PrimeLink – Import Export Suite

PrimeLink allows your WooCommerce store to import, export, synchronize, and automate WooCommerce data from multiple sources with full control and validation.

Requirements

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• WordPress: 5.8 or higher
• PHP: 8.0 or higher
• WooCommerce: 10.0 or higher (recommended)

Installation

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1. Download the .zip file from your WooCommerce account.
2. From the WordPress admin panel, click on the menu: Plugins > Add New.
3. Click on Upload Plugin and Choose File to upload the file you downloaded.
4. Install Now and Activate Plugin.
5. After activation, the plugin menu, PrimeLink – Import Export Suite will appear inside the main navigation menu in WooCommerce.

Getting Started

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PrimeLink is organized into these main sections:

1. Dashboard – Overview, statistics, and quick actions
2. Imports – Create and manage import jobs
3. Exports – Create and manage export jobs
4. Live Feed – Real-time synchronization between stores
5. Templates – Saved import/export configurations
6. Statistics – Detailed import/export history
7. Settings – Global plugin settings
8. System Status – Server and plugin health check

Settings Overview

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Navigate to WooCommerce → PrimeLink → Settings to configure:

General Settings:

• Default import/export options
• Notification preferences
• Performance settings

Integrations:

• Dropbox API token
• Google Drive API credentials
• OneDrive OAuth settings
• FTP/SFTP credentials

Advanced:

• Cron mode (WP-Cron vs External)
• Batch processing size
• Memory optimization
• Logging level

Quick Start: Your First Import

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Ready to import your first products? Follow these steps:

• Go to: WooCommerce→PrimeLink → Imports → New Import
• Select Import Type: Choose “Products”
• Follow the 8-step wizard:
  • Step 1: Welcome
  • Step 2: Select source (file, URL, cloud storage, or platform)
  • Step 3: Import strategy (new only, update only, or both)
  • Step 4: Filters and preview
  • Step 5: Field mapping
  • Step 6: Options and scheduling
  • Step 7: Review
  • Step 8: Run import

Quick Start: Your First Export

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To export your WooCommerce data:

1. Go to: WooCommerce→PrimeLink → Exports → New Export
2. Select Export Type: Choose what to export (products, orders, customers, etc.)
3. Configure:
   • Step 1: Select export type
   • Step 2: Field mapping (which fields to export)
   • Step 3: Format and destination (CSV, XML, XLSX)
4. Run Export

Field Mapping

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Learn how to map source data fields to WooCommerce fields using PrimeLink’s visual mapping interface

Field mapping is the process of connecting your source data fields to WooCommerce fields. PrimeLink provides a visual drag-and-drop interface that makes this process intuitive and efficient.

The mapping interface is divided into two panels: source fields on the left and WooCommerce target fields on the right. You can drag fields from left to right, configure transformations, and preview the results.

Mapping Interface

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Left Panel: Source Fields

The left panel displays all fields detected from your source data:

• All columns/fields from your CSV, XML, or XLSX file
• Search functionality to quickly find fields
• Refresh button to reload fields if source changes
• Fields are draggable – click and drag to map slots

Right Panel: WooCommerce Target Fields

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The right panel shows all available WooCommerce fields organized into sections:

• Collapsible sections for different field groups
• Search functionality to find target fields quickly
• Mapping slots where you drop source fields
• Visual indicators for mapped vs unmapped fields

Auto-Mapping

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Automatic Field Detection

PrimeLink can automatically map fields based on name similarity:

1. Click the Auto-Map button (if available)
2. PrimeLink will attempt to match source fields to WooCommerce fields
3. Review the auto-mapped fields and adjust as needed

Custom Aliases

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You can create custom field name aliases to improve auto-mapping:

• Configure aliases in field options
• Example: Map “title” to also recognize “name”, “product_name”, “title_sku”
• This helps when source fields use different naming conventions

Field Options and Transformations

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Accessing Field Options

Each mapped field has advanced options you can configure:

1. Click the Edit button on any mapped field
2. A modal or panel will open with field options
3. Configure transformations, prefixes, suffixes, and more
4. Save to apply the changes

Prefix and Suffix

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Add fixed text before or after field values:

• Prefix: Text added before the value (e.g., “SKU-” → “SKU-12345”)
• Suffix: Text added after the value (e.g., “-USD” → “99-USD”)

Default Values

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Set a fallback value if the source field is empty:

• Useful for required fields that might be missing in source data
• Example: Default stock status to “instock” if not provided

Separators

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For multi-value fields (like images or categories), specify how values are separated:

• Common separators: comma (,), semicolon (;), pipe (|)
• Example: “image1.jpg,image2.jpg,image3.jpg” → splits into 3 images

Mapping Sections

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Title & Content

Basic product information:

• Post Title (product name)
• Post Content (full description)
• Post Excerpt (short description)
• Slug (URL-friendly name)
• Status (published, draft, etc.)

