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Excel to WooCommerce CSV converter for product and supplier price list imports

WooCommerce imports products from CSV files only, so an Excel price list has to be saved as UTF-8 CSV with the WooCommerce column names, such as SKU, Name, Regular price, Categories and Images. Match your headers to that schema, convert the sheet to comma delimited UTF-8 CSV and upload it under Products, Import. XlsConverter produces the CSV, and you run the import inside WooCommerce.

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Table name

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Dates

Row element

Orientation

Workbook password (if protected)

Trim spaces in every cell Remove duplicate rows Drop empty columns Stack all sheets into one table

Short answer

To import an Excel file into WooCommerce, rename the columns to the WooCommerce product CSV headers (Name is required, plus SKU, Regular price, Categories, Images and so on), save the sheet as UTF-8 CSV and upload it from Products, Import. Use comma separators inside the Categories and Images cells and keep SKUs as text. XlsConverter converts XLSX or XLS to that CSV in a browser or in batch with sheet, delimiter and encoding fixed.

A WooCommerce store owner or agency usually gets product data as an Excel workbook from a supplier, with its own column names, merged header rows and prices typed with currency symbols. The WooCommerce importer accepts CSV only, so the workbook has to be reshaped and saved correctly before it will load. A wrong delimiter, an SKU that lost its leading zeros or a Windows-1252 file with garbled accents are the usual reasons an import fails or creates broken products.

Rename the headers to the WooCommerce schema, then convert with comma and UTF-8 selected. The UTF-8 CSV conversion settings cover the encoding choices, and batch Excel to CSV conversion applies the same settings to every supplier file in one run.

How to convert Excel to WooCommerce CSV in three steps

1Open the supplier workbook and keep one row per product. Rename the columns to the WooCommerce headers, for example SKU, Name, Regular price, Categories, Images and Stock. Remove title rows, subtotals and merged cells, and format SKU and barcode columns as text.
2Choose the sheet, then CSV, comma and UTF-8, and convert. Open the download and check the headers, the prices, accented characters in names and any SKU with leading zeros.
3In WordPress, go to Products, Import, choose the CSV and review the column mapping screen. Tick Update existing products if the SKUs already exist, run the importer and read the import log for skipped rows.

Prepare Excel columns for the WooCommerce product importer

WooCommerce documents a product CSV schema with columns such as ID, Type, SKU, Name, Published, Regular price, Sale price, In stock, Stock, Weight, Categories, Tags and Images. Name is the only required column, and unrecognized columns are not imported by default. Categories and Tags are comma separated, and a greater than sign builds a hierarchy such as Home goods > Audio. Images are comma separated URLs, and the first one becomes the featured image. Check the current importer documentation before a large load.

Variable products need two kinds of rows. The parent row has Type set to variable and lists every attribute value, and each variation row has Type set to variation, its own SKU and the parent SKU in the Parent column. Build those rows in Excel before conversion, because the converter writes what the sheet contains and does not generate variations or parent links.

Keep the encoding in mind. WooCommerce expects UTF-8 CSV, and Excel writes the default CSV in a legacy code page unless you choose otherwise. XlsConverter sets the encoding explicitly. It does not host product images, generate SKUs or push products into your store, so image URLs must already be reachable online.

Options for Excel to WooCommerce CSV

Sheet selection: Convert the first sheet, a named tab or every tab, one CSV per tab. Keep notes and summary tabs out of the import file.
Delimiter and encoding: Choose comma and UTF-8 for WooCommerce. Semicolon, tab, pipe, UTF-8 with BOM and Latin-1 remain available for other systems.
Cleanup: Trim stray spaces from names and SKUs, drop empty columns and remove duplicate rows before the import.
Date output: Sale price start and end dates can be written as ISO 8601, US or EU dates in the converter and batch screens.
Header templates: Business pipelines use a saved schema template that renames supplier headers such as Item Code or Retail Price to SKU and Regular price, with optional AI header normalization.
Batch size: Pro handles 50 files per batch and Business 500, so a whole folder of supplier lists converts in one run.

Run it automatically

On Business, save a schema template that renames supplier headers to SKU, Name and Regular price, with optional AI header normalization. Pick up workbooks from an inbox or supported cloud source on a schedule or on every new file, then deliver CSV to SFTP, S3, a webhook or email. Pipelines do not log in to WordPress or import products, and they do not split large files by row. You complete the import in WooCommerce.

