WordPress does not provide a built-in importer for a spreadsheet of proposed posts. Its Tools → Import screen is documented for WordPress export files and imports from other platforms. To turn CSV rows into posts or drafts, install a CSV importer plugin, match your columns to that plugin’s fields, and test a small batch before importing everything.
Decide what each spreadsheet row should create
Before choosing a plugin, define the destination for every row:
- Post: regular blog content.
- Page: non-chronological site content.
- Custom post type: a site-specific content type, if your importer and plugin edition support it.
For an ideas spreadsheet, map the idea text to the content, excerpt, or a custom-field column and select Draft status when the importer offers that setting. Do not select a published status until you have reviewed the imported records.
Choose an importer that matches your data
CSV plugins do not share one universal format. Some require exact column names; others provide a visual field-mapping screen. Compare the fields, post types, update behavior, logs, and plan limits before preparing the file.
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| Importer | How fields are supplied | Documented capabilities relevant to this task | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSV Importer | Prescribed headings | One row per post; title, body, excerpt, post type, categories, custom fields, taxonomies, and comments | Use its documented column names; headings may appear in any order. |
| Import WP | Visual mapping after creating an importer | CSV or XML mapping to core WordPress content types; history and logs | The listing says Pro adds custom fields, custom post types, custom taxonomies, scheduled imports, and other features. |
| WP Ultimate CSV Importer | Visual mapping | Titles, content, excerpts, authors, dates, status, categories, tags, taxonomies, images, custom fields, SEO metadata, and custom post types | Confirm current feature and compatibility details in the listing; plugin capabilities can change. |
| Really Simple CSV Importer | WordPress-style headings | post_title, post_category, post_tags, and tax_{taxonomy}; existing-post updates via an ID field |
Its listing says an empty cell means “keep it,” not “delete it,” when updating an existing post. |
For custom fields, taxonomies, images, scheduled imports, or custom post types, verify that the exact edition you plan to use includes those features. The WordPress.org CSV importer directory is another place to compare currently listed options.
Prepare the CSV file
- Add a header row. Every column needs the exact heading required by your selected importer, or a name you can choose in its mapping interface.
- Use one idea per row. Keep the title, notes, category, status, and other values for one proposed post on the same row.
- Escape CSV punctuation. Values containing commas or quotation marks must be properly quoted and escaped according to normal CSV rules.
- Save as UTF-8. This preserves accented characters and non-Latin scripts; the CSV Importer documentation specifically recommends UTF-8 for such text.
- Separate planning notes from publishable copy. Put rough ideas in the field you intend to review, such as the body or excerpt, rather than accidentally importing them as public content.
Example using CSV Importer headings
The CSV Importer listing documents headings including csv_post_title for the title, csv_post_post for body text, csv_post_type for post/page/custom post type, csv_post_excerpt for the excerpt, and csv_post_categories for category names or IDs. A simple draft-oriented file could look like this:
| csv_post_title | csv_post_post | csv_post_excerpt | csv_post_type |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to back up a phone | Research points and questions to answer before writing. | Working idea for a future guide. | post |
| Home Wi-Fi troubleshooting checklist | Router, modem, speed, and coverage topics to investigate. | Draft outline. | post |
Use the importer’s status control, if available, to create drafts. The exact status column or setting depends on the plugin.
Import the ideas into WordPress
- Install and activate the chosen plugin. Use the plugin’s current WordPress.org listing and follow its setup instructions.
- Create an import. Upload the CSV, select CSV as the source when prompted, and choose the destination post type.
- Map every column. Connect title, notes or body, excerpt, categories, tags, author, date, status, and custom fields to the corresponding WordPress fields. With a convention-based importer, correct the headings instead of relying on a visual map.
- Configure matching and updates. If you are re-importing a file, inspect the plugin’s ID, duplicate, and update rules. Do not assume that two plugins treat blank cells or repeated titles the same way.
- Run a small sample first. Import only a few rows. This is a safety check, not a guarantee supplied by the plugin listings.
- Review the sample in WordPress. Open the resulting records and verify titles, body text, excerpts, categories, dates, status, custom fields, and character encoding.
- Run the full import. Proceed only after the sample is correct, then inspect the importer’s history or logs when that feature exists.
Check for common problems before publishing
- Garbled accents or symbols: reopen or re-export the file as UTF-8 and import again.
- Text split into the wrong columns: correct quoting around values containing commas or quotation marks.
- Categories or taxonomies missing: confirm whether the importer expects names, IDs, or a taxonomy-specific heading.
- Ideas published unexpectedly: stop the import, change the status mapping to Draft, and inspect any partially created records before continuing.
- Duplicates after a second run: review the plugin’s documented ID or matching settings; a repeated title is not necessarily a unique-record key.
- Blank values fail to clear old data: with Really Simple CSV Importer, the listing states that an empty cell keeps the existing value during an update rather than deleting it.
- Advanced fields unavailable: check whether custom fields, custom post types, scheduled imports, images, or SEO metadata require a different plugin or paid edition.
What the native WordPress importer can and cannot do
The documented core importer is reached through Tools → Import and covers WordPress export files and imports from other supported platforms. The documentation does not describe a native workflow for uploading a CSV of proposed posts, so a CSV importer plugin is required for this specific job.
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A reliable workflow for an editorial idea backlog
- Keep the original spreadsheet unchanged as your source file.
- Make a copy with only the columns required by the selected importer.
- Import rows as drafts, not published posts.
- Use categories or a custom taxonomy for topic, status, or priority only when the importer supports them.
- Record the import date and plugin settings so a later update can use the same matching rules.
- After editorial review, publish from WordPress rather than from the spreadsheet.
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