Product CSV Importer and Exporter

WooCommerce includes a built-in CSV tool for importing, exporting, and bulk-updating products. Use it to add many products at once, move product data between stores, or update existing product details. This guide covers the CSV format, import and export steps, and common troubleshooting.

Locate the import and export tools

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Go to Products > All Products. The Import and Export buttons appear beside Add new product.

• Add a product catalog to a new store.
• Update product details, schedule sale prices, or keep product data consistent across stores.

Create your CSV

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Recommended CSV editors

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We recommend using:

• Google Sheets
• Apache OpenOffice Calc
• LibreOffice Calc
• Numbers for macOS

Whichever editor you use, save or export the file as a UTF-8 CSV and follow the general guidelines below. Spreadsheet applications can change formatting or character encoding, so review the saved CSV before importing it.

Create a product CSV

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To import new products or update existing products, you need a CSV containing your product information. You can:

• Export a CSV of products from an existing store.
• Download the sample product CSV from GitHub and replace the example values with information for your products.
• Create your own CSV. Use the formatting and columns in the product CSV import schema.

General guidelines

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• Use UTF-8 encoding.
• Use the store’s local timezone for dates.
• Use 1 for true and 0 for false when importing Boolean values.
• Separate multiple values in a field with commas.
  • See Comma handling below when importing category names that contain commas.
• Enclose a value in double quotation marks if it contains a comma.
• Prefix the ID with id: if referencing an existing product ID. No prefix is needed if referencing a SKU. For example: id:100, SKU101.
• Use > between levels in a taxonomy hierarchy and commas between separate terms.
• The Published column controls product status. Use 1 for published, 0 for private, -1 for draft, or 2 for pending review.
• You cannot assign a specific post ID to a new product during import. WooCommerce uses the next available ID, regardless of the ID in the CSV.

Comma handling

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WooCommerce treats commas as field separators. Escape commas that are part of a single value so WooCommerce imports the complete value.

For example, use the following value to import a single category named Places, People, Cities:

Places\, People\, Cities

The backslashes tell the importer to treat the commas as part of the category name.

Images

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• Images need to be pre-uploaded or available online to import to your store.
• You can use external image URLs when the images are directly accessible. WooCommerce imports these images into the Media Library. URLs behind redirect scripts, such as some cloud-storage links, are not supported.
• You can define the filename if the image already exists in the Media Library.
• The core CSV importer cannot add, edit, or update alt text for product images.

Import

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Add new products

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Use the CSV importer to add multiple products in one upload.

1. Go to Products > All Products.
2. Select Import at the top of the page to open the Upload CSV file screen.

3. Select Choose File and choose the CSV or TXT file you want to import. Alternatively, open Show advanced options and enter the path to a CSV file already on the server.
4. Select Continue. The button remains unavailable until you select a local file or enter a server file path.
5. Review the Column mapping screen. WooCommerce automatically maps recognized CSV columns to product fields.

6. Use the dropdown menus to adjust fields or choose Do not import for any column that should be ignored.
7. Any unrecognized columns will not be imported by default.
8. Select Run the importer.
9. Wait until the import is finished. Do not refresh or navigate away from the page while the import is in progress.

Your product import is complete.

Update existing products

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Use the CSV importer to bulk-update existing products, such as adding a brand, changing a tax class, preparing a sale, or synchronizing product data between stores. The importer uses product IDs or SKUs in the CSV to match existing products.

1. Make a CSV file as outlined in the Create your CSV section, using the IDs or SKUs of the products you want to update.
2. Go to Products > All Products.
3. Select Import at the top of the page.
4. Select Choose File and choose your CSV file.
5. Select Update existing products. Existing products that match by ID or SKU are updated. Products that do not exist are skipped.
6. Select Continue and review the Column mapping screen.
7. Use the dropdown menus to adjust fields or choose Do not import for any column that should be ignored.
8. Select Run the importer.
9. Wait until the update is finished. Do not refresh or navigate away from the page while the import is in progress.

Your product update is complete.

Troubleshooting failed or skipped imports

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If the import finishes but some products are missing or skipped, check the import log first. Common causes include:

• A product already exists with the same SKU or ID, and Update existing products was not selected.
• The CSV uses columns or values that do not match the product CSV import schema.
• The Published value sets an unexpected product status. See the Published row in the schema below for supported values, including pending review.
• A plugin or theme conflict is interrupting the import.
• The CSV is too large for the server to process in one request. Split large CSV files into smaller batches and import each batch separately.

Troubleshooting upload errors

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WordPress may misidentify the file type and display Sorry, this file type is not permitted for security reasons. This can happen on some servers when a CSV contains HTML.

