How to Export Products from WooCommerce (CSV & Excel) to Shopify

Exporting products from WooCommerce is a fundamental task for any online store owner, whether you're backing up your data, performing bulk edits, or moving your inventory to a new platform like woocommerce to shopify. Fortunately, WooCommerce comes with a built-in exporter that allows you to quickly download all your products to a CSV file in just a few clicks, without needing extra plugins.

While the built-in tool is excellent for basic exports, you might need a dedicated plugin if you require advanced filtering, scheduled exports, XML format for marketplaces, or direct Excel (XLSX) output. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about WooCommerce product export, from using the native tools to leveraging powerful plugins, ensuring your product data is always where you need it.

You'll learn how to export your entire catalog, specific product lists, handle product images, transfer data to another website, and even troubleshoot common issues. We'll also cover the best third-party solutions for more complex needs. If you're looking to set up WooCommerce or manage an existing store, understanding product export is crucial.

Last updated: November 20, 2023

What You Can Export with the Built-in WooCommerce Exporter

The built-in WooCommerce Product CSV Importer and Exporter is a robust tool that allows you to export a wide range of product data directly into a CSV file. This includes all standard product types such as simple, variable (along with all their variations), grouped, and external products.

The exported CSV file typically contains essential information like product names, descriptions, short descriptions, prices (regular and sale), SKUs, stock status and quantity, categories, tags, attributes, and image URLs. Crucially, images are exported as URLs, meaning that the link to where the image is hosted on your site is included, not the image file itself. You also have the option to include custom meta data, which captures additional fields added by other plugins or custom development.

While comprehensive for basic needs, it’s important to note its limitations. The built-in exporter exclusively generates CSV files, meaning there's no native support for XML or direct Excel (XLSX) formats. Furthermore, it lacks advanced filtering options by date, stock status, or price range, and it doesn't support scheduled exports. For these advanced functionalities, third-party plugins become essential.

How to Export All Products from WooCommerce to CSV (Step by Step)

Exporting your entire product catalog from WooCommerce to a CSV file is straightforward using the built-in tool within your WordPress Dashboard. This process generates a comprehensive file perfect for backups or mass editing.

Follow these steps to perform a full product export:

1. From your WordPress administration area, navigate to Products > All Products in the left-hand sidebar.
2. On the 'Products' screen, locate and click the Export button situated at the top of the page, next to the 'Add New' button.
3. [Screenshot: WooCommerce Products page with 'Export' button highlighted]
4. The 'Export products' screen will appear, prompting you to configure your export.
5. Which columns should be exported? Here, you can select which specific columns of product data you want to include in your CSV. By default, all columns are selected. If you only need certain data points (e.g., ID, SKU, Name, Price), uncheck the irrelevant ones.
6. [Screenshot: Export products screen, 'Which columns should be exported?' section]
7. Which product types should be exported? Use this dropdown to filter products by their product types. You can choose to export 'All products' or specify types like 'Simple products', 'Variable products', 'Grouped products', or 'External products'.
8. Which product categories should be exported? This dropdown allows you to filter by categories. Select 'All categories' or pick specific ones if you only need products from certain sections of your store.
9. [Screenshot: Export products screen, 'Which product types should be exported?' and 'Which product categories should be exported?' sections]
10. Do you want to export custom meta? Tick the checkbox next to Export custom meta if your products include additional fields added by third-party plugins (like custom tabs or extra product information) or advanced custom fields (ACF). This ensures all relevant data is included.
11. [Screenshot: Export products screen, 'Do you want to export custom meta?' checkbox]
12. Finally, click the Generate CSV button. WooCommerce will process your request and prompt you to download the CSV file to your computer.

Once downloaded, the CSV file will typically have a row for each product. For variable products, the parent product and each of its variations will appear on separate rows. Variations are linked to their parent via a 'Parent' column, making it clear which variation belongs to which main product. Fields like stock status and tags are included for each product/variation.

How to Export a Specific Product List (by Type, Category or Columns)

Sometimes you don't need your entire catalog but rather a focused list, for instance, only products from a single category or just essential inventory details. The built-in exporter's filters allow for this precision.

