Import WooCommerce Products
Import WP’s WooCommerce add-on adds a dedicated WooCommerce Products importer template so you can import simple, grouped, external, variable, and variation products from CSV, XML, and other supported sources.
Table of Contents
Requirements
- WordPress with WooCommerce installed and activated
- Import WP (free)
- Import WP Pro (for scheduling, remote files, custom fields, and add-ons)
- Import WP WooCommerce add-on
Create a WooCommerce Products importer
- Go to Import WP → Add Importer.
- Choose your file source (upload, URL, FTP, Google Sheets, etc.).
- On the template step, select WooCommerce Products.
The WooCommerce Products template replaces the default post fields with product-aware sections that mirror WooCommerce’s edit product screen. Hidden fields can be toggled with the Enable Fields button.
Template sections
| Section | What it imports |
|---|---|
| Product Fields | Name, description, short description, product type, status, tax, external URL |
| Pricing | Regular price, sale price, sale date range |
| Inventory | SKU, GTIN/UPC/EAN/ISBN, stock management, quantity, stock status |
| Shipping | Weight and dimensions |
| Linked Products | Upsells, cross-sells, grouped products |
| Product Attributes | Global or local attributes, visibility, used for variations |
| Advanced | Parent (for variations), featured product flag, purchase note, menu order, date |
| Product Gallery | Product images (featured + gallery) |
| Product Downloads | Downloadable file name and URL |
| Taxonomies | Product categories, tags, shipping class, and other product taxonomies |
| Images & Attachments | Additional attachments / featured image (alongside Product Gallery) |
| Custom Fields | Custom meta (Import WP Pro) |
Supported product types
Set Product Type under Product Fields (enable the field if it is hidden).
| Value in your file | WooCommerce product type |
|---|---|
simple (or leave empty) | Simple product |
grouped | Grouped product |
external | External / affiliate product |
variable | Variable product (parent) |
variation | Product variation (child of a variable product) |
You can also set downloadable or virtual as product type values to flip those flags, or use the dedicated Virtual / Downloadable Yes/No fields.
Recommended import order
For catalogues that include variations:
- Import simple / grouped / external products (if any).
- Import variable parents with attributes marked Used for variations? = Yes.
- Import variations, linked to the parent via Advanced → Parent (usually by SKU).
Parents must exist before variations can be inserted. On update, an existing variation can keep its current parent if the parent lookup fails.
Unique identifiers (SKU and GTIN)
When Product SKU is mapped, Import WP can use it as the unique identifier so re-running the importer updates existing products instead of creating duplicates.
You can also map GTIN, UPC, EAN, or ISBN and use that as the unique identifier on the Permissions step.
See Update Existing WooCommerce Products for create / update / skip permissions and common “Not enough permissions” errors.