WooCommerce How-To: Export a CSV of Orders (Simple Guide for Beginners)
So, you’re running a WooCommerce store – that’s awesome! You’re likely collecting lots of valuable order data. But what do you do with it? Sometimes, you need Read more about How To Create Multiple Options With Woocommerce Product to get that data *out* of WooCommerce and into a format you can work with easily. This is where exporting your order data as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file comes in. Think of a CSV like a simple spreadsheet you can open in Excel or Google Sheets.
This guide will walk you through exporting your WooCommerce orders to a CSV file, even if you’re a complete beginner. No technical wizardry required!
Why Export Your WooCommerce Orders to CSV?
Before we dive in, let’s understand why exporting your order data is useful. Imagine you own a small online bakery selling custom cakes.
Here are a few real-life scenarios where a CSV export would be incredibly helpful:
* Analyzing Sales Trends: You want to figure out which cake flavors are most popular each month. A CSV export lets you analyze order dates and cake types in a spreadsheet to identify trends. You might find that chocolate cake sales spike around Valentine’s Day.
* Customer Relationship Management (CRM): You want to import customer information from your orders into a CRM system to personalize your marketing efforts. You could segment customers based on their past cake purchases and send targeted promotions.
* Inventory Management: You need to calculate how much of each ingredient you need to order for the next week based on upcoming orders. A CSV export can help you total the quantity of each ingredient required across all orders.
* Accounting: Your accountant needs a detailed breakdown of your sales and expenses. Exporting your order data provides them with the information they need for bookkeeping.
* Bulk Order Updates: You might need to quickly update order statuses (e.g., “Processing” to “Completed”) for a large number of orders. You can do this within a spreadsheet and then upload the updated CSV back into WooCommerce (often requires a separate import plugin).
Method 1: Using the Built-in WooCommerce Order Export (Limitations Apply)
WooCommerce has a basic built-in export functionality. However, it has limited options and isn’t always the best solution for complex data needs. Let’s explore it first.
Steps:
1. Log in to your WordPress Admin Panel: Go to your website’s admin area (usually `yourwebsite.com/wp-admin`).
2. Navigate to WooCommerce > Orders: In the left-hand menu, click on “WooCommerce” and then “Orders”.
3. Click the “Export” Button: At the top of the Orders page, you *might* see an “Export” button. Note: This button is *not always present* in newer versions of WooCommerce. If you don’t see it, you’ll need to use a plugin (explained in Method 2). If you DO see it, continue to step 4.
4. Configure Export Options (If Available): If the export button takes you to a settings screen, you’ll typically see options to:
* Choose columns: You might be able to select which order details (like order ID, customer name, total amount) you want to include in the CSV.
* Filter by order status: Export only orders with a specific status (e.g., “Completed”, “Processing”).
* Set a date range: Export orders within a specific timeframe.
5. Click “Generate CSV”: Click the button to create your CSV file.
6. Download Your CSV: The CSV file should automatically download to your computer.
Why This Method Might Not Be Enough:
* Limited Customization: You often can’t choose exactly *which* data fields to export or how they are formatted.
* No Advanced Filtering: Filtering options are usually basic. You might not be able to filter by specific product purchased or customer location.
* No Export of Custom Fields: If you use custom fields to store additional order information, they might not be included in the export.
Method 2: Using a WooCommerce Order Export Plugin (Recommended)
For more control and flexibility, using a dedicated WooCommerce order export plugin is the best approach. There are many free and paid plugins available. Here’s an example using a popular free plugin:
Example: Using the “Order Export & Order Import for WooCommerce” Plugin
This plugin, or similar ones, provides extensive customization options.
1. Install and Activate the Plugin:
* In your WordPress Admin Panel, go to “Plugins” > “Add New”.
* Search for “Order Export & Order Import for WooCommerce” (or a similar plugin – read reviews!).
* Click “Install Now” and then “Activate”.
2. Access the Plugin Settings:
* After activating, you’ll usually find a new menu item in your WordPress dashboard, often under “WooCommerce” or a separate section. Look for something like “Order Export” or “Export Orders”.
3. Configure Your Export: This is where the power lies! Typical options include:
* Selecting Data Fields: Choose *exactly* which order details to include in your CSV file. This is crucial for getting the specific data you need.
* Filtering Orders: Filter by:
* Order Status
* Date Range
* Product Purchased
* Customer Details (e.g., location, email)
* Order Total
* And much more!
* Customizing Output:
* Choose the CSV delimiter (usually a comma, but Explore this article on Woocommerce How To Show Free Shipping Text sometimes a semicolon).
* Select the file name for your CSV.
* Control how dates are formatted.
* Include or exclude column headers.
* Scheduling Exports: Some plugins allow you to schedule automated exports (e.g., daily, weekly). This is incredibly useful for regular reporting.
