Why WP All Import Remains the Top Plugin for WooCommerce Product Import & Export

Importing a product catalog into WooCommerce sounds simple until the file arrives. Supplier feeds carry images bundled into single cells, wholesale prices that need converting, and variable products that must link to hundreds of variations. 

In this review, we'll take a closer look at WP All Import, including how it handles each of these cases, where it sits among the alternatives, and whether it earns its reputation as the most established option in this category.

What Is WP All Import?

WP All Import is a premium WordPress plugin for importing and exporting WordPress content, with dedicated support for WooCommerce products, variations, orders, customers, reviews, and subscriptions.

The plugin ships as a core import engine plus add-ons that unlock specific content types. The WooCommerce add-on exposes every standard product field through dedicated panels: prices, SKUs, stock, attributes, galleries, categories, and custom fields belonging to your theme or other plugins.

This review focuses on the premium version's WooCommerce product import and export features. For a side-by-side look at the alternatives, see our guide to the best WooCommerce product import and export plugins.

Key Features

• Automatic Setup. WP All Import starts with a wizard that studies your file, decides what each column contains, and wires up the field mapping before you touch a single setting. Clean files go from upload to finished import in minutes.

• Drag-and-drop template editing. When a file needs adjustments, the mapping screen puts source columns on the right and WooCommerce fields on the left. Drag an element onto a field to change its mapping. Right-clicking any field opens the PHP function editor.

• Four file formats. WP All Imports supports CSV, XML, Excel, and Google Sheets product import natively. Google Sheets is especially convenient for catalogs maintained in a shared spreadsheet, since a pasted URL replaces the upload step.
• Every WooCommerce product type. Simple, variable, grouped, external/affiliate, subscription, and downloadable products are all supported. Variable products are handled through four linking methods (parent SKU, parent ID, group ID, and XML child elements), which means your import file does not need to match a rigid format.

• XPath for XML. Nested XML feeds are mapped with XPath expressions, including parent-element paths for variation-level fields.
• Inline PHP transformations. WP All Import also lets you recalculate, reformat, or combine any field through a custom PHP function during the import.
• Image handling. Images import from URLs, match existing Media Library files by filename, or pull from the wpallimport files folder. Variation-level images are handled separately from the parent featured image.
• Import from anywhere. Local uploads, remote URLs, FTP/SFTP servers, and password-protected HTTP endpoints all work as file sources.
• Scheduled imports. Recurring imports run through WordPress cron, a server cron job, or the paid scheduling service at $19 per month, which covers unlimited imports on unlimited sites.
• Preview before import. Every import shows a live sample record, on the admin side and the storefront, before anything is published.
• Re-runnable templates. Saved configurations re-run against updated files without rebuilding the mapping.
• Selective bulk updates. Existing products update by SKU or ID, and you choose exactly which fields get overwritten, which prevents the duplicate-product problem common to simpler tools.
• Filtering. Import and export filters skip records that don't match your criteria.
• Third-party compatibility. Official add-ons cover ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, Gravity Forms, Yoast SEO, and WPML, and any other plugin's fields map through the template or the PHP editor.
• Multilingual support. WPML and Polylang translations import as separate records.

The important thing about this list is that none of it is mandatory. Automatic Setup handles standard imports without any of the advanced layers, and those layers only appear when a file actually needs them.

How Does WP All Import's Automatic Setup Work?

Automatic Setup is the default way to import products with WP All Import, and it's the reason a first-time user can run a complete import without reading the documentation. You upload the file, the plugin works out what's inside it, and the field mapping is built for you before you touch a single setting.

Every import starts at All Import › New Import. There, the Set up automatically banner sits at the top of the screen, and clicking it opens a modal where you choose the file source from four tabs: Upload File, Download from URL, Existing File, or FTP/SFTP. Files up to 256 MB are accepted, and CSV, XML, Excel, JSON, TXT, ZIP, and GZ all work.

Now pick WooCommerce, then Products, and you're done with the hard part. If your file is unusual, the optional Add Setup Instructions field lets you tell the wizard what to expect, like a non-standard delimiter or a custom category separator. Click Start Automatic Setup and watch it go. A progress screen tracks each step: preparing the import data, detecting the product type, analyzing the matching method, checking for embedded attributes, and detecting variation attributes.