To export a specific list:

1. Follow steps 1-2 from the previous section to reach the 'Export products' screen.
2. In the 'Which columns should be exported?' section, deselect all columns and then individually select only the data points you need, such as ID, SKU, Name, Regular Price, and Stock quantity. This creates a lightweight file ideal for inventory checks.
3. To narrow down products by category, select your desired category from the 'Which product categories should be exported?' dropdown. Similarly, you can filter by product type if you only want to export, for example, all your 'Simple products'.
4. Click Generate CSV to download your tailored product list.

In practice, if you need to perform an inventory count for your 'T-Shirts' category, you would select only the 'T-Shirts' category and the 'ID', 'SKU', 'Name', and 'Stock quantity' columns. This creates a highly specific and manageable file.

How to Export WooCommerce Products with Images

When you export WooCommerce products using the built-in tool, images are not exported as actual image files but rather as URLs in the Images column of your CSV. If a product has multiple images, their URLs will be listed in this column, separated by commas, with the first URL typically representing the main product image.

This method is highly efficient for transferring product data between WooCommerce sites. When you import this CSV to a new WooCommerce store (e.g., as part of a migration from woocommerce to shopify via intermediate steps or directly to another WooCommerce instance), the new site will attempt to download and attach the images using these URLs. For this to work successfully, the original site (the source of the export) must remain online and accessible at the time of import, allowing the new site to fetch the image files.

If you require the actual image files (e.g., for local backup, external design work, or manual upload to a completely different platform), you'll need to manually copy the wp-content/uploads directory from your WordPress installation via FTP or your hosting file manager. Alternatively, some advanced export plugins offer the option to download image files as part of the export package.

Typical Problem: Images Not Pulling Through on Import

If your images fail to import to a new site, common causes include:

• Source Site Offline: The URLs were inaccessible during import. Ensure the old site is live.
• Incorrect Image URLs: Check the CSV for broken or incorrect URLs.
• Server Permissions/Limits: The new server might have restrictive file size limits or directory permissions preventing image uploads.
• Firewall/Security: Security settings on either server might block external image fetching.

Always verify the image URLs in your CSV and ensure the source site is reachable during the import process.

How to Export WooCommerce Products to Excel

WooCommerce's built-in exporter generates files exclusively in CSV format, not direct .xlsx Excel files. However, you can easily open and work with these CSVs in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. The key is to import them correctly to avoid data corruption, especially with special characters or leading zeros in SKUs.

Here's the recommended way to open your WooCommerce product CSV in Excel:

1. Open Microsoft Excel. Do not double-click the CSV file, as this often leads to formatting issues.
2. Go to the Data tab in the Excel ribbon.
3. In the 'Get & Transform Data' group, click From Text/CSV.
4. [Screenshot: Excel Data tab, 'From Text/CSV' button highlighted]
5. Browse and select your WooCommerce product CSV file, then click Import.
6. A preview window will appear. Ensure the File Origin is set to 65001: Unicode (UTF-8) to prevent 'krakozyabry' (garbled characters) with non-English text.
7. Confirm that the Delimiter is set to Comma.
8. [Screenshot: Excel Text Import Wizard preview, UTF-8 and Comma delimiter selected]
9. Click Load. Your data will now be correctly displayed in an Excel worksheet, preserving special characters and formatting like leading zeros in SKUs or long IDs.

Why avoid double-clicking? Double-clicking a CSV often opens it with default settings that might misinterpret character encodings (leading to garbled text), truncate numbers (e.g., SKU '00123' becomes '123'), or misinterpret delimiters, leading to columns merging. Always use the 'From Text/CSV' import feature.

If you make edits in Excel and need to re-import the file back into WooCommerce, it's crucial to save it back as a CSV with UTF-8 encoding. In Excel, go to File > Save As, choose 'CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)' as the format, and in the 'Save As' dialog, click Tools > Web Options > Encoding, then select Unicode (UTF-8). For a simpler alternative, Google Sheets handles CSVs beautifully and automatically maintains UTF-8 encoding.

How to Export WooCommerce Products to Another Site

Transferring your product catalog to a new WooCommerce site is a common scenario, especially during a platform move from woocommerce to shopify or migrating between WooCommerce instances. The process involves exporting from the old site and importing to the new one.

