Skip to main content

Exporting from WooCommerce

Export your WooCommerce products with WPML columns ready for WooTUI translation.

Quick Steps​

  1. WooCommerce → Products → Export
  2. Select "All columns" or ensure WPML columns are included
  3. Leave filters empty (or filter as needed)
  4. Click "Generate CSV"
  5. Download the file

Required Columns​

Ensure your export includes:

Core Product Columns​

  • ID
  • SKU
  • Name
  • Description
  • Short Description

WPML Columns (Critical!)​

  • Meta: _wpml_import_source_language_code
  • Meta: _wpml_import_language_code
  • Meta: _wpml_import_translation_group
Missing WPML Columns?

If these columns don't appear in your export, WPML might not be active or configured. Check WPML → Settings to ensure WooCommerce integration is enabled.

  • All Attribute X Name/Value columns (for variable products)
  • SEO meta columns (Meta: rank_math_* or Meta: _yoast_wpseo_*)
  • Custom metadata you want to translate

Export Options​

Export All Products​

  • ✅ Best for first translation
  • ✅ Includes all existing translations
  • ❌ Large file for big catalogs

Export by Category/Tag​

Use WooCommerce export filters to limit export:

  • Category: "T-Shirts", "Accessories", etc.
  • Tags: "New Arrivals", "Sale Items"
  • Date range: Products created after X date

Use when: You only need to translate specific products.

Export Untranslated Products Only​

WooCommerce doesn't have a built-in filter for this. Workaround:

  1. Export all products
  2. Open CSV in Google Sheets
  3. Filter where Meta: _wpml_import_language_code is empty
  4. Export filtered rows as new CSV

Common Issues​

"Download CSV" Button Doesn't Work​

Solution:

  • Try a different browser
  • Disable browser extensions (ad blockers)
  • Check PHP memory limit on server (increase to 256M+)

CSV is Missing Products​

Cause: WooCommerce export has a limit (~1000 products depending on server)

Solution:

  1. Export in batches using date filters
  2. Or export by category/tag
  3. Translate each batch separately

WPML Columns Have Wrong Language Codes​

Problem: All products show Meta: _wpml_import_language_code as en

Cause: You exported translated products, not source products

Solution:

  1. Go to WPML → WooCommerce Multilingual
  2. Switch to source language view (e.g., English)
  3. Export products again
  4. Source products should have empty language code column

Best Practices​

1. Export All Columns First Time​

Even if you don't need attributes or SEO fields now, include them. You might want to translate them later, and having the columns makes it easier.

2. Save Export Settings​

Create a "Translation Export" preset:

  • All columns
  • No filters
  • Save as template

Reuse for future exports.

3. Backup Exported CSV​

Before translating, save a copy:

products_backup_2025-01-20.csv

If something goes wrong, you can start over.

4. Check File Encoding​

Open CSV in a text editor and verify:

  • Encoding: UTF-8 (not ANSI or ISO-8859-1)
  • Delimiter: Comma , (not semicolon ;)

Wrong encoding will cause import errors later.

Next Steps​