When the analysis finishes, a summary card reports the import type, the number of fields mapped, the total record count, and a confidence score for the match. From here you have two options: run the import as-is, or click Review Import Configuration to open the pre-filled template and adjust anything before it runs.

WP All Import also lets you preview the import before it reaches your store. The WP Admin View shows populated backend fields, and the Frontend View renders a live product page, with galleries and variation dropdowns actually working. Spot a problem? Click Set Up Again, and it re-runs the wizard with new instructions. Happy with what you see? Run Import finishes the job.

That's the entire workflow. No fields to match by hand, no documentation to study first, and for a clean supplier file, the whole process from upload to finished import takes minutes.

The documentation covers everything in detail, and the WooCommerce Add-On documentation includes screenshots of every step.

How to Export and Import WooCommerce Products

Importing WooCommerce Products

1. Go to All Import › New Import in your WordPress admin.
2. Click the Set up automatically banner and choose your file source: upload, URL, existing file, or FTP/SFTP.
3. Select WooCommerce, then Products. Optionally add setup instructions for unusual files.
4. Click Start Automatic Setup and let the wizard map the file.
5. Review the summary card, then either run the import or click Review Import Configuration to fine-tune the template.
6. Click Preview to check the WP Admin View or the live Frontend View, then click Run Import.

Prefer to build the mapping yourself? The traditional manual options remain available below the banner, and the drag-and-drop screen works with finer control. Automatic Setup simply means you no longer have to start there.

Exporting WooCommerce Products

1. Go to All Export › New Export in your WordPress admin.
2. Choose WooCommerce Products as the post type.
3. Apply filters under Add Filtering Options to narrow the export by product type, category, stock status, or any field.
4. On the Drag & Drop screen, pick the fields to include for parents and for variations.
5. Choose an export format: CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, or XML.
6. Click Confirm & Run Export and download the file.

The Bundle option packages the export with an import template, so the matching import on another site configures itself. That's the fastest way to migrate a catalog between stores.

Scheduling a Recurring Product Import

1. Complete a manual import first to save the configuration as a template.
2. Open the import under All Import › Manage Imports and click Scheduling.
3. Choose Automatic Scheduling (the paid service at $19 per month) or Manual Scheduling through WordPress cron or a server cron command.
4. Set the interval: hourly, daily, weekly, or a custom cadence.
5. Save and enable the schedule. Each run can send an email report.

Pros

• Automatic Setup builds the complete import, from product type detection to field mapping, without manual configuration.
• The Frontend preview shows the real product page, gallery, and variations included, before anything is published.
• Variable products import reliably through four linking methods, avoiding the flat-product problem that affects the free and built-in importers.
• CSV, XML, Excel, and Google Sheets all import natively, with remote files pulled from URLs or FTP/SFTP.
• XPath support reaches any node in nested XML feeds, including variation-level fields.
• Inline PHP transforms any field during the import, a feature no competing premium plugin ships.
• Official add-ons cover ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, Gravity Forms, Yoast SEO, and WPML.
• Selective bulk updates overwrite only the fields you choose, preventing duplicate products.
• Saved templates re-run against updated files, and recurring imports run on cron or the paid scheduling service.
• The $1,299 lifetime package covers all current and future add-ons with no renewal fees.

Cons

• Steeper learning curve. The PHP editor and XPath expressions are more powerful than a simple dropdown mapper, but they also take longer to learn for first-time users. 
• Premium features require the WooCommerce add-on. Variable products, subscription products, and the full set of WooCommerce-specific fields are only available when the WooCommerce add-on is active alongside the core plugin
• No built-in rollback for failed imports. If an import runs against the wrong file, restoring previous product data requires a database backup. The trade-off is the preview screen, which lets you catch problems before they happen.

User Reviews and Ratings

WP All Import holds a 4.7 out of 5 rating on WordPress.org across 1,960 reviews, with 1,790 five-star ratings. The plugin has 200,000+ active installs and has been available since 2011.