Here's the general workflow:

1. Export from Old Site: Use the built-in WooCommerce exporter (as detailed in 'How to Export All Products from WooCommerce to CSV') to get a comprehensive CSV file of your products. Ensure you select 'Export custom meta' if you have data from plugins that needs to be transferred.
2. Prepare New Site (Optional but Recommended): While WooCommerce's importer can create categories and attributes on the fly, it's often cleaner to set up your basic product categories and global attributes on the new site beforehand, matching their slugs.
3. Import to New Site: On your new WordPress Dashboard, navigate to Products > Import.
4. [Screenshot: WooCommerce Products page with 'Import' button highlighted]
5. Click Choose File and upload the CSV you exported from your old site. Then click Continue.
6. [Screenshot: Product Importer 'Upload CSV file' step]
7. Map Columns: The importer will present a screen to 'Map columns'. This is where you match the column headers from your CSV file (e.g., 'Name', 'SKU') to the corresponding WooCommerce product fields. WooCommerce usually does a good job of auto-mapping. Review and adjust as necessary.
8. [Screenshot: Product Importer 'Map columns' step]
9. Importer Settings: On the next screen, crucial settings include:
   • Update existing products: Check this box if you are updating products that already exist on the new site (matching by ID or SKU). If it's a fresh import, leave it unchecked.
   • Upload images if they exist in the CSV: Ensure this is checked so the importer attempts to download images from the URLs in your CSV.
10. Click Run the importer.

Important Nuances:

• Images: As mentioned, images are fetched via URL. The original site must be accessible. If migrating, ensure the old domain is still live during the import.
• SKUs: Consistent SKUs are vital for updating existing products. If your old and new sites have different SKU formats, the importer won't match them correctly.
• Custom Meta Data: Custom meta data (extra fields from plugins like ACF or product builders) will only transfer successfully if the *exact same plugins* generating those custom fields are installed and active on the new site *before* you run the import.
• Full Store Migration: If you are moving your entire store, including orders, customers, and settings, exporting products alone won't suffice. For a complete transfer, you'll need to migrate your WooCommerce store using specialized migration tools or services.

Exporting WooCommerce Products to XML

Unlike CSV, WooCommerce does not have a built-in feature to export products directly to XML format. XML is often required for specific purposes, particularly for generating product feeds for marketplaces, price comparison websites, or integrating with other e-commerce systems.

There are two primary ways to approach XML exports in WooCommerce:

1. WordPress's Built-in Export Tool: Under Tools > Export in your WordPress Dashboard, you can export 'Products' (among other content types) to a WXR XML file. This XML format is specifically designed for migrating content between WordPress sites and includes posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, and tags. While it contains product data, it is generally not suitable for generating product feeds for external platforms like Google Shopping or Amazon because its structure is WordPress-centric, not optimized for product-specific feed requirements.
2. Using a Plugin: For true XML product feeds tailored for external services, you will need a dedicated plugin. Plugins like WP All Export are specifically designed to create highly customizable XML feeds. They allow you to map product data to specific XML tags required by different platforms, apply filters, and even schedule automatic exports. This is the go-to solution for creating robust and compliant XML feeds for marketing and integration purposes.

Choose the WordPress WXR XML export if you're primarily moving content between WordPress sites. Opt for a specialized plugin when you need structured, platform-specific XML feeds for marketplaces or other external systems.

Best Plugins to Export WooCommerce Products

While the built-in WooCommerce exporter handles basic CSV needs, its limitations (lack of advanced filters, no scheduled exports, no XML/Excel output) often necessitate a more powerful solution. Here's when to consider a plugin: you need to filter by price or stock status, automate exports to FTP or Google Drive, generate XML feeds, or work directly with Excel (XLSX) files. Here are some of the best plugins available:

WooCommerce Product CSV Importer and Exporter

This is the built-in tool that ships with WooCommerce. It's free, functional, and ideal for straightforward export product csv tasks. It allows you to export all product types, categories, tags, attributes, and custom meta data to a CSV. It's perfect for quick backups, bulk price updates via CSV, or transferring product lists between simple WooCommerce sites. Its main strength lies in its simplicity and seamless integration with the core platform, requiring no extra installation for basic export functions.