Product Data

Organized into tabs:

• General: Product Type, Regular Price, Sale Price, Tax Status, Tax Class, Featured, Menu Order
• Inventory: SKU, Stock Quantity, Stock Status, Manage Stock, Backorders, Low Stock Threshold
• Shipping: Weight, Length, Width, Height, Shipping Class
• Attributes: Product attributes (Color, Size, etc.) with option to create variations
• Downloads: Downloadable products settings
• Variation Overrides: Override parent data for variations
• Linked Products: Upsells, Cross-sells, Grouped products

Images

Product images:

• Featured Image (main product image)
• Gallery Images (multiple images supported)
• Add multiple gallery slots for different source fields
• Supports URLs or file paths

Taxonomies

Product categories and tags:

• Product Categories
• Product Tags
• Product Brands (if installed)
• Custom taxonomies

Custom Fields

Add custom meta fields:

• Map to any custom field key
• Supports multiple custom fields
• Useful for ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) or other plugins

Advanced Mapping Features

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Conditional Mapping

Apply mappings only when certain conditions are met:

• Set conditions based on other field values
• Example: Only map sale price if regular price > 100
• Useful for complex data transformations

Templates

Save and load mapping configurations:

• Save your mapping as a template for reuse
• Load saved templates to quickly apply mappings
• Templates are organized by entity type

Live Preview

See how your mapped data will look:

• Preview shows sample values after transformations
• Helps verify mappings are correct
• Updates in real-time as you change mappings

Scheduling

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Set up automatic recurring imports using WordPress cron scheduling

Scheduling allows you to automatically run imports at regular intervals without manual intervention. This is perfect for keeping your store synchronized with supplier feeds, updating prices and inventory, or importing new products on a schedule.

PrimeLink uses WordPress cron to schedule imports. You can set up hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly schedules, or use custom cron expressions for more complex timing.

Enabling Scheduling

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Step 1: Access Scheduling Options

In Step 6 (Options & Scheduling) of the import wizard:

1. Scroll to the Automatic Scheduling section
2. Check the Enable Background Import Schedule checkbox
3. The scheduling options will become available

Step 2: Configure Schedule Type

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Choose how often the import should run:

Preset Intervals

• Hourly: Run every hour
• Twice Daily: Run twice per day (typically morning and evening)
• Daily: Run once per day
• Weekly: Run once per week
• Monthly: Run once per month

Custom Cron Expression

For advanced scheduling, you can use cron expressions:

• Format: minute hour day month weekday
• Example: 0 2 * * * = Daily at 2:00 AM
• Example: 0 */6 * * * = Every 6 hours
• Example: 0 9 * * 1 = Every Monday at 9:00 AM

Email Notifications

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Configure Notifications

Receive email notifications for scheduled imports:

• Custom notification email address
• Email on completion
• Email on errors
• Email template customization

Managing Scheduled Imports

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Viewing Scheduled Imports

To view all scheduled imports:

1. Go to WooCommerce → PrimeLink → Imports
2. Look for imports with a schedule indicator
3. View next run time and schedule details

Pausing Schedules

To temporarily pause a scheduled import:

1. Find the import in the list
2. Click Pause Schedule or edit the import
3. Uncheck “Enable Background Import Schedule”
4. Save the changes

Resuming Schedules

To resume a paused schedule:

1. Edit the import
2. Go to Step 6
3. Re-enable “Enable Background Import Schedule”
4. Save the changes

Editing Schedules

To modify a schedule:

1. Edit the import
2. Go to Step 6 (Options & Scheduling)
3. Modify the schedule settings
4. Save the changes
5. The new schedule will take effect on the next run

API Keys & Live Feed

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Learn how to generate and manage API keys for third-party integrations and Live Feed connections

API keys in PrimeLink are used to authenticate external requests to your store’s Live Feed endpoint. They allow other stores or applications to securely access your product data for real-time synchronization.

