How to import products into WooCommerce from a CSV file
WooCommerce includes a free CSV importer. It does the job, as long as the file is clean and the images are online. Here is how to use it, where it falls short, and how ListoMax publishes your CSV or Excel file through the REST API, with a row-by-row report. For a product sold in several colours, the Series feature publishes 12 listings in less than 2 minutes.
By the ListoMax team · Updated
How do you import products into WooCommerce with a CSV file?
With the built-in importer: in WordPress, open Products, then click the Import button at the top of the list. No plugin is needed.
Choose the file
Select your CSV. The advanced options let you, among other things, set the delimiter and update existing products instead of creating new ones.
Map the columns
WooCommerce suggests a mapping between the file's headers and its own fields. Check every row: one column ignored by mistake, and that information never arrives.
Run the import
A progress bar is displayed, followed by a summary of the number of products created, updated or skipped.
Check the listings
Open a few products: prices, categories, images, variations. This is when you discover the rows that were not understood.
How do you bulk import WordPress products without a plugin?
The built-in importer is enough for a clean file. To avoid preparing the file in WooCommerce format, ListoMax offers another route: it is Windows software, not a plugin, so nothing is added to your site. It creates products through the WooCommerce REST API v3 with a read/write key, as explained in the help page on connecting WooCommerce.
Can you import an Excel file into WooCommerce?
Not directly: the built-in importer expects a CSV file. So you need to save your workbook in CSV UTF-8 format before uploading it.
This is where many problems start. With some regional settings (French or German, for example), Excel separates columns with a semicolon, whereas the importer expects a comma by default. Remember to set the right delimiter in the advanced options. And make sure you choose UTF-8 encoding, otherwise accented characters turn into symbols.
Which columns should a WooCommerce CSV contain?
At the very least a name, a reference (SKU), a price and a category. Add descriptions, stock, weight and images as needed.
In the built-in importer's file, a subcategory is written with a greater-than sign, for example “Clothing > T-shirts”, and several categories are separated by a comma. The safest approach is to export an existing product from your store to get a template with the right headers.
| Information | Header recognised by ListoMax |
|---|---|
| Name per language | name_fr, name_en, name_es, name_de |
| Reference | reference or sku |
| Price | price, sale_price |
| Stock, weight, EAN | quantity, weight, ean |
| Category and tags | category, tags |
| Descriptions | description_fr, short_fr (and other languages) |
| Images, status, SEO | images, active, seo_title_fr, seo_desc_fr |
A CSV template and an Excel template, already filled in with an example, can be downloaded from the software. Recognised columns are shown in green, the others are ignored without blocking anything. More details on bulk import in ListoMax.
Why are my images not importing into WooCommerce?
Most often, the image URL is not publicly accessible. The importer downloads each image from its web address: a file on your hard drive cannot be read.
In the images column, URLs are separated by a comma and the first one becomes the main image. A typo in the URL, a host that blocks downloads, or a very heavy file, and the product arrives without a picture. Check a URL by opening it in your browser before you start.
With ListoMax, you drag your photos into the form: they are uploaded in full resolution to the Media Library (JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, up to 8 MB). The first becomes the main image, the others form the gallery. In an import file, several URLs fit in one cell, separated by a vertical bar. See also how to bulk upload product images.
How do you import WooCommerce variations with a CSV?
In the native file, you need one row for the parent product, of the variable type, then one row per variation linked to that parent, with its attributes.
A T-shirt in four colours and five sizes therefore means twenty-one rows, with attribute columns to fill in without a single mistake. One misspelt value creates an orphan variation, and the customer cannot choose their size.
In ListoMax, you enter the attributes (colour, size, material) and the software generates every combination. The product becomes a variable product and each variation gets its own SKU, price, stock and EAN code. The full method is described on the page about how to bulk create WooCommerce variations.
What are the most common WooCommerce import errors?
Garbled characters
File saved without UTF-8 encoding. Save it again as CSV UTF-8.
Mixed-up columns
Delimiter different from the expected one: semicolon in the file, comma in the settings.
Duplicate products
File run again without the option to update existing products, or missing references (SKUs).
401 error with software
For a REST API connection, the key is rejected: check that it has Read/Write permissions and was copied without spaces.
In ListoMax, every failure is listed with its row number and reason, and an option lets you keep going despite errors so the whole batch is not blocked. A category missing from the store is created at the time of publishing.
WooCommerce CSV importer or software: which should you choose?
The built-in importer suits a file that is already clean. Software like ListoMax becomes useful when the file comes from a supplier, when you need variations, or when you publish to several stores.
| WooCommerce importer | ListoMax | |
|---|---|---|
| Formats | CSV | CSV and Excel |
| Columns | Mapping to redo at every import | Headers recognised automatically, preview before sending |
| Images | Public web URLs | URLs in the file or files dragged into the form |
| Errors | Summary at the end of the import | Row number and reason for every failure |
| Destinations | The current store | Several WooCommerce and PrestaShop stores |
After sending, ListoMax reads each product back from WooCommerce and compares what was requested with what was received. The details are on the page about how to bulk add products to WooCommerce, and the PrestaShop and WooCommerce compatibility table shows what is sent to each CMS.
Do you also run a PrestaShop store? Read our guide to importing a CSV or Excel file into PrestaShop, then see how to publish your products to multiple stores and translate your product listings into 8 languages. Ready to try? Follow the ListoMax installation guide.
Your questions, answered
Do I need a plugin to import a CSV into WooCommerce?
No. The CSV importer is built into WooCommerce, in the Products menu. ListoMax is not a plugin either: it is Windows software that works through the official REST API.
How do I import an Excel file into WooCommerce?
The built-in importer requires a CSV: save your workbook as CSV UTF-8. ListoMax reads the first sheet of an Excel file directly, with no conversion.
Why are my images not showing after the CSV import?
Image URLs must be public and exact. Open one in your browser to check. With ListoMax, you can also drag in your files, which are uploaded to the Media Library.
How long does it take to publish a range of 12 products?
With the ListoMax Series feature, less than 2 minutes to publish 12 complete listings, according to the publisher's measurement. You fill in one listing, enter the values, and the software sends all 12.
Can I update existing products with a CSV?
Yes, the built-in importer offers an option to update existing products. In ListoMax, an edited listing is republished without being recreated or duplicated, and found by its reference if needed.
Can I try before buying?
Yes. The trial gives you 5 real publications to your stores, no credit card required. After that, a lifetime licence, detailed on the pricing page.
Try it on your own stores
5 real publications free, no credit card required. Then a lifetime licence: €49 for one computer, €149 for up to 20 computers.