Your WooCommerce store may rely on additional third-party plugins to manage features such as shipping services, dealer information, warranty data, or cost tracking. These plugins often add custom fields or metadata to your products.
When importing or exporting products, it’s essential to include these custom fields to ensure a complete and accurate data transfer. The Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce is designed to handle such metadata, enabling you to import and export all product information, including data added by external plugins.
In this article, we’ll walk through how the plugin manages third-party metadata during product import and export.
Add custom values for products
When a third-party plugin is active on your site, it may add a new custom field to the product edit page.
For example, after installing and activating the Cost of Goods plugin, an additional field named Cost of Good appears under the General tab while editing a product.
Specify a value in this custom field and click Update to save the product. You can now export this product along with its custom data.
Export custom field/data from third-party plugins
To export custom fields using the Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce, follow these steps:
- From your WordPress dashboard, go to:
WebToffee Import Export (Pro) → Export - Select the post type as Product.
2: Choose Export Method
You can choose either the Quick export method or the Advanced export method to include custom fields during export.
Pre-saved template is available only when you’ve previously saved a custom export configuration. It’s useful when you want to repeat the same export setup without manual reconfiguration.
Export custom field via Quick export method
- Select Quick Export as your export method.
- In the options, check:
Meta (custom fields) – includes standard WooCommerce custom fields.
Hidden meta – includes fields added by third-party plugins.
You can either directly download the CSV by clicking Export, or proceed to the next step for advanced options.
Export custom field via Advanced export method
- Select Advanced Export and proceed to Step 3.
- In Step 4, all available meta fields will be displayed under:
Meta (custom fields)
Hidden meta
- Locate and select the custom field you want to export.
- For example, if using the Cost of Goods plugin, select the field:
meta:_wc_cog_cost
- Proceed to Step 5 for any advanced options and click Export to finish.
For a detailed walkthrough, refer to: How to Export Products
Custom fields in a CSV file
Once the export is complete, a CSV file will be downloaded to your system. This file includes all the custom meta fields added by your third-party plugins.
- These meta fields will appear as additional columns at the end of the CSV file, after the standard WooCommerce fields.
- Each custom field is labeled using the format:
meta:your_custom_field_name
Example: meta:_wc_cog_cost
Import custom field data/metadata from third-party plugins
When importing product data that includes custom fields:
- WooCommerce requires the metadata to match the exact format used in the database.
- The recommended approach is to first export an existing product to get a sample CSV with correctly formatted headers.
- Fill in the necessary product data in that file and import it back into your store.
This method helps avoid compatibility issues and ensures all third-party metadata is correctly mapped.
For detailed import steps, refer to: How to Import Products
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Amit Goel
November 23, 2025
I’m currently using a geolocation plugin that automatically adds a geolocation section to the WooCommerce product page. However, when I export the product list as a CSV file, the geolocation field/column does not appear in the export.
Before I proceed, I wanted to confirm: Will your plugin work properly with the Geolocate plugin and include its geolocation field in the CSV file during product export/import?
If yes, which of your plugins should I use to achieve this functionality?
Yuval
December 1, 2025
Hi Amit,
Thank you for reaching out. The Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce can export and import custom meta fields added by third-party plugins only if those fields are stored as standard product meta. If the Geolocate plugin saves data there, you’ll find its fields listed under Hidden meta during export.
If the plugin stores data elsewhere (like in a custom table), it won’t be automatically detected. In that case, please contact our support team for possible workarounds or to confirm compatibility.
Jeret
November 5, 2025
I’m specifically trying to import/export jetengine meta fields, but not seeing those fields under hidden meta. Is there something I’m missing?
Yuval
November 6, 2025
Hi Jeret,
Please try exporting an existing product first to get a sample CSV. This file will include the correctly formatted headers for all available meta fields. You can then use that same file as a reference — fill in your JetEngine meta data following the same format and import it back. This ensures the fields are properly recognized and mapped.
If you still don’t see the JetEngine fields or face any issues, please reach out to our support team.
javier
March 9, 2023
Hi.
Does this plugin export/import data from Booster.io plugin?, Need to import 2 currencies set in every product.
