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Moving products to WooCommerce doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right tools, you can import everything quickly and error-free.
So, you decided to move your online store. With so many products to transfer, it might seem a bit overwhelming. There are obvious difficulties with migrating products and their particulars. But no worries.
We’re here to make the migration process smooth and stress-free. Our Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce plugin is a lifesaver in this process, handling the heavy lifting of data transfer with the least chance of errors. It essentially simplifies and automates the migration process.
If your products are organized in a spreadsheet as a CSV file, our plugin makes importing them to your WooCommerce store fast and easy, saving you valuable time and effort.
In this article, we’ll show you how to import products from a CSV file to your WooCommerce store using our Product Import Export plugin. Let’s get started.
Key Takeaways:
- Plugins simplify eCommerce data migration by automating tasks and minimizing errors, ensuring a smooth transition.
- WebToffee’s WooCommerce Product Importer Plugin makes the import process hassle-free with its advanced options to filter, map, and transfer data.
Transferring your WooCommerce products can occur for several reasons. One reason is that you have switched to a new platform and don’t want to start from scratch.
Migration, like importing data, ensures that your products and their linked particulars, such as descriptions, pricing, images, etc., get smoothly carried over to the new platform. And plugins are the right option to save your day. Here’s how they ease the data migration process:
- Automates Tasks – Plugins like our Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce take the manual effort out of migration. You can set conditions for imports, selectively choose products, and have them automatically transfer product data. This frees you more time to focus on other aspects of your store or migration.
- Zero Coding Required – Plugins feature easily navigable interfaces that guide you through the migration step-by-step. You don’t need coding or technical expertise, as plugins have clearly defined pathways that make the process smooth and hassle-free.
- Error-free – Plugins are designed to handle extensive product data sets, ensuring quick imports with minimal downtime while keeping your product inventory intact. There’s no need to manually enter product data, which reduces errors and missing information.
Once you have your CSV file ready, follow the steps below to import products to WooCommerce using the free WooCommerce product import export plugin.
How to Import WooCommerce Products Using the Free Plugin?
Once you have your CSV file ready, follow the steps below to import products to WooCommerce using the free WooCommerce product import export plugin.
Note: When using our Product Import Export Plugin, make sure your input CSV file is encoded in UTF-8 format for a flawless and accurate import of your products. For more info, check out our documentation on UTF-8 encoding of CSV files.
Step 1: Install & Activate WebToffee Product Importer Plugin
- From your WordPress dashboard side panel, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin.
- In the search bar, enter “Product Import Export for WooCommerce.”
- Click Install. Once done, Activate the plugin on your WordPress dashboard.
Step 2: Select Product as Post Type
Now that the plugin is active, a new menu, WebToffee Import Export (Basic), will appear on your admin panel’s sidebar.
So, let’s look at how to import products to your store. For this:
- Go to – WebToffee Import Export (Basic) > Import in the admin side panel.
- Select the post type as Product and click Select import method.
Step 3: Choose an Import Method
Next, select the method for importing your products. There are two options: Quick import and Advanced import.
You can use the Quick import option if you have used the same plugin to export the input file. Here, let’s focus on the Advanced import method, which has advanced options that give you more control over the import process.
- Now, drag and drop or upload the input CSV file.
- From the Delimiter drop-down, select a character (e.g., comma, semi-colon, tab) to separate columns in the CSV file.
- Then click the Map import columns button to proceed.
Step 4: Reorder Columns of Products CSV File
Now, you need to map the import column headers of the input CSV file to match the WooCommerce product fields.
Columns are matched automatically if a matching header name is found in the input CSV file. If the input file header lacks an exact name or if you need to change any mapping, you can do so by:
- Clicking the file columns and choosing a header name from the drop-down.
- Once done, click on Advanced options/Batch import.
You can also fix and update a particular mapping field for your products. To learn more, check out our documentation.
Note: It’s important to map the different product fields correctly and in the right format. Verify that all the necessary fields are correctly mapped to avoid any errors or issues during the import process.
Step 5: Advanced Options for Importing Products to WooCommerce
Next, there are a range of options that you can decide on:
- Update the existing products in your store.
- Import new products from the input file.
- Set the number of products to import in a single batch.
You can choose to skip these and proceed to the next step. You can also save the steps that you used to import products as a template.
- Click Save template to save your import configuration for future use. This way, you can reuse the template without setting it up manually the next time.
- Once done, click Import to import your WooCommerce products from a CSV file.
That’s it. After the import is completed, a pop-up will appear showing the import status, such as the number of successful imports and any failed imports.
Import WooCommerce Products Using the Product Import Export Plugin (Pro)
Opting for the pro version of the Product Import Export plugin unlocks more advanced features for exporting your product data than those offered in the free version.
Although the steps for the import process remain the same, the premium version gives you more control over product import with features like:
- Support for importing variable and subscription products
- Import custom fields (meta), third-party plugin fields, and hidden meta
- Ability to import files from Excel, CSV, XML, and TSV formats
- Advanced filtering and customization options
- Support for product import via FTP/SFTP
- Schedule automatic imports using WordPress/Server Cron
The plugin accepts CSV files saved in standard UTF-8 format. Your file should include column headers such as product name, SKU, price, description, and category. You can also include optional fields like stock quantity, attributes, or product images. If your file is already organized in Excel or Google Sheets, simply export it as a CSV and it will work.