API keys are generated with a unique name and can be revoked at any time. Each key is a 32-character alphanumeric string that must be included in the request headers when accessing the Live Feed API.

Accessing API Key Management

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To access the API Key management interface:

1. Navigate to WooCommerce → PrimeLink → Live Feed in your WordPress admin
2. Click on the API Keys tab
3. You’ll see a list of all existing API keys (if any)

Generating a New API Key

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Step 1: Open the Generate Modal

1. In the API Keys tab, click the Create API Key button
2. A modal window will open asking for a key name

Step 2: Enter Key Name

Enter a descriptive name for your API key. This helps you identify the key later:

• Example names: “Main Store Feed”, “Supplier Connection”, “Development Store”
• The name is for your reference only and doesn’t affect functionality

Step 3: Generate the Key

1. Click the Generate button
2. PrimeLink will create a unique API key and display it immediately

⚠️ Important: The API key is displayed only once. Make sure to copy and save it immediately. You won’t be able to see it again after closing the modal.

Step 4: Save the Key

Copy the API key to a secure location:

• Use a password manager
• Store it in your configuration files (securely)
• Share it with authorized team members only

Managing API Keys

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Viewing All Keys

The API Keys tab displays all your keys with the following information:

• Key Name: The descriptive name you assigned
• Created: Date and time when the key was generated
• Last Used: Date and time when the key was last used (if ever)
• Status: Active or Revoked

Revoking API Keys

If you need to disable an API key (for security reasons or if it’s been compromised):

1. Find the key in the list
2. Click the Revoke button next to it
3. Confirm the action in the dialog
4. The key status will change to “Revoked” and it will no longer work

⚠️ Warning: Revoking an API key will immediately stop all connections using that key. Make sure to update any systems using the key before revoking it.

Platform Connectors

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Import data directly from Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce stores

Platform connectors allow you to import data directly from external e-commerce platforms without downloading files first. PrimeLink connects to the platform’s API and fetches data in real-time, making it perfect for keeping multiple stores synchronized.

Supported platforms:

• Shopify – Import products, orders, and customers from Shopify stores
• Magento – Import products, orders, and customers from Magento stores
• BigCommerce – Import products, orders, customers, and coupons from BigCommerce stores

Using Platform Connectors in Import Wizard

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Step 1: Select Platform Source

In Step 2 (Select Data Source) of the import wizard:

1. Select Import from Platform (Real-time)
2. Choose your platform from the dropdown:
   • Shopify
   • Magento
   • BigCommerce

Step 2: Enter Platform Credentials

After selecting a platform, you’ll see a credentials form specific to that platform:

Shopify Credentials

• Shop Domain: Your Shopify shop domain (e.g., your-shop.myshopify.com)
• API Key: Shopify private app API key
• API Secret: Shopify private app API secret
• Access Token: Shopify Admin API access token

Magento Credentials

• Magento Base URL: Your Magento store URL (e.g., https://your-store.com)
• Access Token: Magento integration access token

BigCommerce Credentials

• Store Hash: Your BigCommerce store hash (e.g., abc123)
• Access Token: BigCommerce API access token
• Account UUID: (Optional) Alternative to Store Hash

Step 3: Test Connection

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Before proceeding, test the connection:

1. Fill in all required credentials
2. Click Test Connection
3. Wait for the connection test to complete
4. If successful, you’ll see a confirmation message
5. If it fails, check your credentials and try again

Step 4: Continue with Import

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After a successful connection:

1. Click Next to proceed
2. PrimeLink will fetch data from the platform
3. Continue with the rest of the import wizard:
   • Step 3: Import Strategy
   • Step 4: Filters & Preview
   • Step 5: Field Mapping
   • Step 6: Options & Scheduling
   • Step 7: Review
   • Step 8: Run Import

Setting Up Shopify Credentials

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Step 1: Create a Private App in Shopify

1. Log in to your Shopify admin panel
2. Navigate to Settings → Apps and sales channels
3. Scroll down and click Develop apps
4. Click Create an app
5. Enter an app name (e.g., “PrimeLink Import”)
6. Click Create app