THanks
Vineetha
March 31, 2023
Hi Javier,
Thanks for reaching out. If the data created using the third party plugin is stored as metadata along with the product details, then it can be exported by enabling the Hidden metadata option in the premium version of the plugin. You can then use the export file as a template to import data back.
Rob
October 7, 2022
I am using Export/Import pro and when I import my products with custom fields the product is showing the data in the back end but will not show on front end until I have physically updated the product by going into the product and clicking ‘update’. This would not be a problem if I had only 100 items but I have 5,000 +items and clearly I cannot go into each one and click update. Am I doing something wrong or is this a known issue please?
Alan
October 13, 2022
Hi,
Can you please try adding the below code snippet to your site and try importing and check if the issue is resolved or not?
add_action('wt_woocommerce_product_import_inserted_product_object','wt_woocommerce_product_import_inserted_product_object',10,2);function wt_woocommerce_product_import_inserted_product_object($object, $data) {
$product = wc_get_product( $object->get_id() );
$product->save();
}
TSH
January 6, 2022
I have an additional field that users select a profession from radio buttons at checkout. Does this plugin allow me to export the result?
Alan
January 6, 2022
Hi,
Are you required to export the selection made by the customers to the product export CSV? If yes then we would like to let you know that this data might be stored with the order details and not with product details.
JUNE TOMAS PERIDO MORADO
October 20, 2021
How can I add custom field from a third party plugin in my order import? I can see the field I like to import in Customer import.
Mark
October 25, 2021
Hi,
If you are using any third-party plugin to create custom data fields to orders it will be stored as metadata. You may please export the order with the option Hidden meta checked in the export mapping and the custom metadata fields will be included in the exported CSV. Later on, you can use the same exported CSV as a template to import data back.
JOYSON
July 22, 2021
can I enable this option in the basic version (free version) of the plugin
Mark
July 25, 2021
Hi Joyson,
This option is currently available only in the premium version of the plugin. Please purchase the premium to enjoy advanced features.
Daniel Tran
March 10, 2021
Can I export the product customization data that were added by the Extra Product Options (Product Addons) for WooCommerce and Customily app?
Alan
March 16, 2021
Hi,
Yes, you can export the product customisation using the plugin by enabling the Hidden metadata option while exporting.
maria
August 6, 2020
hi, i am considering to buy premium version. but can you import/export ACF custom field on the review section?
Alan
August 7, 2020
Hi,
You can export the custom fields by enabling the Include hidden metadata option in the export page of the plugin. Later on, you can use the same exported CSV file as a template to import custom fields.
Per
July 1, 2020
I’ve got the premium version installed and I can export with the meta data of a GTIN CODE (meta:_wpm_gtin_code) but when I import the same CSV this field does not show in the mapping section?
pnap
May 4, 2020
hi.
i can’t export from custom fields products.
Alan
May 5, 2020
Hi,
You can export custom fields of the products by enabling the include hidden metadata option during export. If you are still having the issue then please reach us via support.
McDavis
March 8, 2020
Can I import a csv that already contains metadata from a third-party plugin? will it still map as expected? Thanks
Alan
March 9, 2020
Hi,
For the metadata to be imported from CSV the correct meta key name has to be used as the column header name. Only if the meta key name is used as the column header name the metadata column will be mapped and imported. We will suggest you export the products first with the include hidden metadata option enabled so that the column with the correct meta key name will be exported to the CSV. Later on, you may please use the same exported CSV file as a template to import data back.
Shumaila ali
August 5, 2019
i can upload custom fields using import however the format is working with woocommerce import
Vincent Mahe
July 22, 2019
Hello,
I used ACF extension to add some custom fields to my products and unfortunately I can’t export those fields with your extension.
And the screen capture you have in your page seems to be erroneous now because there is no more checkbox named “Include hidden meta data” in the export page.
Alan
July 23, 2019
Hi,
Kindly make sure that you are having the premium version of the plugin installed on your site to have the include hidden metadata option while exporting the products. If you are having the issue with the include hidden metadata option in the premium version of the plugin then please reach us via support.