WooCommerce CSV in Practice
WooCommerce’s built-in product CSV importer/exporter is the standard path for bulk catalog work on WordPress stores. Extensions may add order or customer CSVs with their own columns—always match the tool you are using.
Like Shopify, variable products use multiple rows. Unlike Shopify, WordPress IDs, tax classes, and attribute columns follow Woo’s naming.
Product CSV Building Blocks
Know the columns that decide success.
| Area | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ID, SKU, Type | SKU unique; ID for updates |
| Content | Name, Description, Short description | HTML allowed in descriptions |
| Pricing | Regular price, Sale price | Plain decimals |
| Inventory | Stock, Manage stock | Per product or variation |
| Taxonomy | Categories, Tags | Use existing names/slugs carefully |
| Variations | Parent, Attribute fields | Parent SKU/ID links variants |
Step-by-Step: Import Products
A reliable WooCommerce catalog load.
- Export a sample from WooCommerce → Products → Export (or use the docs sample).
- Map your source catalog into those headers.
- Set Type (simple, variable, variation, etc.) correctly.
- Keep SKUs as text; preserve leading zeros.
- Save UTF-8 CSV (Excel to CSV / Online CSV Editor).
- WooCommerce → Products → Import → upload and map columns.
- Review the import log; fix failed rows; re-import deltas.
Variable Products
Parents and variations must link cleanly.
- Create the variable parent row with attributes defined.
- Add variation rows pointing at the parent (parent SKU or ID per template).
- Each variation needs its own SKU/price/stock as required.
- Do not flatten all options into one simple product if you need true variants.
Orders and Customers
Core WooCommerce focuses on product CSV. Order/customer CSV often comes from extensions or the analytics export path. Treat those files as reporting or migration inputs—confirm whether re-import is supported before relying on it.
Real-World Examples
Typical agency and merchant workflows.
Catalog migration from another cart
Products mapped from Magento/Shopify exports into Woo’s CSV, images sideloaded via URLs, pilot category imported first.
Seasonal category refresh
Export, update Categories and Sale price, re-import with Update existing products enabled.
Multi-warehouse stock
Inventory CSV from a 3PL cleaned and loaded; SKUs reconciled against Woo before overwrite.
Common Mistakes
WordPress-specific footguns.
- Wrong product Type values.
- Orphan variations without a valid parent.
- Category strings that create duplicate taxonomies.
- Encoding issues with non-English descriptions.
- Updating by blank ID and accidentally creating duplicates.
Best Practices
Keep the catalog reproducible.
- Export a backup before bulk updates.
- Use SKUs as the business key when IDs differ across environments.
- Pilot on staging.
- Validate UTF-8 and column maps in the Online CSV Editor.
- Document attribute names for variations.
Why Use Convert CSV Online?
Convert CSV Online is free, browser-based, and requires no account for everyday conversions. Clean WooCommerce exports, convert Excel vendor lists to UTF-8 CSV, and preview attribute columns before Import. Client-side workflows work on Windows, macOS, and Linux browsers.
Map with confidence
Confirm every header Woo expects is present and populated before you upload to wp-admin.
Conclusion
WooCommerce CSV imports succeed with the official column set, correct product types, linked variations, and UTF-8 files. Export a template, map carefully, pilot, then update.
FAQ
How do I import a CSV into WooCommerce?
Go to Products → Import in wp-admin, upload a UTF-8 CSV that matches WooCommerce’s product columns, map fields, and review the results log.
Can WooCommerce import variable products via CSV?
Yes. Use variable and variation rows with parent linkage and attribute columns as documented in WooCommerce’s CSV guide.
Should I use ID or SKU to update products?
ID updates the exact product in that site. SKU is better when moving between staging and production if IDs differ—follow the importer options you enable.
Why did import create duplicate categories?
Category names/paths did not match existing terms. Use the exact names/slugs Woo already has when you intend to reuse them.
How do I export WooCommerce products to Excel?
Export CSV from WooCommerce, then convert with CSV to Excel—or open carefully with typed columns for SKUs.
Where is the official WooCommerce CSV documentation?
On WooCommerce.com under the Product CSV Importer and Exporter documentation.
References
Convert your CSV in the browser
Preview, clean, and convert CSV files free with Convert CSV Online—no installation and no account required for everyday conversions.