Recurring positive feedback centers on five themes:

• The visual mapping screen is the easiest way to connect complex files to WooCommerce fields
• Variable products and their variations import reliably, which is where most competing tools fall short
• Support responds quickly and writes custom code snippets for unusual cases
• The PHP editor and XPath make complex transformations possible without a separate import script
• The lifetime license and unlimited activations cost less than per-site competitors over three to five years

Recurring criticism is consistent:

• First-time users initially find the breadth of options overwhelming, particularly around XPath and the Variations tab
• Some users report slower performance on the mapping screen with files beyond 10,000 rows

The volume of reviews also makes it a more reliable signal than smaller review sets.

Pricing

Plan	Price
WooCommerce Import Package	$169 per year
Import + Export Pro Package	$299 per year
Ultimate Lifetime Package	$1,299 one-time payment

Every plan includes unlimited site activations, the 90-day money-back guarantee, and premium support.

The lifetime package is the value standout. At $1,299 once, it covers every current and future add-on with no renewals, which beats annual competitor licenses once you cross two to three years of use.

Is WP All Import Good for Beginners?

WP All Import is the easiest way for a beginner to import products into WooCommerce, as its Automatic Setup does the work that other importers expect the user to do. Once you upload the file, select WooCommerce Products, and click Start Automatic Setup; WP All Import automatically detects the product type, maps every column to the correct product field, and links variations to their parent products. A summary card shows the fields-mapped count and a confidence score before anything runs, so the user can confirm the result without understanding how field mapping works.

The advanced features in WP All Import (the PHP function editor, XPath expressions, and the Variations tab) never appear during a standard import. A clean supplier file completes the entire workflow without them. When a file does require them, WP All Import's documentation covers each feature step by step with screenshots, and the support team writes custom code snippets for genuinely unusual cases.

For a side-by-side breakdown, see our WP All Import vs the built-in WooCommerce importer comparison.

Is WP All Import the Best WooCommerce Product Import & Export Plugin?

WP All Import is the most capable WooCommerce product import and export plugin available, and the gap to its competitors is wider than the marketing pages suggest. The combination that no competitor matches: a setup wizard that builds the import for you, a drag-and-drop template for the files that need adjusting, inline PHP and XPath for the files that need transforming, and reliable variable product handling across all of it.

The price difference against budget competitors is real, and the lifetime package settles it. A $169 annual subscription costs more than WebToffee's $69 entry tier, but the $1,299 lifetime package undercuts every annual license within two to three years while covering unlimited sites.

For a simple one-time CSV import, WP All Import's Automatic Setup gets the job done in minutes. For catalogs with variable products, nested XML, or custom fields from plugins like ACF or WPML, those features are built into the plugin. Import is only half the picture: WP All Export works similarly and lets you export products, variations, and every other WooCommerce data type out of your store. The Bundle option lets you package an export with a ready-made import template so a full catalog migrates to another site without any manual mapping. 

For a head-to-head with the most common alternative, see our WP All Import vs WebToffee comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions - WP All Import WooCommerce Product Import & Export

What is the best import/export plugin for WooCommerce?

WP All Import and WP All Export are the best import/export plugins for WooCommerce, built specifically for moving product data in both directions. WP All Import brings products in, WP All Export pulls them out, and both run through the same field-mapping workflow. They cover simple and variable products, images, attributes, categories, custom fields, and every other WooCommerce data type.

How do I export all Products from WooCommerce?

You can export all products from WooCommerce with WP All Export. The steps are as follows:
Go to All Export → New Export
Select WooCommerce Products as the post type
Leave filtering blank to capture the entire catalog
Select fields in the Drag & Drop screen
Choose CSV, Excel, or XML as the export file type, click Confirm & Run Export, then download the file as CSV, XML, or Excel

Can WooCommerce import variable products?

WP All Import imports variable products and their variations from a single file, linking each variation to its parent automatically through four linking methods: parent SKU, parent ID, group ID, and XML child elements. Because WP All Import detects the variation structure during Automatic Setup, large variation catalogs import without turning into flat simple products.

How to import products with images in WooCommerce

To import products with images in WooCommerce using WP All Import:

1. Go to All Import › New Import and click the Set up automatically banner
2. Upload your file and select WooCommerce, then Products
3. Click Start Automatic Setup and let the wizard map the fields
4. Click Review Import Configuration to confirm the image mappings in the Images section
5. Click Preview to check the live product pages, then Run Import