The free version supports importing simple products. If you need to import variable, grouped, subscription, or other advanced product types, you’ll need the Pro version of the plugin. This ensures that stores with complex catalogs can still manage everything without manual entry.
Yes. You can include product image URLs in your CSV file. The plugin will fetch and attach them automatically to the correct product. If you have multiple images for a product, you can add them in the CSV separated by a delimiter. For best results, make sure image URLs are publicly accessible before running the import.
If a product with the same SKU already exists, the plugin gives you options. You can choose to:
– Skip duplicates
– Update existing products with new data
– Overwrite fields completely
This flexibility means you can safely use CSV import for both new uploads and bulk updates without risking duplicate records.
There is no fixed limit set by the plugin. However, very large product catalogs (thousands of items) can be affected by your server’s PHP and memory settings. To handle big catalogs smoothly:
– Split your CSV into smaller files (e.g. 2,000–3,000 rows each).
– Use the batch import option if available.
For high-volume stores, the Pro version offers advanced features like scheduled imports and faster processing.
Wrapping Up
When moving to another platform, you must import products and all their particulars into your online store. If you have a large product catalog, these import migrations can be laborious and time-consuming.
That’s where the right plugin makes all the difference. Our Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce is built to simplify this task, making your product import smoother and quick.
We hope this article has provided you with a clear understanding of the steps involved in importing your products. We also encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation.
You can refer to our detailed documentation for more information.
Comments (15)
Khalid Siddiqui
July 26, 2020
Hello
I used free version, but somehow its not picking up all the attributes mentioned in my CSV, but only few 3-4 out of total 13 attributes I have.
Can anyone help me why this is happening? If I buy premium version, so will that pick up ALL OF THE attributes?
Alan
July 27, 2020
Hi,
Could you please share with us your importing CSV file via support so that we can check it. Our support team will follow you up from there.
Steve
May 9, 2020
Hello, Steve here again,
i used free version and imported csv files nicely, featured import also solved, but now i want to know how to import Upsell Related products (i assume SKU separated by something, but i dont know what).. Can you give me advice?
Also, i have noticed that premium version can delete all products that are present in the product list but not present in the csv file. Am i correct? If so, i would gladly buy it.
Everything else works fine, if anyone else wants to know, for the free plugin.
Thanx again
Alan
May 14, 2020
Hi,
Importing upsells using SKU is one of our premium features. You may have a look at the premium version of the plugin for it. To separate the SKU in the upsell column you may please use the pipe symbol( | ).
Yes, using the premium version of the plugin you can delete the existing products that are not present in the CSV file.
Steve
April 22, 2020
Hello
when i try to import products, i run into problem with Featured mark… it sets all to Non featured, and it is the same when i set Featured to 1 or Yes…. Is there any other option i do not know about, since its visibility thing, or i have to buy premium for that?
Alan
April 23, 2020
Hi,
Please use the column tax:product_visibility to import the products as featured. You may please specify “featured” in the tax:product_visibility column in order to import a product as a featured product.
Santiago
July 3, 2020
We are specifying “featured” in the tax:product_visibility and when the Import or Merge is done, none of the products are Featured. When we export the products again, the tax:product_visibility column on the “featured” products reads “exclude_from_catalog|exclude_from_search”
Alan
July 8, 2020
Hi,
Please reach us via support. Our support team will follow you up from there.
Juan Pedro
August 27, 2019
Hi,
I am using the free plugin for testing in my new web.
When i try to import a cvs aroun 400 itme, it only import me 10 items. Is this fixed on premiun?
Alan
August 27, 2019
Hi,
There is no limit on the number of products that can be imported using the basic version of the plugin. The issue you are facing might be due to some issue on the site or with the importing CSV file. Please share us the CSV file you are importing via support.
Our support team will follow you up from there.
Lena
July 10, 2019
I am also thinking about making a purchase of this product. However, I can’t get my images to import with the csv records.
https://www.cabochonsandmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2018100a
Alan
July 11, 2019
Hi,
Using both the premium/basic version of the plugin you can import images to the products using CSV file. Kindly make sure that the image URL specified in the CSV file is publically accessible and points directly to the image. If you are still having any issues with importing product images please share us the CSV file via support.
Gary
May 18, 2019
I am thinking of purchasing this plugin but I have two very important questions:
1) I use Polylang. Each product has an English and Chinese version. Is your plugin compatible with PolyLang? FOr example, when I import products, can I select which language each product belongs to?
2) One product could belong to multiple categories. When I import, can I assign multiple categories to this product?
Alan
May 19, 2019
Hi,
1. Yes, using the plugin you can import the products to English and Chinese language. You can import the products under a particular language by specifying the language code in the CSV file. You can go through the documentation on how to import multilingual products.
2. Yes, you can import a product under multiple categories by separating the categories using the pipe symbol. eg: Clothing|T-shirt|Mens.
Bob Woolnough
December 7, 2018
Hi, I have a plugin that gives a field in the inventory section of my products for a Barcode. This field does not appear in the import mapping section when attempting to import products.
Why is this please?