First, confirm that the file is saved as a CSV. If the upload still fails, upload the CSV to your site’s uploads directory using SFTP or your host’s file manager. Then open Show advanced options in the importer and enter the server file path. Continue becomes available when the path is present.

If the server-path option also fails, ask your hosting provider to check the site’s allowed file types and upload configuration.

Importing large product catalogs

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Large imports depend on your server’s available memory, upload limits, and processing time. Before importing a large catalog, create a backup and test a small import on a staging site. Split the CSV into smaller batches so problems are easier to find and fix.

The Maximum size value shown on the upload screen is set at the server level. To increase it, contact your hosting company.

For extensive imports or custom product data from extensions, consider Product CSV Import Suite.

Convert an existing simple product to a variable product

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You can use the CSV importer to convert an existing simple product into a variable product. This process uses two imports: one to update the existing product into a variable product with attributes, and another to add the variation rows as new products.

Before you start, create a backup or test on a staging site. Then create a simple product that has a SKU and price, and export that product from Products > All Products.

1. Open the exported CSV file in a CSV editor.
2. Keep the existing product row in place, and add one new row for each variation.
3. In the parent product row, change the Type value from simple to variable.
4. In each variation row, set the Type value to variation.
5. Give each variation row its own unique SKU and Name.
6. Add the attribute columns needed for the variable product. For one local attribute named Size, add Attribute 1 name, Attribute 1 value(s), Attribute 1 visible, and Attribute 1 global.
7. In the parent product row, list all available values in Attribute 1 value(s), such as S, M. In each variation row, enter only the value for that variation, such as S or M.
8. Set Attribute 1 visible to 1. Set Attribute 1 global to 0 for a local product attribute, or 1 if the attribute is a global attribute already configured in your store.
9. In each variation row, set the Parent value to the parent product SKU or ID.

Row	Type	SKU	Parent	Attribute 1 name	Attribute 1 value(s)	Attribute 1 visible	Attribute 1 global
Parent product	variable	tshirt		Size	S, M	1	0
Variation	variation	tshirt-s	tshirt	Size	S	1	0
Variation	variation	tshirt-m	tshirt	Size	M	1	0

After editing the CSV, save it as a new CSV file. Then run two imports:

1. First import the CSV with Update existing products selected. This updates the existing product into a variable product and adds the attribute data. Variation rows that do not already exist are skipped during this update import.
2. Open the CSV again, remove the parent product row, and leave the variation rows in place.
3. Import the variation-only CSV with Update existing products unselected. This creates the variations and attaches them to the parent product.
4. After the import is complete, open the product and confirm that it is now a variable product with the expected variations.

If the variations are not created, check that each variation has a unique SKU, that the Parent value matches the parent product SKU or ID, and that the attribute columns match the values used by the parent product.

Export

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Export the current product catalog to a CSV file with the built-in product CSV tool.

1. Go to Products > All Products.
2. Select Export at the top of the page to open the Export Products screen.

3. Choose which columns should be exported, or leave the default Export all columns option selected.
4. Choose which product types and product categories should be exported, or leave the defaults selected to export all products and categories.
5. Select Yes, export all custom meta if you need product metadata from WooCommerce or other plugins. Metadata columns use a meta: prefix. For example, metadata stored with the product_depth key exports as meta:product_depth.
6. Select Generate CSV and wait for the export to finish.

Your browser downloads the exported CSV file.

Variation names in exports

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WooCommerce may exclude attribute values from variation names in exported CSV files. This is expected when a product has three or more attributes, or when it has two or more attributes and at least one attribute name contains two or more words.

Changing this behavior requires custom code with the woocommerce_product_variation_title_include_attributes filter. Customizations are developer-level work and are not covered under the WooCommerce Support Policy.

Selective product export

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You can export selected products directly from the product list.

1. Go to Products > All Products.
2. Select the products you want to export.
3. Select Export X selected at the top of the page. The button label shows the number of selected products.

Product CSV import schema

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The built-in WooCommerce CSV importer and exporter use the following schema. You can also view the schema on GitHub.

