download, try the following:

• Check whether the export process completed successfully.
• Reduce the export batch count and try again.
• Make sure your website has enough server memory for large exports.
• Disable conflicting plugins temporarily and test the export again.
• Check whether your browser is blocking downloads.

Large product catalogs may need smaller export batches to avoid timeout issues.

2. Exported Excel File Has Missing Product Data

If some fields are missing from the exported Excel file, review the export column mapping step.

Make sure you have selected the fields you want to export, such as:

• SKU
• Product name
• Price
• Stock
• Categories
• Images
• Attributes
• Variations

If you renamed or removed columns in a saved export template, update the template before exporting again.

3. Product Images Are Not Showing in the Excel File

WooCommerce product images are usually exported as image URLs, not embedded image files.

If product images are missing:

• Confirm that image fields were selected during export.
• Check whether the products have featured images or gallery images assigned.
• Make sure the image URLs are accessible.
• Verify that the image column was not removed during column mapping.

When importing products back into WooCommerce, image URLs should be valid and publicly accessible.

4. Variable Product Data Is Incomplete

Variable products require parent product data and variation data. If variations are missing or incomplete in the export file:

• Confirm that variation fields were included in the export.
• Check that attributes are properly configured in WooCommerce.
• Make sure parent and child variation relationships are preserved.
• Use an advanced export method rather than a minimal, quick export.

For stores with many variable products, always test with a small export before running a full catalog export.

5. Excel File Opens with Formatting Issues

If the exported file opens incorrectly in Excel or another spreadsheet tool:

• Confirm that the file format is XLS or XLSX.
• Try opening the file in a different spreadsheet application.
• Avoid manually changing file extensions.
• Re-export the file using the correct format.
• Check whether special characters or delimiters are affecting the file.

Using XLSX is usually recommended when working with modern versions of Excel.

Importing and exporting products are essential for any eCommerce store, and having the right tools can make all the difference. Plugins simplify these tasks, particularly when your product data is stored in an Excel file.

We hope this guide has given you a clear understanding of using the Product Import Export plugin for your needs. While the free version supports basic CSV imports and exports, the premium version is perfect for stores with large catalogs and complex variations.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below, and we will be happy to assist.

Here are some common questions users have about importing and exporting WooCommerce products using Excel.