Description
Smacks! Simple Importer is a bulk importer for WordPress and WooCommerce. Upload a CSV, Excel (XLSX), XML, or JSON file, drag your spreadsheet columns onto the target fields, and run the import. It handles WooCommerce products, posts, pages, custom post types, and media library items, with drag-and-drop column mapping and a live preview of how rows will land.
What you can import into WordPress and WooCommerce
- Simple WooCommerce products (SKU, name, prices, stock, categories, tags, brands, images, status, custom attributes)
- WordPress posts (title, content, excerpt, author, date, categories, tags, featured image)
- WordPress pages (with parent/child hierarchy, page templates, menu order)
- Any registered custom post type
- Media library items (images and files from URLs with titles, alt text, captions)
- Custom post meta via the
meta:prefix syntax - Custom taxonomies via the
tax:prefix syntax - Yoast SEO fields (when Yoast is active), including title, meta description, focus keyword, canonical URL, and Open Graph fields
Supported file formats: CSV, Excel, XML, JSON
- CSV (comma, semicolon, or tab, auto-detected)
- XLSX (Microsoft Excel)
- XML (with auto-detection of the repeating element)
- JSON (top-level array, NDJSON, or wrapped in a single “items” key)
How to import a CSV or Excel file
- Choose your content type (products, posts, pages, custom post type, or media).
- Upload your CSV / XLSX / XML / JSON file.
- Map columns onto target fields. Auto-mapping suggests matches based on common header names.
- Pick an update mode (insert, update existing, update only) and a match key (SKU, slug, title, ID).
- Watch the import run in the background. Cancel any time. Logs show what happened for every row.
Idempotent re-imports
Each content type has a sensible match key by default (SKU for products, slug for posts/pages/CPTs, URL for media). When a row matches an existing record, the importer updates it instead of creating a duplicate.
Background processing
Imports run through Action Scheduler (bundled with WooCommerce, or available as a standalone plugin). Large files are processed in batches so PHP timeouts don’t break the import. You can close the tab and come back later.
Templates
The plugin includes downloadable starter templates for each content type, generated in CSV, XLSX, XML, and JSON formats so you can see the expected column shape.
Privacy
The plugin does not send any data to external services. All imports are processed locally on your WordPress installation. No tracking, no analytics, no callouts.
Simple Importer Pro
This free version handles everyday imports. Simple Importer Pro adds the heavier lifting for large catalogs and awkward source files:
- Advanced character-encoding and delimiter handling for international and exported files
- Priority support, ahead of the free queue
- Use it across your own and client sites, updates included
See features and pricing at https://simpleimporter.com. The free version stays fully functional on its own; Pro is optional.
Installation
- Upload the plugin files to
/wp-content/plugins/smacks-simple-importer/, or install through the WordPress Plugins screen. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress.
- Go to Smacks! Importer in the admin menu.
- WooCommerce is optional. If you have it active, you can import products. If you don’t, you can still import posts, pages, custom post types, and media.
Action Scheduler is required for background processing. It ships with WooCommerce. If you don’t have WooCommerce installed, you can install the standalone Action Scheduler plugin instead.
FAQ
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How do I import products into WooCommerce from a CSV?
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Choose Products as the content type, upload your CSV (or Excel, XML, or JSON) file, drag your columns onto the WooCommerce product fields, and run the import. SKU, name, price, stock, categories, tags, images, and custom attributes are all supported. WooCommerce must be active for product imports.
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Can I import from an Excel (XLSX) spreadsheet?
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Yes. Export or save your spreadsheet as .xlsx, or as a .csv, and upload it. The importer reads Excel workbooks directly, so there is no need to convert anything by hand first.
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Is this a free alternative to paid importers?
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Yes. The free version imports products, posts, pages, custom post types, and media from CSV, Excel, XML, and JSON with no row limits set by the plugin. A paid Pro version adds advanced file handling and priority support, but the free version stands on its own.
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Does it require WooCommerce?
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No. WooCommerce is only needed for product imports. Posts, pages, custom post types, and media work on any WordPress site.
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How big a file can I import?
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There’s no hard limit set by the plugin. Practical limits depend on your hosting (PHP memory, max execution time, file upload size). Files are processed in batches, so large imports work even on shared hosting — they just take longer.
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Can I re-import the same file to update records?
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Yes. By default, rows match against existing records by SKU (products), slug (posts/pages/CPTs), or URL (media). Matching rows update in place rather than creating duplicates.
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What about JSON files?
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The plugin reads JSON files in three shapes: a top-level array of objects, an object with one array property (e.g.
{"products": [...]}), or NDJSON (one JSON object per line). The MIME-type sniffer in WordPress sometimes rejects JSON files; the plugin handles that automatically. -
Does it work with custom fields and ACF?
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Custom fields work via the
meta:fieldnamemapping syntax. Direct ACF field-type awareness (with proper coercion for repeaters, galleries, etc.) is not in this version. -
What if my import fails partway through?
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You’ll see exactly which row caused the error in the logs panel, and the import can be resumed from where it stopped. Successful rows are not re-processed.
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Where do I get support?
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Use the WordPress.org support forum for this plugin, or visit https://simpleimporter.com.
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Is there a Pro version?
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Yes. Simple Importer Pro adds advanced character-encoding handling for awkward source files and priority support. The free version here is complete on its own. See https://simpleimporter.com.
Reviews
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Contributors & Developers
“Smacks! Simple Importer – CSV, Excel & WooCommerce Bulk Import” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
0.1.3
- Readme and in-plugin copy cleanup. No functional changes.
0.1.2
- Listing and readme updates: clearer title, description, and FAQ. No functional changes.
0.1.1
- Per-content-type permission checks on all REST endpoints.
- Guards product imports when WooCommerce is inactive, with a clear message instead of an error.
- Added a Go Pro page and listing details for Simple Importer Pro.
0.1.0
- Initial release.
- Simple product, post, page, custom post type, and media imports.
- CSV, XLSX, XML, and JSON source files.
- Drag-and-drop column mapping with auto-detection.
- Background processing via Action Scheduler.
- Yoast SEO field support (when Yoast is active).