CSV column name	Maps to product property	Example	Notes
ID	id	100	Identifies an existing product to update. You cannot assign a specific ID to a new product.
Type	type	simple, variation, virtual	Supported values are simple, variable, grouped, external, variation, virtual, and downloadable. Separate multiple types with commas.
SKU	sku	woo-headphones	Required. WooCommerce generates one if this value is omitted.
Name	name	Headphones	Required.
Published	status	1	Use 1 for published, 0 for private, -1 for draft, or 2 for pending review. You can also use true for published and false for draft.
Is featured?	featured	1	Use 1 for true or 0 for false.
Visibility in catalog	catalog_visibility	visible	Supported values: visible, catalog, search, hidden
Short description	short_description	This is a product.
Description	description	This is more information about a product.
Date sale price starts	date_on_sale_from	2026-06-07	Uses the start of the specified day. Leave blank for no start date.
Date sale price ends	date_on_sale_to	2026-06-14	Uses the end of the specified day. Leave blank for no end date.
Tax status	tax_status	taxable	Supported values: taxable, shipping, none
Tax class	tax_class	standard	Use the slug of an existing tax class.
In stock?	stock_status	1	Use 1 for true or 0 for false.
Stock	manage_stock / stock_quantity	20	A numeric stock level enables stock management. Use parent for a variation that inherits stock settings. Leave blank to disable stock management.
Low stock amount	low_stock_amount	3	Leave blank or enter a number.
Backorders allowed?	backorders	1	Use 1 for true, 0 for false, or notify.
Sold individually?	sold_individually	1	Use 1 for true or 0 for false.
Weight (unit)	weight	100	Parse only numbers.
Length (unit)	length	20	Parse only numbers.
Width (unit)	width	20	Parse only numbers.
Height (unit)	height	20	Parse only numbers.
Allow customer reviews?	reviews_allowed	1	Use 1 for true or 0 for false.
Purchase note	purchase_note	Thanks for your order.
Sale price	sale_price	20.99	Sale price.
Regular price	regular_price	24.99	Regular price.
Categories	category_ids	Electronics, Home goods > Audio	Comma-separated list of categories. Use > for hierarchy.
Tags	tag_ids	Wireless, Audio	Comma-separated list of tags.
Shipping class	shipping_class_id	Standard	Name of the shipping class.
Images	image_id / gallery_image_ids	https://example.com/headphones.jpg, https://example.com/headphones-side.jpg	The first image is the featured image.
Download limit	download_limit	1	n/a or a limit.
Download expiry days	download_expiry	1	n/a or a day limit.
Parent	parent_id	id:100, woo-headphones	Parent product ID or SKU for a variation. Prefix an ID with id:. Exports use the SKU when possible.
Grouped products	children	id:100, id:101, woo-headphones, woo-radio	Comma-separated list of product IDs or SKUs. Prefix each ID with id:. Exports use SKUs when possible.
Upsells	upsell_ids	id:100, id:101, woo-headphones, woo-radio	Comma-separated list of product IDs or SKUs. Prefix each ID with id:. Exports use SKUs when possible.
Cross-sells	cross_sell_ids	id:100, id:101, woo-headphones, woo-radio	Comma-separated list of product IDs or SKUs. Prefix each ID with id:. Exports use SKUs when possible.
External URL	product_url	https://example.com/products/headphones/	External product URL.
Button text	button_text	Buy now	Custom text for an external product’s purchase button.
Position	menu_order	1	Menu order, used for sorting.
Attribute 1 name	attributes	Color	WooCommerce uses the matching global attribute, or a product-level attribute if no match exists. Add numbered columns for additional attributes. WooCommerce sets “Used for variations” automatically.
Attribute 1 value(s)	attributes	Blue, Red, Green	Comma-separated list of values. A variation needs one value; if you provide more than one, WooCommerce uses the first.
Attribute 1 default	default_attributes	Blue	Default value for variable products.
Attribute 1 visible	attributes	1	Use 1 for true or 0 for false. The mapping screen labels this field Attribute visibility.
Attribute 1 global	attributes	1	Use 1 for true or 0 for false. The mapping screen labels this field Is a global attribute?
Download 1 name	downloads	Download 1
Download 1 URL	downloads	url.zip

Custom columns and metadata

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The built-in importer maps known schema columns and product metadata columns. Any unrecognized columns are not imported by default.

To import custom product metadata, prefix the CSV header with meta:. For example, use meta:product_depth for a custom field stored with the key product_depth. If WooCommerce does not map the column automatically, map it to Import as meta on the Column mapping screen.

Adding entirely new importer fields requires custom code. Customizations are developer-level work and are not covered under the WooCommerce Support Policy.

Questions and support

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Do you still have questions and need assistance? 

• If you’re looking to extend the core functionality shown here, we recommend reviewing available extensions in the WooCommerce Marketplace.
• Need ongoing advanced support or a customization built for WooCommerce? Hire a Woo Agency Partner.
• Are you a developer building your own WooCommerce integration or extension? Check our Developer Resources.

If you weren’t able to find the information you need, please use the feedback thumbs below to let us know.