Looking to export or import your refunded WooCommerce orders data?
Store owners often need to move refund data for reasons like syncing with accounting software, generating refund reports, migrating between stores, or maintaining accurate refund records.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the order refund export and import process and also cover some advanced cases.
📑 Table of Contents
What You Can Do with WooCommerce Refund Export and Import
WooCommerce order refund data includes a lot more than the basic refund ID and amount. This data is useful for everything from accounting and bookkeeping to customer service and refund reporting.
With the refund export data, you can:
- Share refund data with your accountant or bookkeeper
- Sync refunds to accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero
- Generate detailed refund reports for finance teams
- Send refund data to an ERP for reconciliation
- Migrate refunds to a new WooCommerce store
- Run scheduled refund reports for stakeholders
Similarly, the refund import data lets you:
- Migrate refunds to a new WooCommerce store
- Bulk update refund statuses, reasons, or amounts
- Import refunds from another platform like Shopify
- Load historical refund data into a new store
Given how valuable the refund data is, let's walk through the basic order export and import processes, both of which take just a few minutes. After that, we'll cover some advanced cases to give you a better sense of what's possible. We'll be using WP All Import and WP All Export throughout.
Part 1: Exporting WooCommerce Order Refunds
How to Export WooCommerce Order Refunds
The basic process is the same as exporting any other WooCommerce order data. Refunds are part of orders, so you export orders and include the refund fields. Here's how it works.
If you want to follow along, you can use our convenient sandbox feature and select WooCommerce Store as the demo type.
1. Start a new WooCommerce order export
Navigate to All Export, then click New Export. Choose Specific Post Type, then select WooCommerce Orders from the dropdown. You'll see a summary showing the total number of orders that will be exported.
2. Add filters to select refunded orders
As we only want to export refunded orders, expand the Add Filtering Options panel. In the Elements panel, select Order Status, set the rule to equals, and add the value as wc-refunded.
You can also add a date range filter to capture refunds from a specific period.
3. Build your refund order export file
Click Customize Export File to open the Drag & Drop screen.
The left side is your column selection area. The right side is the Available Data panel, where all order fields are organized by category: Order, Customer, Items, Taxes & Shipping, Fees & Discounts, Notes, Refunds, Custom Fields, and Other.
To add a refund field, expand the Refunds category in the Available Data panel and drag the relevant fields into your column selection area. You can include any combination of refund fields or include them alongside standard order fields for a complete picture.
4. Choose your refund orders file type
Expand the Export Type panel near the bottom of the screen. You have two options:
- Spreadsheet: For CSV or Excel. CSV is the default, and you can also pick Excel File (XLS) or Excel File (XLSX) for true Excel output.
- Feed: For XML. Pick Simple XML Feed for standard XML, or Custom XML Feed for full structural control.
Choose Spreadsheet or Feed, then pick your specific format from the dropdown.
5. Configure and run the refund order export
Click Continue to move to the Export Settings screen. Here you can:
- Schedule the export to run automatically through Automatic Scheduling or manual cron jobs
- Adjust Advanced Options like batch size, real-time order exports, or splitting large order exports into multiple files
- Give your refunded order export a custom name
For now, click the green Confirm & Run Export button.
6. Download your refunded order export file
After a few seconds, the Confirm & Run screen shows that your export is complete. Click CSV (or Excel or XML, depending on your earlier choice) to download your file.
You'll also see options for Scheduling, External Apps, and Export, Edit, Import. The Export, Edit, Import option lets you bulk edit refund data after downloading. We'll cover that workflow in detail later.
That's the basic WooCommerce refund order export process. Most users have their refund order data exported in under five minutes.
What Order Refund Data Can You Export
WooCommerce refund order data is organized into a dedicated Refunds section in the Available Data panel. The fields include:
- Refund total: The cumulative refunded amount for the order
- Refund ID: The unique identifier for each refund
- Refund amounts: The total amount refunded
- Refund reason: Why the refund was issued
- Refund date: When the refund was issued
- Refund order items: The specific products refunded
- Refund order quantity: The quantity of the products refunded
- Refund order tax amount: The tax amount refunded
- Refund order shipping amount: The shipping amount refunded
- Custom refund fields: Data added by WooCommerce extensions or third-party plugins, including ACF, Meta Box, and JetEngine
To include any of these, drag and drop them from the Refunds section of the Available Data panel into your column selection area. You can pick a few, dozens, or every field. The All Refund Data button includes everything at once.
