Import WooCommerce Product Categories

Importing product categories in WooCommerce is essential for efficient store organization, enhanced navigation, and SEO optimization. It saves time by allowing bulk category assignments, ensuring a structured and user-friendly shopping experience. Additionally, importing categories ensures consistency when migrating from another platform or updating product data. Import and export all the product categories of a WooCommerce store with the Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce. The plugin helps you to export and import product categories as a separate post type quickly and efficiently. To import WooCommerce product categories:

1. Select the post type as Product Categories.
2. Select an import method.
3. Map the import columns.
4. Use advanced options/ batch import and scheduling.

To import WooCommerce product categories, click on WebToffee Import/Export(Pro) > Import.

As a first step, you need to choose the post type as Product Categories.

Choose from the below options to continue with your import:

•  Quick import : Preferred if your input file was exported using the same plugin.
•  Pre-saved template : Retains the previous filter parameters and other column specifications as per the chosen file and imports data accordingly.
  This import method will be visible only if you satisfy both of these:

  • imported data using the Advanced import method in any of your previous imports.

  • saved the selections as a template for future use.
  Note: The template will be listed in the drop down only if you have saved it in previous imports, if you go through the Advanced import, at Step 4 you will get an option to save the template. Once you save that, next time when you want to import a pre-saved template, it will be populated within the drop down.

The mapping screen of import process lets you to edit the column names if needed. The preferred names and choices that were last saved can be viewed by choosing a pre-saved template.

Evaluate field

This field is used to append a value/expression to an existing item while importing. It basically selects/maps any column from the input file, computes the values with expressions, and creates output.

• Expression: Any operators +*/-()&@ or string constants can be used along with the attributes to manipulate the respective value. 
• Input: Select the column from the dropdown which has to be modified.
• Output: Sample value will be created based on the first record from the input file.

• Click on Step 4 to proceed.

On reaching Step 4, the following window will appear, where you can either Skip or Update the entry if the category exists in the store. On expanding Advanced options, you can :

• Import in batches of: Specify the number of records the server will process for every iteration within the configured timeout interval.
  NOTE: If the import fails due to timeout, you can lower the batch count and try again.

• Save the template file for future imports as shown below(if needed).
  
• Click on Import/Schedule to finish. You can import the products directly into your store or schedule the import using FTP.

• To schedule the import, Hit the Schedule option, and you will be taken to the cron schedule window as shown below:

The plugin supports two different schedule types:

• WordPress Cron: Upon a visit, WordPress Cron will check to see if the time/date is later than the scheduled event/s, and if it is– it will fire those events.
  • Schedule your job at the specified time. 
  • Is dependent on your website visitors.
• Server Cron: You may need to trigger the URL every minute, depending on the volume of data to be processed. You can use this option :
  • To generate a unique URL that can be added to your system to trigger the events. 
  • If you have a separate system to trigger the scheduled events.
• Also, the import/export can be scheduled daily, weekly, monthly, or custom. One can also configure the time the import has to be scheduled.
• To import directly, hit the Import option. Once the import is completed, a pop-up will display the import status, which contains the number of successful imports and failed imports (if any). Following the steps mentioned above, you can easily export and import all the WooCommerce product categories.