WP All Export

WP All Export is a highly flexible and powerful plugin known for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface. It supports various export formats, including CSV, XML, and Excel (XLSX). You can precisely control which data fields are exported, apply powerful filters (by price, stock, date, custom fields), and rearrange columns with ease. It's particularly strong for creating custom XML feeds for marketplaces or complex data migrations. The free version offers basic exports, while the Pro version unlocks scheduled exports, advanced filtering, and integration with external services like FTP and email. It's a top choice for users needing granular control and advanced automation.

Product Import Export for WooCommerce (WebToffee)

Developed by WebToffee, this plugin is another popular choice, offering comprehensive import and export capabilities for various WooCommerce entities, not just products. It supports both CSV and XML formats and comes with robust filtering options (by category, product type, stock status, etc.). Key features include scheduled exports, the ability to export product reviews, categories, and even custom fields. Its strength lies in its versatility across different data types and its strong feature set for automation and detailed filtering, making it suitable for complex inventory management and data synchronizations.

Common Export Issues and How to Fix Them

Even with the most robust tools, you might encounter issues during WooCommerce product export. Here are some common problems, their causes, and how to resolve them:

• Export Freezes or Generates Empty File for Large Catalogs:
  • Cause: Server timeout limits, low PHP memory limits, or execution time limits are often exceeded when exporting thousands of products.
  • Solution: Try exporting products in smaller batches (e.g., by category or product type). Increase your server's PHP memory_limit and max_execution_time (contact your host for assistance). Using a dedicated export plugin designed for large datasets can also help as they often have more efficient batch processing.
• Garbled Characters ('Krakozyabry') in Excel:
  • Cause: Incorrect character encoding when opening the CSV file in Excel.
  • Solution: Always import CSVs into Excel using 'Data > From Text/CSV' and specify 'UTF-8' as the File Origin. Avoid double-clicking the CSV directly.
• Product Variations without Attributes or Incorrectly Linked:
  • Cause: During import on a new site, variations might not link correctly if the parent product ID/SKU is missing or if the global attributes they depend on weren't created or matched properly.
  • Solution: Ensure your CSV explicitly defines parent IDs for variations. On the new site, ensure global attributes are set up with matching slugs *before* import, or allow the importer to create them if your CSV has enough detail.
• Missing Custom Fields (Custom Meta Data):
  • Cause: The 'Export custom meta' checkbox was not ticked during export, or the corresponding plugins creating those custom fields are not active on the new site during import.
  • Solution: Always tick the Export custom meta checkbox. If importing to a new site, make sure all plugins that generate custom product fields are installed and activated on the new site *before* you run the product import.

FAQ

How do I export all products from WooCommerce?
You can export all products from WooCommerce using the built-in tool. Navigate to Products > All Products in your WordPress Dashboard, then click the Export button at the top. On the export screen, leave all columns, product types, and categories selected, and click Generate CSV to download your full product catalog.

Can I export WooCommerce products with images?
Yes, the built-in WooCommerce exporter includes product images, but they are exported as URLs within a dedicated 'Images' column in the CSV file, not as actual image files. When importing to a new site, WooCommerce uses these URLs to download and attach the images, requiring the source site to be online and accessible.

How do I export WooCommerce products to Excel?
WooCommerce exports products as CSV files, not directly as .xlsx Excel files. To open your product CSV correctly in Excel, use 'Data > From Text/CSV' in Excel, then specify 'UTF-8' as the file origin and 'Comma' as the delimiter. This prevents character encoding issues and data corruption.

Does WooCommerce export product variations?
Yes, the built-in WooCommerce exporter fully supports product variations. When you export, each variation of a variable product will appear as a separate row in the CSV file, clearly linked to its parent product through a 'Parent' column, ensuring all your product options are included.

Can I schedule automatic product exports in WooCommerce?
The built-in WooCommerce exporter does not support scheduled or automatic product exports. For this functionality, you will need a third-party plugin like WP All Export or WebToffee's Product Import Export for WooCommerce. These plugins offer advanced scheduling options to automate your product exports at set intervals.