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  2. Introduction to Product CSV Import Suite

Introduction to Product CSV Import Suite

The Product CSV Import Suite WooCommerce extension lets you import and export products to and from WooCommerce. It streamlines the process of importing large quantities of products using a single file. You can import hundreds, even thousands, of products using one file.

Product CSV Import Suite captures custom field information, without requiring custom code, so you can include extra information in your imports and exports. Beyond this – you can import information into any custom taxonomies, so you can add or update all the data about your products.

Moreover, if your store has a lot of products, you may run into challenges exporting all of them at once. With Product CSV Import Suite, you can set a limit on how many you’d like to export or skip exporting the first few rows of products, to make your exports more manageable.

Getting Started

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To import your products you’ll need to create a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file. CSVs are plain text representations of tabular data, allowing you to create your product data in spreadsheet programs like Numbers, or Google Spreadsheets. you have a text file with all of your data that is in a simple format for import.

Note: A core product import/export feature is built into WooCommerce. In the long term, this extension will be phased out and its features and functionality included directly in WooCommerce. Until then, Product CSV Import Suite offers the benefits below.

How does it work?

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Product CSV Import Suite goes beyond the basic import / export tool available in WooCommerce to support more extensions, including Product Vendors, WooCommerce Photography, and Google Product Feed.

The plugin takes your CSV and maps the columns to the fields that you would normally complete through the WordPress Admin Screens. For example, the post_title column is mapped to your product name, which uses the post title field; the price field is mapped to the price you set for your product.

For the plugin to work correctly, all of the column headers must be correct, and all of the fields you fill in must be in the correct format. If there are any deviations, the import may fail.

Notes on Formatting CSVs

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When you create your CSV, there are some rules you need to follow. This will ensure that your text file has the correct structure for uploading:

  1. Each Product must be on a new row.
  2. The first row must include the column headers. This enables to plugin to map the fields correctly.
  3. Taxonomies, Attributes, and Images support multiple items. Separate these with a pipe “|” character.

Create your CSV

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The best way to create the perfect CSV for your shop is:

  1. Add all of the plugins and extensions you need, add any custom fields to your products if required
  2. Create a product with all of the information you are going to use
  3. Export this product (make sure you tick the hidden fields check box)
  4. Open the exported CSV file and delete the product ID column

Now you have the perfect product CSV file template for your shop!

Usage

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The CSV Import Suite offers versatile functionalities catering to various needs:

Column Header Reference

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You can access the list of available column headers here required for Product CSV Import Suite.

Compatibility and Integrations

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Product CSV Import Suite is compatible and has been tested to work with the extensions listed in the Compatibility and Integrations documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Having problems? See our FAQ doc.

Questions and Support

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Do you still have questions and need assistance? 

  • Get in touch with a Happiness Engineer via our Help Desk. We provide support for extensions developed by and/or sold on WooCommerce.com, and Jetpack/WordPress.com customers.
  • If you are not a customer, we recommend finding help on the WooCommerce Support Forum or hiring a WooExpert agency. They are trusted agencies with a proven track record of building highly customized, scalable online stores. Learn more about WooExpert agencies.