How to Change the Product Import and Export Delimiter in WooCommerce?

Delimiters are unique characters that separate the data items in a text string or code. Any file exported with product details from a WooCommerce store, by default, will have a comma (‘,’) as the delimiter. In this article, we are going to look at how you can change the WooCommerce product import export delimiter while importing and exporting products using the free WooCommerce export products plugin.

You may need to change the data delimiter or separator while importing or exporting your product data. This may be to help the data interpreter parse and process the file without triggering any security issues.

Moreover, the delimiter used to handle the files may change between regions. For example, the default list separator for Excel in US English is a comma, but it is a semicolon when using other international languages. This creates a need for changing the delimiter in the files to be exported.

Having said that, let’s get started.

A delimiter is a character or string that separates one piece of data from another within a file. You can think of it as a punctuation mark that tells a system where one piece of information ends and another begins.

When importing data, specifying a delimiter helps the system understand how to divide the data into fields and columns. Similarly, when exporting data, selecting a delimiter ensures that the exported data is properly formatted correctly for readability.

• Better Data organization – Using delimiters while importing and exporting data helps keeps data organized. They break data into distinct units, making it easier to understand and analyze.

• Efficient Data Processing – Delimiters make data parsing more efficient by breaking up long strings of text into manageable pieces, which simplifies interpretation for computers and software programs.

• Error Reduction – Properly setting delimiters when exporting or importing product data can significantly minimize the risk of errors or losses occurring during data entry and processing.

So, why would you need to change the delimiter in your WooCommerce CSV file? Great question! While commas are the default and work in most cases, there are a few specific situations where switching things up makes your life a lot easier.

Let’s look at the most common ones:

1. You’re Importing a File from a Different Region

If you’re working with a supplier or partner from Europe (especially countries like Germany, France, or Spain), there’s a good chance their CSV files use semicolons (;) instead of commas as the delimiter.

If you try to import one of these files using the default comma setting, WooCommerce might get confused, mixing up price fields, cutting off text, or placing everything in the wrong column. By simply changing the delimiter setting to a semicolon, you can fix all that.

2. Your Spreadsheet Tool Isn’t Reading the File Correctly

Sometimes, the issue isn’t WooCommerce—it’s your spreadsheet program.

Programs like Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc might misread comma-delimited files, especially if your computer’s language settings use commas for decimals. You might open a file and see everything dumped into one column—or worse, fields breaking up incorrectly.

Changing the delimiter to something more unique, like a pipe (|) or tab, can help you open and edit your file without weird formatting issues.

3. You’re Integrating with a Third-Party System

Sometimes, the system you’re sending your product data to or receiving it from requires a specific format.

• Maybe your POS system only accepts tab-delimited files.
• Or your ERP software prefers semicolons.
• Or a plugin you’re using expects pipes instead of commas.

WooCommerce enables you to specify the delimiter used in the import file. Here is how you can do that.

1. On your WordPress admin panel, go to WooCommerce > Products > Import.

2. Upload the CSV or TXT file and click on Show advanced options.
3. You may change the delimiter in the CSV Delimiter field.

4. Now, map the fields in the file to those in your WooCommerce store and proceed. 

5. Click on Run the importer to import the file.

If you have selected the correct delimiter, the import process will be completed without any errors.

You may also use the free plugin Product Import Export for WooCommerce to change the delimiter while importing products. This plugin’s advantage is that it allows you to specify the delimiter during the export process, too. This eliminates the need to manually change the file delimiter before it can be imported to WordPress.

The Product Import Export plugin for WooCommerce is one of the best-performing free WooCommerce plugins for moving products across websites. The plugin lets you specify the delimiter used in the file before importing it to your store.

Take a look at the following steps to understand how you can do that.

1. Install and activate the free WebToffee plugin to import and export WooCommerce products.
2. Go to WebToffee Import Export (Basic) > Import.
3. Select the post type to import as a Product from the drop-down.
4. You can then select the import method as Advanced Import and then upload the CSV file with the product details.
5. In the ‘Delimiter’ dropdown, choose the character used to separate values in your CSV file. This could be a comma, semicolon, tab, space, or any other character, depending on how your file is formatted.

6. You may now select product fields to be imported and map them with the respective fields in WooCommerce. The plugin might auto-identify and map the fields for you in most cases, so you will only have to confirm the selections before moving forward. 

7. Now, set up the advanced settings if required and click on Import.

The plugin will import the products and their respective data to your WooCommerce console.

The same free product export plugin can also be used to change the delimiter of the export file. Let’s take a look at how to choose the delimiter using the plugin.

1. Go to WebToffee Import Export (Basic) > Export.
2. Select the export post type as Product.

3. You should then select the product export method. Let’s select Quick export and click on the button Advanced options/Batch export.

4. You can now choose a delimiter from the Delimiter field drop-down.
5. Once the required delimiter is chosen, you can click on Export.

This will export a CSV file with semicolons instead of commas as the delimiter. Here is a sample CSV file with the semicolon as the delimiter.

The WebToffee Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce offers a powerful and flexible solution to manage your product data efficiently. Whether you’re migrating products between sites or updating product details in bulk, this plugin provides intuitive tools to handle the process with ease.

With features like quick import/export, advanced settings, and the ability to reuse saved templates, it simplifies repetitive tasks and boosts productivity.

Key Features

• Multiple Import/Export Methods: Choose between quick import/export for simple tasks or advanced options for granular control.
• Reusable Configurations: Save your import/export settings as templates and reuse them to streamline future operations.

Plugin Versions

Free

The free version of the plugin allows you to:

• Import and Export Basic Product Types: Includes simple, grouped, and external/affiliate products.
• Use CSV File Format: Compatible with CSV files for both import and export operations.
• Apply Filters and Customizations: Easily extract specific product data using built-in filters and settings.

This version is ideal for users with basic product management needs.

Premium

The premium version unlocks more advanced capabilities, including:

• Support for Additional Product Types: Import and export variable products, subscriptions, and custom product types.
• Expanded File Format Compatibility: In addition to CSV, it supports XML, TSV, XLS, and XLSX formats.
• Advanced Filters and Scheduling:
  • Use enhanced filtering options to fine-tune your data selection.
  • Schedule imports and exports to run automatically at predefined intervals.

This version is best suited for users with complex WooCommerce setups or large product catalogs.

When managing an online retail store built on WooCommerce, there may be instances where adjusting the file delimiter becomes necessary. This could be due to various reasons such as regional formatting preferences or compatibility with external systems that require specific delimiter formats.

Regardless of the delimiter you need—be it a comma, semicolon, tab, or pipe—the Product Import Export Plugin by WebToffee offers the flexibility to accommodate it. With its intuitive interface and customizable options, it becomes easy to change the WooCommerce product import export delimiter to suit your specific requirements. Whether you’re exporting product data for bulk editing or importing inventory updates, the plugin ensures smooth handling of different file structures.

We hope this article has provided you with useful insights into modifying delimiters in import/export files. If you have any questions, experiences, or suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments below.