Product Import Export Plugin For WooCommerce

Readers often ask for our top tips and tricks on how to run a WooCommerce store efficiently.

That’s because we don’t just run the world’s largest free WordPress resource site for beginners. We’ve also created some of the world’s top-selling WordPress products, so we know a thing or two about eCommerce.

In particular, we know that managing large product catalogs isn’t easy. Adding new products to your store, updating items with the latest information, marking products as out of stock…the work can feel endless. Things get even more complicated if you manage multiple stores, or you’re setting up a brand new eCommerce site and need to upload hundreds of products at once.

If any of that sounds familiar, then a data migration plugin can be a game changer. That’s where Product Import Export for WooCommerce comes in.

From bulk importing and exporting to advanced features like filtering and mapping, this plugin promises to make managing large inventories feel effortless.

Does this plugin deliver on that promise? Let’s find out, in this detailed Product Import Export for WooCommerce review.

Product Import Export Review: Why Use It in WooCommerce?

Sometimes, you may need to transfer your products from one store to another. Rather than doing this manually, Product Import Export Plugin For WooCommerce can automate the entire process.

With this plugin, you can export all kinds of WooCommerce products including grouped, external, and affiliate products.

Going further, you can export reviews, bookings, and WooCommerce subscriptions, too.

With that done, you can import this information into any other store that has the plugin installed.

You can also import any compatible CSV or XML file you generated using a data exporter plugin, or even a file you created manually. This can save you a ton of time and effort when you’re adding new products, or even setting up an entirely new online store.

However, this is also helpful when you need to update products in bulk. For example, if you’ve just restocked your inventory then can update every single product’s stock status in a CSV file or XML file.

You can then import this document into WooCommerce and the plugin will update all these items with the correct status. This is often much quicker than updating each product manually.

If you’re just getting started or have a limited budget, then you can download the lite version of Product Import Export for WooCommerce. With this plugin, you can import and export products and reviews, along with product tags and categories.

You can also import/export simple, grouped, and affiliate WooCommerce products. However, you’ll need to upgrade if you want to work with variable products, subscriptions, bookings or custom products.

The premium plugin can also import/export custom fields and hidden meta data, and can even schedule these processes to happen automatically.

Product Import Export Review: The Right Data Migration Plugin for Your WooCommerce Store?

Adding new products to your WooCommerce site can be a challenge, especially if you have lots of new items. You may also need to update your existing products, such as uploading new images after a photoshoot.

With that said, many smart store owners use a tool to import/export products and data with ease. This can also be a game-changer if you’re setting up a brand new online marketplace.

That said, let’s see if Product Import Export for WooCommerce is the right time-saving business tool for you.

1. Supports Multiple Product Types

With this plugin, you can import/export all kinds of WooCommerce products, including simple, grouped, external, subscription, and variable products.

Do you use custom post types on your WordPress website? Then you can also import/export this content using Product Import Export for WooCommerce. In this way, you can manage your entire catalog with a single plugin.

2. Supports CSV and XML Formats

With this plugin, you can export/import WooCommerce products via a CSV or XML file.

The simplest solution is to use Product Import Export for WooCommerce, for all your tasks. Simply export the items from your store, make any necessary changes to the file, and then import the CSV or XML into WooCommerce.

However, you can also create an XML file manually, or a CSV (UTF-8 Encoded) file using a spreadsheet program such as LibreOffice, Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice, or Google Spreadsheets. You can then enter all your product information in the correct format.

This may be a good option if you’re setting up a new store, or need to import a ton of products into WooCommerce.

Finally, you can import any compatible CSV or XML file created using a data migration plugin. This is particularly useful if you’re moving from an alternative platform, or another site that doesn’t use the Product Import Export plugin.

3. Fully Customizable Imports/Exports

When exporting your content, the plugin will automatically map each piece of data to a column in the CSV or XML file. For example, by default it’ll add all the product names to a column with the title ‘post_title.’

Before going ahead with the export, you can change the column names or rearrange them using simple drag and drop.

Do you want to ignore a piece of data completely? Then simply uncheck its box and Product Import Export won’t add this information to the CSV or XML file. As you can see, this plugin gives you complete control over the export process, via a user-friendly and intuitive interface.

When it’s time to import content, the plugin will attempt to map each WooCommerce column to a type of data.

Just like before, you can rename and rearrange the data with ease. You can also choose to ignore certain categories of data, by unchecking its box.

4. Quick and Advanced Methods

Product Import Export for WooCommerce comes with Quick and Advanced import/export methods, so you can choose the best approach for you.

If you want to migrate all your WooCommerce data, then you can simply select ‘Quick export/import’ and start the transfer straight away.