Step 2: Configure API Permissions

After creating the app, configure its permissions:

1. Click on Configure Admin API scopes
2. Enable the following permissions:
   • Read products: Required to fetch product data
   • Read inventory: Required to fetch inventory levels
   • Read product listings: Optional, for additional product information
3. Click Save

Step 3: Install the App

1. Click Install app at the top of the page
2. Confirm the installation
3. The app will be installed and credentials will be generated

Step 4: Get API Credentials

After installation, you’ll see the API credentials:

1. Go to the API credentials tab
2. You’ll see:
   • API Key: Your Shopify API key
   • API Secret Key: Your Shopify API secret
   • Admin API access token: Your access token
3. Copy all three values

⚠️ Important: The API Secret Key and Admin API access token are only shown once. Make sure to copy them immediately and store them securely.

Step 5: Get Your Shop Domain

Your shop domain is your store’s URL without the protocol:

• Example: If your store URL is https://your-shop.myshopify.com
• Your shop domain is: your-shop.myshopify.com

Setting Up Magento Credentials

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Step 1: Create an Integration in Magento

1. Log in to your Magento admin panel
2. Navigate to System → Integrations
3. Click Add New Integration
4. Fill in the integration details:
   • Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “PrimeLink Import”)
   • Email: Enter your email address

Step 2: Configure API Permissions

After creating the integration, configure its API permissions:

1. Click on the API tab
2. Expand Resource Access
3. Select the following permissions:
   • Catalog: Required to fetch product data
   • Inventory: Required to fetch inventory levels
   • Stores: Optional, for store configuration
4. Click Save

Step 3: Activate the Integration

1. After saving, click Activate
2. Magento will generate access credentials
3. Copy the Access Token immediately

⚠️ Important: The Access Token is only shown once during activation. Make sure to copy it immediately and store it securely. If you lose it, you’ll need to regenerate the integration.

Step 4: Get Your Magento Base URL

Your Magento base URL is your store’s URL:

• Example: https://your-store.com
• Do not include trailing slashes
• Use the full URL with protocol (https://)

Setting Up BigCommerce Credentials

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Step 1: Find Your Store Hash

Your store hash can be found in several ways:

1. From your store URL: If your store URL is store-abc123.mybigcommerce.com, your store hash is abc123
2. From API path: In any API documentation, look for stores/{hash}/v3/...
3. From BigCommerce Admin: Go to Settings → Store-level API Accounts

Step 2: Create a Store-level API Account

1. Log in to your BigCommerce admin panel
2. Navigate to Settings → Store-level API Accounts
3. Click Create API Account
4. Fill in the account details:
   • Account Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “PrimeLink Import”)
   • OAuth Scopes: Select the required permissions (see below)

Step 3: Configure OAuth Scopes

Select the required OAuth scopes for your API account:

Required Scopes

• Products: Read (required for product import)
• Orders: Read (required for order import, if needed)
• Customers: Read (required for customer import, if needed)

Important: Each resource (Products, Orders, Customers) requires separate permissions. Even if you have Products permissions, you won’t be able to import Orders unless Orders scope is also enabled.

Step 4: Generate Access Token

1. After configuring scopes, click Save
2. BigCommerce will generate an Access Token
3. Copy the access token immediately

⚠️ Important: The Access Token is only shown once during creation. Make sure to copy it immediately and store it securely. If you lose it, you’ll need to create a new API account.

Step 5: Alternative – Using Account UUID

If you have an Account UUID instead of Store Hash:

• You can use Account UUID as an alternative to Store Hash
• PrimeLink will attempt to resolve the Store Hash from the Account UUID
• If resolution fails, you’ll need to provide the Store Hash directly

Templates & Presets

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Templates in PrimeLink allow you to save your field mapping configurations and reuse them for future imports or exports. This saves time when you need to import similar data structures repeatedly, such as regular product updates from suppliers.

Templates are automatically organized by entity type (products, orders, customers, etc.) and can be loaded directly in the import/export wizard at Step 5 (Field Mapping).