4. Run the Export: Once you’ve configured your settings, click the “Export” or “Generate CSV” button.
5. Download Your CSV: The CSV file will download to your computer.
Example Scenario:
Let’s say you want to export all orders from the last month that contain a specific product (e.g., “Premium Chocolate Cake”) and have a status of “Completed”. You also want to include the following data fields: Order ID, Customer Name, Customer Email, Order Date, Total Amount, and Shipping Address.
Using an order export plugin, you would configure the following:
* Date Range: Last Month
* Order Status: Completed
* Product Filter: Contains “Premium Chocolate Cake”
* Data Fields: Order ID, Customer Name, Customer Email, Order Date, Total Amount, Shipping Address
The plugin would then generate a CSV file containing only the orders that match these criteria, with the selected data fields.
Example Code (Custom PHP Snippet – Use with CAUTION):
Important: This is an advanced option. Incorrect code can break your site. Only use this if you understand PHP and have a way to test it safely (e.g., a staging environment). A plugin is *much* safer for most users.
If you *really* need custom exports and are comfortable with PHP, you *could* write a custom code snippet (placed in your `functions.php` file of your child theme or using a code snippets plugin) to create a custom export. This is an EXAMPLE only and needs thorough testing.
<?php /**
- Example: Custom WooCommerce Order Export
- * This Learn more about How To Add A Banner To Storefront Woocommerce is a very basic example and should be adapted to your specific needs.
- Use with extreme caution!
// Set headers for CSV download
header( ‘Content-Type: text/csv; charset=utf-8’ );
header( ‘Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=woocommerce_orders_custom.csv’ );
// Create CSV output stream
$output = fopen( ‘php://output’, ‘w’ );
// Add CSV header row
fputcsv( $output, array( ‘Order ID’, ‘Customer Name’, ‘Order Date’, ‘Total’ ) ); // Customize headers
// Get orders (modify the WP_Query args as needed)
$args = array(
‘post_type’ => ‘shop_order’,
‘post_status’ => ‘wc-completed’, // Only completed orders
‘posts_per_page’ => -1, // Get all orders
);
$orders = new WP_Query( $args );
if ( $orders->have_posts() ) {
while ( $orders->have_posts() ) {
$orders->the_post();
$order_id = get_the_ID();
$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
$customer_name = $order->get_billing_first_name() . ‘ ‘ . $order->get_billing_last_name();
$order_date = wc_format_datetime( $order->get_date_created() );
$total = $order->get_total();
// Add order data to CSV
fputcsv( $output, array( $order_id, $customer_name, $order_date, $total ) ); // Customize data
}
wp_reset_postdata();
}
// Close CSV output stream
fclose( $output );
exit; // Important: Prevent further output
}
}
add_action( ‘init’, ‘custom_woocommerce_order_export’ );
// Add a link to your admin menu (optional)
function custom_order_export_admin_menu() {
add_submenu_page(
‘woocommerce’, // Parent menu slug
‘Custom Order Export’, // Page title
‘Custom Order Export’, // Menu title
‘manage_woocommerce’, // Capability required
‘custom-order-export’, // Menu slug
‘custom_order_export_page’ // Callback function
);
}
add_action( ‘admin_menu’, ‘custom_order_export_admin_menu’ );
function custom_order_export_page() {
echo ‘
‘;
}
Explanation:
1. `custom_woocommerce_order_export()`: This function handles the export logic when the `custom_order_export` GET parameter is present in the URL (e.g., `yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/?custom_order_export=1`).
2. Headers: Sets the HTTP headers to force a CSV download.
3. `fopen( ‘php://output’, ‘w’ )`: Opens a stream to the browser, allowing us to write the CSV directly.
4. `fputcsv()`: Writes a row of data to the CSV file. You’ll need to customize the headers and the data pulled from the `$order` object to match your needs. Look at the WooCommerce documentation for all the available order data methods (e.g., `$order->get_billing_email()`, `$order->get_items()`).
5. `WP_Query`: Retrieves WooCommerce orders. The `$args` array controls which orders are retrieved (e.g., by status, date range). Modify these arguments to filter your orders.
6. Looping through Orders: Iterates through each order found by the `WP_Query`.
7. `wc_get_order()`: Retrieves the WooCommerce order object from the post ID. This object provides access to all the order data.
8. `exit;`: Crucially important! Prevents WordPress from adding any extra HTML to the CSV file.
9. `custom_order_export_admin_menu()` and `custom_order_export_page()`: (Optional) Adds a link to your WordPress admin menu, making it easier to trigger the export.
Again, using a plugin is almost always the better option for beginners and even experienced users who don’t want to write and maintain custom code.
Conclusion
Exporting your WooCommerce order data to a CSV file is a powerful way to analyze your sales, manage your inventory, and improve your customer relationships. While the built-in WooCommerce export has limitations, dedicated order export plugins offer the flexibility and control you need to extract the exact data you require. Choose the method that best suits your technical skills and data requirements. Good luck!