Alternatively, you can select ‘Advanced import/export’ and get access to the various filters and options. This takes longer to configure, but it gives you complete control over the migration.

5. Filter the Imported/Exported Products

Sometimes, you may only want to use products that meet certain criteria. For example, you might limit the export to in-stock products, or items from a particular category.

In that case, you can filter your WooCommerce products based on factors such as category, tag, attribute, product type, and price. You can also import/export based on stock status, including In Stock, Out of Stock, and On backorder.

Alternatively, you can import/export specific products or exclude certain items.

Another option, is skipping the first batch of products. This is useful if you only want to import the most recent items, while ignoring the rest of the CSV or XML file. For example, you might tell Product Import Export to ignore the first 100 products.

6. Create Re-usable Templates

Do you plan to use the same filters, mappings, and other settings in future import/exports? In that case, you can save the current import or export configuration as a reusable template.

With that done, you can select this template any time you start a new import/export.

Even if you do choose a template, you can still override these settings before going ahead with the import/export.

7. Export / Import Product Images

Beautiful, eye-catching product images are a great way to boost sales, especially since customers can’t examine your items in-person.

No matter whether you’re migrating to a new website, updating an existing store, or syncing products between multiple sites, it’s important to export/import your product images. Thankfully, this plugin makes it easy to export your featured images and WooCommerce galleries.

You can either export each image’s URL or name, or you can export the images as a separate ZIP file. Exporting these files separately is a good option if you’re transferring lots of images, or you experience server timeouts when using the other methods.

When it comes to importing images, the plugin will use the first image as the featured image. It will then turn all the other images into a product gallery.

8. Multilingual Support

Do you run a multilingual WordPress website, or sell to a large global audience?

In that case, Product Import Export supports WPML. If you’re using this popular translation plugin, then Product Import Export can export translated products along with all their data, such as images, category, SKU, regular price, and sales price.

Product Import Export can also import translated products into your WooCommerce store. Simply add the correct language code to each item in your CSV or XML file, and Product Import Export will handle the rest.

9. Import / Export Product Reviews

Reviews are a powerful form of social proof that make your store seem more trustworthy. With that said, if you’re migrating products to a new location, then it’s smart to bring their reviews along too.

The good news is that Product Import Export can transfer your WooCommerce reviews with ease. Even better, you can filter the exact content you want to export and import. For example, you might only transfer 5 star reviews, or reviews that got lots of responses. In this way, you’re only copying across the most engaging, positive product reviews.

Alternatively, you might only export recent reviews, or reviews left for a specific product.

For example, if you sell the same items across multiple stores, then you can use this feature to sync the latest customer reviews across all your WordPress websites.

10. Migrate WooCommerce Bookings

Are you using the WooCommerce Bookings plugin?

Then you can import/export all the order meta data created using this plugin. However, just be aware that you’ll need to add custom code to your site, using a plugin such as WPCode.

11. Bulk Edit Your WooCommerce Store

Do you need to update a bunch of products? For example, you may need to adjust the pricing, add new images, change the product category, or update the stock status.

In that case, you can export all your product data from WooCommerce as normal.

With that done, simply make the changes in the CSV or XML file, and then import the modified file back into WooCommerce. Product Import Export will then override your existing products with the new information.

No matter whether you’re adding new product tags, updating your inventory, changing the sales price, or making some other change, this bulk editor feature can save you a ton of time.

12. Automatically Generate Product Descriptions

Product descriptions give customers important information about your products, and can also boost your WordPress SEO by adding relevant keywords. However, writing product descriptions takes time, especially if you’re importing lots of items that are missing this information.

To help you out, Product Import Export integrates with the ChatGPT API. Simply enable the ChatGPT setting and it will automatically generate a product description for any item that’s missing one.

You can even try different tones such as formal, casual, or flowery, to create descriptions that perfectly compliment your brand voice.

13. Detailed Log History

If you get an error during an import/export, then this WooCommerce plugin has several tools to help you resolve the problem.

To start, there’s a detailed log that lists all the processes. You can download these logs and then either examine them yourself, or share them with anyone who is helping you solve the problem. This might be a co-worker, users on a community forum, or even a member of the Product Import Export support team.

The log also shows any import/export processes that are currently scheduled, and lets you disable or delete them. This will reduce the server load, which can help you avoid more problems in the future.

If you need more information about a particular process, then Product Import Export also has a history log. Here, you can view the log for each process, download this information, or try re-running a process that’s failed.

14. Avoid Server Timeout

Sometimes, you may get a server timeout when migrating your data. If that happens, then Product Import Export lets you change the number of records processed in each iteration.