Saving a Template

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Step 1: Configure Your Mapping

First, set up your field mapping in Step 5 of the import/export wizard:

1. Map all the fields you want to save
2. Configure any field transformations or options
3. Set up any custom field mappings

Step 2: Save the Template

In Step 5 (Field Mapping Studio), you’ll find the “Load & Save Settings” section:

1. Enter a descriptive template name in the input field
2. Click the Save button
3. The template will be saved with your current mapping configuration

Template Naming

Templates are automatically prefixed with the entity type:

• Products: product:Template Name
• Orders: order:Template Name
• Customers: customer:Template Name
• And so on for other entity types

This ensures templates are organized by type and prevents conflicts between different entity types.

Loading a Template

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Step 1: Access Template List

In Step 5 (Field Mapping Studio), the “Load & Save Settings” section includes a template dropdown:

1. Click on the template dropdown/select field
2. You’ll see a list of all saved templates for the current entity type
3. Templates are filtered by entity type automatically

Step 2: Select and Load Template

1. Select the template you want to use from the dropdown
2. Click Load (or the template may load automatically on selection)
3. All field mappings from the template will be applied to your current import/export

What Gets Loaded

When you load a template, the following are restored:

• All field mappings (source fields → WooCommerce fields)
• Field transformations and options (prefixes, suffixes, transforms)
• Custom field mappings
• Image mappings
• Taxonomy mappings (categories, tags)
• Other mapping configurations

Rollback & Tracking

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PrimeLink automatically tracks all items created or updated during imports. This tracking system allows you to rollback (undo) an entire import, restoring your store to its previous state.

Rollback is useful when an import doesn’t produce the expected results, when you need to test different import configurations, or when you need to revert changes made by mistake.

How Tracking Works

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Automatic Tracking

PrimeLink automatically tracks:

• Created Items: All new items created during import (products, orders, customers, etc.)
• Updated Items: All existing items updated during import with backup of previous data
• Import Metadata: Import ID and timestamp stored on each item

What Gets Tracked

For each import, PrimeLink tracks:

• Item IDs: All created and updated item IDs
• Item Types: Product, Order, Customer, Coupon, Category, Tag, etc.
• Backup Data: Complete backup of updated items before changes
• Import Timestamp: When the import was performed

Tracking Storage

Tracking data is stored:

• In WordPress options (import-specific tracking)
• As post meta on each item (import ID and timestamp)
• Backup data stored in tracking records

Troubleshooting

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Common issues and solutions for PrimeLink

Import Issues

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Import Not Starting

Possible Causes:

• File not uploaded or accessible
• Invalid file format
• Server permissions issue
• PHP memory limit too low

Solutions:

• Verify file is uploaded correctly
• Check file format is supported (CSV, XML, XLSX)
• Check server file permissions
• Increase PHP memory_limit
• Check import logs for specific errors

Items Not Created

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Possible Causes:

• Required fields not mapped
• Data format incorrect
• Validation errors
• Matching criteria issues

Solutions:

• Check all required fields are mapped
• Verify data format matches field requirements
• Review validation errors in logs
• Check matching criteria is correct
• Use Dry Run mode to test first

Import Too Slow

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Possible Causes:

• Large file size
• Server performance issues
• Not using iterative processing
• Too many validations

Solutions:

• Enable iterative processing
• Enable speed optimization
• Reduce records per iteration
• Optimize source data
• Check server performance

Fields Not Mapping

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Possible Causes:

• Source field names don’t match
• Field not detected in source file
• File encoding issues

Solutions:

• Manually map fields using drag-and-drop
• Check source file column headers
• Verify file encoding (UTF-8 recommended)
• Preview source data to verify fields

Data Not Importing Correctly

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Possible Causes:

• Data format mismatch
• Field transformations needed
• Data encoding issues

Solutions:

• Check data format matches target field
• Use field transformations if available
• Verify data encoding
• Preview mapped data before importing

File Not Found

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Possible Causes:

• File path incorrect
• File moved or deleted
• Permissions issue

Solutions:

• Verify file path is correct
• Check file still exists
• Verify file permissions
• Re-upload file if needed

Scheduled Imports Not Running

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Possible Causes:

• WordPress Cron not working
• Low site traffic
• Schedule disabled
• Cron events not firing

Solutions:

• Check WordPress Cron is working
• Visit your site to trigger cron
• Verify schedule is enabled
• Consider using External Cron
• Check cron event logs