Part 2: Importing WooCommerce Order Refunds
How to Import WooCommerce Order Refunds
The basic import process is just as straightforward as exporting. Refunds are part of orders, so you import orders and map the refund fields from your file. Here's how it works.
1. Start a new WooCommerce order import
Navigate to All Import, then click New Import. You'll be prompted to choose how you want to provide your data. The options include:
- Upload a file: Choose a CSV, Excel, or XML file from your computer
- Download from URL: Fetch a file from a remote URL on a schedule
- Use existing file: Reuse a file from a previous import
For this walkthrough, we'll upload a file from your computer.
2. Select your order import file and target post type
Select the order file from your computer, then choose WooCommerce Orders as the post type. The plugin will automatically detect the file type and adjust the interface accordingly.
3. Add WooCommerce order filters (optional)
If you only want to import specific orders, you can add filters before continuing. Click Create Filters and then use the Element, Rule, and Value dropdowns to define which records to import. For this basic walkthrough, we'll filter just refunded orders.
4. Map your data to WooCommerce order fields
Click Set Up Import to open the Drag & Drop screen. On the left side, you'll see the data panel with all WooCommerce order fields organized by category. On the right side, you'll see the columns from your import file.
The Drag & Drop screen has a dedicated Refunds tab where you map your file's refund columns to the order's refund fields. Drag a column from the right side and drop it onto the matching refund field on the left.
For example, drag the column that contains refund reasons into the Refund Reason field. You can click the Preview button at the bottom to see exactly how the data will look on the order screen once imported.
Once satisfied, click the Continue to Import Settings button.
5. Run the WooCommerce order import
Click Continue to move to the Import Settings screen. From here you can:
- Set a unique identifier (the plugin can auto-detect this for you)
- Choose what to do when the import runs again (create new orders, update existing ones, etc.)
- Schedule the import to run automatically
- Adjust Advanced Options
For now, click Confirm & Run Import.
After the import finishes, verify the imported orders in your WooCommerce dashboard under WooCommerce, then Orders.
That's the basic import process. Most imports of a few hundred orders complete in a few minutes.
What Refund Data Can You Import
WooCommerce refund data is handled in a dedicated Refunds section on the Drag & Drop screen. The fields you can map from your import file include:
- Refund ID: The unique identifier for each refund
- Refund date: When the refund was issued
- Refund reason: Why the refund was issued
- Refund amount: The total amount refunded
- Total refunded: The cumulative refunded amount for the order
- Refunded line items: The specific products refunded, with quantities and per-item amounts
- Refunded tax: The tax amount refunded
- Refunded shipping: The shipping amount refunded
- Restock status: Whether refunded items were returned to inventory
- Custom refund fields: Data added by WooCommerce extensions or third-party plugins, including ACF, Meta Box, and JetEngine
On the Drag & Drop screen, your order fields appear on the left, and your file's columns appear on the right. Drag a column from the right and drop it onto the matching refund field on the left to map the data.
Advanced WooCommerce Refund Export and Import
The basic export and import process handles the most common refund scenarios, but refunds often require more advanced handling. Here's how to handle the most common advanced cases:
Handle Multiple Refunds Per WooCommerce Order
Some orders have several refunds issued over time: a partial refund for a damaged item, then a second partial refund for a shipping issue, then a final full refund. Each refund has its own ID, date, reason, and amount, and all of them need to be captured and preserved.
WP All Export supports multiple refunds per order out of the box. Each refund is exported as a separate record with its own row in your file, complete with its own ID, date, reason, and amounts. On import, each refund is added to the order as a separate record, so the refund history is preserved exactly as it was.
The export includes each refund separated by a pipe (|), with the order ID repeated so you can group refunds by order in your spreadsheet. Each refund has its own unique refund ID, which is different from the order ID. This means you can track the full refund history for any order, even if it spans multiple events over weeks or months.
Partial vs Full WooCommerce Order Refunds
Partial refunds and full refunds work differently. A partial refund covers a specific amount or specific line items, while a full refund covers the entire order. Both need to be captured accurately, including the refunded line items, amounts, and reasons.