Simply type in the number you want to use, and Product Import Export for WooCommerce will handle the rest.

Just be aware that it does limit you to 50 for imports and 200 for exports.

15. Change the Data Delimiter

Delimiters are unique characters that separate each piece of data and make it easier to read. By default, any product data you export from WooCommerce will use a comma (,) as the delimiter. However, this can sometimes trigger WordPress security issues.

If you experience any problems, then Product Import Export for WooCommerce lets you change the delimiter to a semicolon, tab, or space. Alternatively, you can select ‘Custom’ and then type in the exact character you want to use.

16. Create an Automated Schedule

Automated workflows can save you a ton of time and effort. They also keep your business running smoothly, no matter how busy you get.

With that said, this plugin can automatically import/export products based on a schedule set by you. In the plugin’s Scheduler, you can choose a start date and time, and then set it to import/export every day, week, or month. Alternatively, you can enter your own custom interval.

When it comes to scheduling, the plugin supports both Server Cron and WordPress Cron. WordPress Cron is easier to use, but Server Cron is typically more reliable, as it doesn’t depend on user traffic to trigger.

Even better, you can schedule the imports/exports using multiple FTP profiles. That way, you can use data files from multiple FTP profiles without having to configure the profiles each time.

17. Supports FTP

If you’re working with lots of products, then it may be quicker and easier to import/export those items using FTP.

Thankfully, Product Import Export for WooCommerce fully supports FTP. For example, if you’re importing products then you can upload the CSV file to your server using an FTP client such as FileZilla. Then, when configuring the import, choose the FTP profile you want to use and the import file path.

You can even go one step further and schedule these imports/exports to happen automatically. In the Scheduling tool, select ‘WordPress Cron‘ and then specify the start time and interval you want to use.

With that done, the plugin will automate all your imports/exports using your FTP profile.

18. Community and Professional Support

When choosing any WordPress plugin, it’s important to check you’ll have access to high-quality support. This helps you get the most from the plugin, and can help you fix any common WordPress errors or conflicts you may encounter when using it.

To start, Product Import Export for WooCommerce has detailed online documentation that you can access 24/7. Here, you’ll find in-depth guides on all the different types of products and content you can migrate.

It also covers more advanced topics such as how to use the plugin with custom code snippets and images in the WebP format.

If you’re using the free plugin, then you can post to the Product Import Export forum on WordPress.org, and get answers to basic questions.

When posting to public WordPress support forums, it’s always a good idea to include as much information as possible. This helps the experts to understand your problem fully and post a helpful response. For more on this topic, check out our guide on how to properly ask for WordPress support.

If you upgrade to the premium plugin, then’ll also get access to professional support. When accessing the help desk, you’ll be asked for some information about your problem or concern.

The support form will then suggest fixes or articles that might help you resolve the problem straight away.

This can save you a ton of time, since you’re not waiting for a response from customer support. However, if you’re not happy with the automated response, then you can still go ahead and submit a support ticket.

Product Import Export Plugin Review: Pricing and Plans

If you’re just getting started or have a limited budget, then you can download the lite version of Product Import Export Plugin from WordPress.org. This plugin can import/export products, reviews, categories, and tags via a CSV file. However, the premium plugin lets you choose between CSV or XML, schedule your imports, and export images as a separate ZIP.

You can also import and export variable products, subscriptions, bookings, and custom products.

There are 3 plans to choose from. Unlike some other WooCommerce plugins, you can access the full set of features no matter which plan you buy. The only difference, is the number of sites where you can use Product Import Export for WooCommerce.

• For $69 per year, you can install Product Import Export for WooCommerce on a single WordPress blog or website.
• Do you need to use Product Import Export on multiple sites? For $99 annually, you can use the plugin on up to 5 websites. This is a good option if you need to manage products across multiple stores, such as several related affiliate marketing sites.
• If you run a WordPress development agency or manage a portfolio of sites, then you can install this plugin on up to 25 sites for $199 per year.

Product Import Export Review: The Right Data Migration Plugin?

To sum up this Product Import Export for WooCommerce review, we’re confident that it’s a great data migration plugin. It can export/import all your product information including categories, tags, and product images.

You can even use it to migrate other content such as WooCommerce reviews and bookings. This can already save you a ton of time, but you can go further and schedule these imports/exports to happen automatically.

In addition to migrating data, you can use this plugin to update your inventory. For example, you can change an unlimited number of product prices, stock statuses, categories, tags, and other information without having update each product’s listing manually.

We hope this Product Import Export review helped you decide whether it’s the right data migration plugin for you. Next, you may want to see our guide on how to create a WooCommerce popup to increase sales, or check out our expert pick of the best coupon code plugins for your online store.

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