Procurement manager reviewing supplier price list files on a laptop

Import supplier price lists from Excel into WooCommerce

Supplier workbooks often mix several sheets, a logo block and a retail price column next to a wholesale one. Cut the file down to the sheet and columns you load, then convert that tab to CSV.

Formulas are written as their calculated value, so a margin formula that produces your regular price converts as the number you see. Keep the original workbook as your record of the supplier data.

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Update prices and stock on existing WooCommerce products

WooCommerce matches update imports by ID or SKU, so a weekly stock and price file only needs SKU, Regular price and Stock. Convert the supplier sheet with those headers and tick Update existing products on the import screen.

Test with a handful of rows first. A SKU that Excel turned into a number, or one with a trailing space, will not match and the row is skipped or created as a new product.

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Convert client product files for every store you manage

Use Pro when you convert several supplier files together before a catalog load. Use Business when suppliers send files with changing headers and you want inbox or cloud pickup with saved header renaming. Business pipelines accept files from an email inbox, S3, Google Drive, Dropbox or a URL, on a schedule or on every new file, and deliver to SFTP, S3, a webhook or email. The automatic Excel to CSV workflow describes the pattern.

Pro costs 49 USD per month, or 24 USD per month billed yearly, with 2,000 conversions and 100 MB files. Business costs 149 USD per month, or 74 USD per month billed yearly, with 10,000 conversions, 20 pipelines, 5 seats and 1,000 AI runs. See Pro and Business plans for your volume. Stores on Shopify can use the Excel to Shopify CSV converter. The one-time demo covers the first 100 rows.

Compare ways to get an Excel file into WooCommerce

Method	Preparation	How products reach WooCommerce	Ongoing work	Best for
Save As CSV in Excel by hand	Rename headers, fix encoding and SKUs, save the file	Products, Import with the built in importer	Repeat for every supplier file	Occasional files with stable columns
WooCommerce CSV importer with a template	Copy data under the template headers	Built in importer with column mapping	Repeat the mapping for each file	One store with a clean source
Import plugins that read Excel directly	Map fields inside the plugin	Plugin imports XLSX or CSV, can run on a schedule	Maintain mappings and a plugin license on each site	Complex catalogs, custom fields, scheduled imports from a URL
XlsConverter	Match headers, choose sheet, delimiter and encoding	You upload the prepared CSV in WooCommerce	Review the file and the import log	Recurring supplier workbooks needing UTF-8 CSV and batch conversion

Import plugins win when you need scheduled imports straight into one WordPress site, custom field mapping or direct reading of XLSX. XlsConverter fits file preparation across many suppliers or stores, with batches, saved header templates and delivery to a place you choose.

Excel to WooCommerce CSV questions

How do I import products from Excel to WooCommerce?

Rename the columns to the WooCommerce product headers, save the sheet as UTF-8 CSV, then go to Products, Import and upload the file. Review the column mapping, run the importer and read the log for skipped rows. The built in importer takes CSV only, so the conversion step cannot be skipped.

Can WooCommerce import an XLSX file directly?

The built in product importer accepts CSV files, so convert the workbook first. Some import plugins read Excel directly and can run on a schedule. For a file based workflow, convert each workbook to UTF-8 CSV with the sheet and delimiter you choose, then upload it.

What columns does a WooCommerce product CSV need?

Name is the only required column. Most stores also include SKU, Regular price, Categories, Images and Stock. Variable products need parent rows with Type variable and variation rows with Type variation and a Parent value. Unrecognized columns are skipped unless you map them.

Why does my WooCommerce CSV import fail or show broken characters?

Common causes are a file saved in a legacy encoding instead of UTF-8, a semicolon delimiter, SKUs that lost leading zeros, and images that are not reachable online. Convert again with comma and UTF-8 selected, keep SKU columns as text and test with a few rows.

How do I separate multiple categories and images in a WooCommerce CSV?

Put multiple categories in one cell separated by commas and use a greater than sign for subcategories, such as Home goods > Audio. Put multiple image URLs in one cell separated by commas. The first image becomes the featured image, and the URLs must be publicly reachable.

Does XlsConverter upload products directly to WooCommerce?

No, XlsConverter prepares CSV files that you import yourself in WooCommerce. Business pipelines deliver to SFTP, S3, a webhook or email and do not log in to WordPress. Choose an import plugin if you need products pushed straight into the site on a schedule.

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