WP All Export handles both partial and full refunds through the Refunds section in the Available Data panel. The refund order item field captures exactly which products were refunded, with quantities and per-item amounts. The refund total field captures the total refunded, whether partial or full. On import, the plugin preserves the partial or full nature of each refund.
For a full refund, the refund amount equals the original order total. For a partial refund, the amount is less than the original total, and the refund order items field shows exactly which products were refunded. If a customer kept some items and returned others, the partial refund only covers the returned items, not the full order.
Custom WooCommerce Order Refund Fields from Plugins
Many stores add custom fields to refunds using plugins like Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Meta Box, or JetEngine: internal notes, refund categories, customer feedback, and more. These custom fields need to travel with the refund data when exporting and importing.
Both WP All Export and WP All Import support custom fields through the relevant add-ons. With the ACF Add-On active, custom refund fields appear in the Available Data panel under the Advanced Custom Fields section. Similar add-ons are available for Meta Box and JetEngine. On import, these fields can be mapped in the same way as custom fields.
Common custom refund fields include internal notes for the team, refund categories for analytics, customer feedback scores, and resolution details. To use custom fields for refunds, you need the relevant add-on (ACF, Meta Box, or JetEngine) active along with WP All Import and WP All Export.
Advanced Export Import Order Refund Workflows
Beyond the common refund cases, there are also real-world workflows that come up frequently for store owners. Here's how to handle the most common ones:
Migrate Order Refunds Between WooCommerce Stores
When you move from one WooCommerce store to another, you need to bring your refund data along with your orders. This ensures that historical refund records remain intact on the new store, which is critical for accounting, customer service, and reporting.
WP All Export and WP All Import handle refund migration through the Bundle export option. It includes the order data, refund data, and the settings file that configures the import on the destination site. This means you don't need to manually configure the import because the settings file handles the field mapping automatically.
Sync WooCommerce Refunds with Accounting Software
Refund data needs to flow to your accounting software for accurate financial records. Whether you use QuickBooks, Xero, or another tool, the refund totals, dates, reasons, and line items all need to be synced on a regular basis.
WP All Export syncs refund data through scheduled exports. You build an order export that includes refund data your accountant needs, schedule it to run on a recurring basis, and send the output to your accounting platform via Zapier or a direct integration.
The refund-specific export includes the refund amount, date, reason, and refund order items, which your accountant needs for accurate reconciliation. Most stores set up a weekly or monthly sync, depending on refund volume. The scheduled export runs automatically, so the data flows without manual intervention.
Bulk Refund Updates and Management
Managing refunds one at a time is tedious, especially when you need to update refund statuses, fix refund data errors, or process large refund batches. Bulk operations let you handle many refunds at once.
Both WP All Export and WP All Import support bulk editing through the Export, Edit, Import workflow. You export your refund data, make changes in a spreadsheet, and import the changes back. Only the refund fields you changed get updated, so the rest of the order data stays intact.
Common bulk operations include updating refund statuses (e.g., marking refunds as resolved), fixing data errors (e.g., correcting refund reasons), and processing large refund batches.
Final Thoughts - Exporting and Importing WooCommerce Refunds
Refund data needs to move with your orders, whether you're keeping historical records, syncing with accounting, or migrating to a new store. The export and import process using WP All Export and WP All Import keeps that data intact and accurate.
Start with a simple export to see what's available. The same workflow handles the more complex cases, from multiple refunds per order to custom fields from plugins. What you need today might be different from what you need in six months, and the export and import setup grows with you.
Frequently Asked Questions - Exporting and Importing WooCommerce Refunds
How do I handle refunds in different currencies?
WP All Export captures the refund amount and currency from each order. If your store processes refunds in multiple currencies, the export includes the currency code alongside the amount. On the import side, the currency is preserved as long as the destination store supports the same currencies. You may need to configure currency settings on the destination store first.
How do I prevent duplicate refunds when importing the same file twice?
The plugin uses a unique identifier to match existing refunds. When you import a file that contains refunds already on the destination store, the plugin updates the existing refunds rather than creating duplicates. You can configure this behavior in the Import Settings screen, choosing to create new records, update existing ones, or both.
Can I export refunds with their original order data attached?
Since refunds are part of orders, you can include both refund fields and standard order fields in the same export. The file includes the order data with refund data nested under each order. This is useful for reports that need both the original sale and the refund information in one file.
