Bulk Category Creator

The Bulk Category Creator plugin allows WooCommerce store owners to create multiple product categories efficiently in a single operation. It supports both manual entry and CSV import methods, enabling you to create categories with parent-child hierarchies and automatically assign them to selected products.

Installation

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• Download the .zip file from your WooCommerce account.
• Go to: WordPress Admin > Plugins > Add New > Upload and select the ZIP file you just downloaded.
• Install Now and Activate the extension.

More information at: Install and Activate Plugins/Extensions.

Setup

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Once you have successfully installed the plugin, you will see a new sub-menu called “Bulk Category Creator” under the Products menu in your WordPress admin panel.

Navigation Path: WordPress Admin > Products > Bulk Category Creator

The plugin page features a tabbed interface with two main sections:

1. Manual Entry – For creating categories by typing them directly
2. CSV Import – For bulk importing categories from a CSV file

Method 1: Manual Entry

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The Manual Entry tab allows you to create categories by entering them directly into the form.

Available Fields:

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• 1. Categories (Required)
  • Description: Enter category names separated by commas
  • Format: Category1, Category2, Category3
  • Hierarchy Support: Use >> to create parent-child relationships
  • Example: Electronics, Clothing, Home>>Living Room, Home>>Bedroom
• 2. Parent Category (Optional)
  • Description: Select an existing category to be the parent of all new categories
  • Options: Dropdown list of all existing categories
  • Default: None (creates top-level categories)
  • Use Case: When you want all new categories to be children of a specific parent
• 3. Description (Optional)
  • Description: Add a description that applies to all categories being created
  • Format: Plain text or HTML
  • Note: The same description will be applied to all categories in the batch
• 4. Display Type (Optional)
  • Description: Control how the category page displays content
  • Options:
    • Default – Uses WooCommerce default settings
    • Products – Shows only products
    • Subcategories – Shows only subcategories
    • Both – Shows both products and subcategories
  • Note: Applies to all categories being created
• 5. Assign to Products (Optional)
  • Description: Select products to automatically assign the new categories to
  • Options:
    • All Products – Assigns to every product in your store
    • Specific Products – Search and select individual products
  • Features:
    • Multi-select dropdown with search functionality
    • Preserves existing category assignments
    • Adds new categories without removing old ones

Manual Entry Examples:

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Example 1: Simple Categories

Categories: Electronics, Clothing, Home Decor, Sports
Parent Category: None

Creates 4 top-level categories.

Example 2: Hierarchical Categories

Categories: Smartphones>>Android, Smartphones>>iOS, Laptops>>Gaming, Laptops>>Business
Parent Category: Electronics

Creates categories under the “Electronics” parent with further subcategories.

Example 3: Mixed Hierarchy

Categories: Men>>Shirts>>Casual, Men>>Shirts>>Formal, Women>>Dresses
Parent Category: None

Creates nested categories up to 3 levels deep.

Method 2: CSV Import

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The CSV Import tab allows you to bulk import hundreds or thousands of categories from a spreadsheet file.

CSV File Format

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Your CSV file must include a header row with column names. Only the category_name column is required.

Required Column:

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• category_name (Required)
  • The name of the category
  • Supports hierarchy using >> separator
  • Examples:
    • Electronics
    • Electronics>>Smartphones
    • Clothing>>Men>>Shirts>>Casual

Optional Columns

• parent_category (Optional)
  • The name of the parent category
  • Use this as an alternative to the >> separator
  • Example: If parent_category is “Electronics”, the category will be created under Electronics
• description (Optional)
  • Category description text
  • Can include HTML formatting
  • Example: High-quality electronic devices and accessories
• display_type (Optional)
  • How the category page displays
  • Valid values: products, subcategories, both
  • Leave empty for default WooCommerce behavior
• slug (Optional)
  • Custom URL slug for the category
  • Automatically generated if not provided
  • Must be unique and URL-friendly
  • Example: mens-casual-shirts

Sample CSV Structure:

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category_name,parent_category,description,display_type,slug
Electronics,,Electronic products and devices,products,electronics
Smartphones,Electronics,Mobile phones and accessories,products,smartphones
iPhone,Smartphones,Apple iPhone devices,products,iphone
Android,Smartphones,Android smartphones,products,android-phones
Clothing,,Fashion and apparel items,subcategories,clothing
Men>>Shirts,Clothing,Men's shirts and tops,products,mens-shirts
Women>>Dresses,Clothing,Women's dresses and gowns,products,womens-dresses
Home & Garden,,Home and garden products,both,home-garden
Furniture>>Living Room,Home & Garden,Living room furniture and decor,products,living-room-furniture

CSV Import Process:

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1. Prepare your CSV file with the required format
2. Click “Choose File” and select your CSV
3. (Optional) Select products to assign categories to
4. Click “Import Categories” button
5. Review the results – The plugin will show:
   • ✓ Number of categories created successfully
   • ⚠ Number of categories skipped (already existed)
   • ✗ Number of categories that failed to create

Use Cases

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For New Stores:

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• Quickly set up your entire category structure
• Import categories from supplier catalogs
• Migrate categories from other platforms

For Existing Stores:

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• Add seasonal categories in bulk
• Expand product lines efficiently
• Reorganize category structures
• Add new brands or collections

For Marketplace Owners:

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• Create vendor categories
• Set up location-based categories
• Organize multi-vendor products

For Dropshippers:

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• Import supplier categories
• Match product categories to suppliers
• Quickly add new product lines