WooCommerce product CSV template: a small, tested starting file
The most useful template is small enough to inspect completely. Start with a known product structure, prove it in staging, and then add your supplier’s fields in deliberate steps. A wide spreadsheet with hundreds of optional columns makes mistakes harder to isolate.
Start with the sample’s exact scope
The download contains four records: Studio mug with SKU 00041, Linen apron with SKU apron, and two size variations named apron-s and apron-m. It includes prices and stock for the purchasable records, plus the parent links and size options needed for the apron family.
This is invented demonstration data. It has no customer information, remote images, custom metadata, subscriptions or extension-specific fields. Import it only into a disposable staging catalog where those SKUs do not already exist. Keep a snapshot so you can reset the exercise.
Compare with a real export from your store
Create one representative product manually on staging and export it. Compare that file with the sample and your supplier file. This exposes fields your own setup needs, such as shipping information or extension metadata, before you scale up.
Write a short mapping sheet with source column, destination field and intended transformation. Mark columns you do not intend to import. Read the mapping screen rather than assuming similarly named supplier headers will map correctly. Avoid carrying product IDs from an unrelated store into a new catalog.
Reconcile the first run before expanding
Our local integration test on WooCommerce 11.1.0 and WordPress 7.1 imported the four sample records. A separate update changed one existing mug. Replaying the creation fixture in the tested create-mode path created zero records and skipped four existing records. These are fixture-specific results, not a promise about every import mode.
For your own test, record initial counts, the selected mode and the import summary. Inspect both products and both variations, then export them again and compare the important values. Add images or another product family only after this baseline is understood. A CSV that parses successfully is still only a candidate for an import.
Check the result
- All four sample records are accounted for, including the two variations.
- SKU 00041 still includes its leading zeros.
- The apron’s size options, child prices and stock match the file.
Documentation for this workflow
Check the instructions for your installed version before changing a store.
Need a second pair of eyes?
We can review the source and agree a repair scope. Start with CSV file repair or staging import help.
Ask about import help