Woocommerce How To Export Products

WooCommerce: How to Export Products (A Beginner’s Guide)

So, you’re using WooCommerce and need to export your products? Maybe you’re migrating your store to a new platform, creating a backup, updating product information in bulk, or even sharing your product catalog with a partner. Whatever the reason, exporting products is a common task, and thankfully, WooCommerce makes it relatively straightforward. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, even if you’re a complete newbie!

Why Export Your WooCommerce Products?

Before we dive into the “how,” let’s quickly cover the “why.” Understanding the benefits will help you appreciate the importance of this process.

Backup and Disaster Recovery: Imagine your website crashing. Having a product export acts as a crucial backup, allowing you to quickly restore your product catalog without having to manually re-enter everything. Think of it like having an insurance policy for your online store!
Migration to a New Platform: Moving to a new e-commerce platform? Exporting your products allows you to seamlessly transfer your product data to the new system, saving you tons of time and effort. It’s like moving all your furniture to a new house instead of buying everything again.
Bulk Editing and Updates: Need to update prices, descriptions, or other product information for a large number of products? Exporting to a CSV file lets you easily make these changes in a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets and then import the updated data back into WooCommerce. This is a HUGE time-saver!
Sharing Product Catalogs: Want to share your product catalog with a distributor or affiliate partner? Exporting allows you to provide them with a structured file containing all your product information, including descriptions, images, and pricing.

Using the Built-In WooCommerce Product Exporter

WooCommerce comes with a built-in exporter that’s perfect for most basic export needs. Here’s how to use it:

1. Navigate to Products: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Products > All Products.

2. Click the “Export” Button: At the top of the page, you’ll see an “Export” button. Click it.

3. Configure Your Export Options: This is where you tell WooCommerce what to export.

Which columns to export: You can choose to export all columns or select specific ones. For example, if you’re only updating prices, you might only need to export the “SKU” and “Regular Price” columns.
Which product types to export: Do you want to export all product types (simple, variable, grouped, etc.) or just specific ones?
Which product categories to export: Want to export only products from a specific category, like “T-shirts”?
Which product tags to export: Similar to categories, you can filter by product tags.
Export custom meta: This option allows you to export any custom fields you’ve added to your products.

4. Generate and Download the CSV: Click the “Generate CSV” button. WooCommerce will create a CSV file containing your product data, and your browser will automatically download it.

Example: Let’s say you want to export all your t-shirts to update their prices. You would:

Select “Products” > “All Products”
Click “Export”
Choose “All columns” (or just the columns you need, like SKU and price)
Select “T-shirts” under “Which product categories to export”
Click “Generate CSV”

Understanding the Exported CSV File

The exported CSV file (Comma Separated Values) is essentially a spreadsheet in plain text format. You can open it in programs like:

Microsoft Excel: A popular spreadsheet program.
Google Sheets: A free, web-based spreadsheet program.
LibreOffice Calc: A free, open-source spreadsheet program.

Each row in the CSV file represents a product, and each column represents a product attribute, such as:

ID: The unique identifier for the product.
Type: The product type (simple, variable, etc.).
SKU: The Stock Keeping Unit (a unique identifier for inventory management).
Name: The product name.
Published: Whether the product is published on your store.
Is featured? Whether the product is featured.
Visibility in catalog: Product visibility settings.
Description: The product description.
Short description: The short product description.
Regular price: The normal price of the product.
Sale price: The discounted price of the product.
Tax status: Whether the product is taxable.
Tax class: The tax class applied to the product.
Manage stock? Whether stock management is enabled.
Stock quantity: The current stock level.
Allow backorders? Whether backorders are allowed.
Sold individually? Whether the product can only be bought one at a time.
Weight: The product weight.
Length: The product length.
Width: The product width.
Height: The product height.
Categories: The categories the product belongs to.
Tags: The tags applied to the product.
Images: URLs of product images.
Downloadable? Whether the product is downloadable.
Virtual? Whether the product is virtual.
Download limit: The download limit for downloadable products.
Download expiry days: The download expiry days for downloadable products.
Parent: The ID of the parent product (for variations).
Grouped products: The IDs of grouped products.
Upsells: The IDs of upsell products.
Cross-sells: The IDs of cross-sell products.
External URL: The external URL for external/affiliate products.
Button text: The button text for external/affiliate products.
Position: The product position in the menu order.
Attribute 1 name: The name of the first product attribute.
Attribute 1 value(s): The values for the first product attribute.
Attribute 1 visible: Whether the first product attribute is visible on the product page.
Attribute 1 global: Whether the first product attribute is global (used across multiple products).

*And so on for Attribute 2, Attribute 3, etc.*

Limitations of the Built-In Exporter

While the built-in exporter is useful, it has some limitations:

Large Product Catalogs: Exporting very large product catalogs can be slow and sometimes lead to errors.
Complex Data Structures: Managing complex product variations or custom fields can be challenging.
Image Handling: Managing and updating product images can be cumbersome.

Alternative Plugins for Advanced Exporting

If you need more advanced features or are dealing with a large and complex product catalog, consider using a dedicated WooCommerce export plugin. Some popular options include:

Product Import Export for WooCommerce: A powerful plugin with a wide range of features for importing and exporting products, including scheduling and support for various file formats.
WP All Import: A versatile plugin that can import and export various types of data, including WooCommerce products. It offers a visual interface for mapping data fields.

These plugins often offer features like:

Scheduled Exports: Automatically export your product data on a regular basis.
Advanced Filtering: More granular control over which products are exported.
Support for Multiple File Formats: Export to CSV, XML, and other formats.
Image Handling: Easier management of product images during export and import.

Important Tips for Successful Product Exporting

Always Back Up Your Database: Before making any significant changes to your product data, always back up your WooCommerce database. This will protect you in case something goes wrong.
Test Your Exports: After exporting your data, open the CSV file and review it to ensure that all the information is accurate.
Be Careful When Editing CSV Files: When editing the CSV file, be extremely careful not to accidentally delete or corrupt data. Always work on a copy of the original file.
Understand Your Data: Familiarize yourself with the meaning of each column in the CSV file to avoid making mistakes.
Consult Documentation: If you’re using a plugin, refer to its documentation for detailed instructions and troubleshooting tips.

By following these steps and tips, you can confidently export your WooCommerce products and manage your online store more effectively! Good luck!