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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchA folder-based system can make product data and images easier to prepare consistently, but WooCommerce does not require a particular folder hierarchy. Its built-in product CSV importer uses documented columns and values. Since no specific folder tree or tested implementation details are established here, the structure below is a suggested workflow—not a report of a verified store setup.
Start with a store-aware CSV template
Before organizing source files, create a representative product in WordPress and export it. WooCommerce’s Product CSV Import Suite recommends this approach for building a basic template that contains the fields a particular store needs; that is extension guidance, not a requirement to install the extension. The built-in importer and exporter use a documented product CSV schema, described for WooCommerce 3.1 and later. WooCommerce’s Product CSV Import Schema
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Use the exported columns as the contract between source data and the import file. Keep the original export as a clean reference, then map each source field—such as product name, description, price, SKU, categories, and image references—to the corresponding CSV column your store uses. Avoid adding fields just because they appear in a source spreadsheet; confirm that the importer recognizes them or that your store has a defined custom-field workflow.
Use folders to organize source assets, not to replace the CSV schema
A folder hierarchy is an internal convention for people and scripts preparing products. It does not itself tell WooCommerce how to create products or variations. One possible layout is:
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catalog-source/
products.csv
images/
mugs/
shirts/
records/
mugs/
shirts/This example separates the import CSV, image files, and any source records. Choose folder names that match your team’s work, then document them. The importer still needs valid CSV values and image references that it can resolve; it does not infer product fields from these folder names.
Make filenames predictable
Use a consistent, unique filename for each image, such as a stable product identifier followed by an image role or sequence number. Keep the filename in the source data alongside the related SKU so the CSV-generation step can create the correct image reference. For multiple images, preserve a deliberate order in the CSV value rather than relying on whichever file a script happens to encounter first.
The exact naming pattern is a team choice, not a WooCommerce rule. Avoid renaming source images without also updating the CSV references, and check for duplicate filenames before preparing an import.
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Map values to WooCommerce’s documented CSV conventions
Generate the import CSV from the store-aware template and normalize each field before export. The schema documentation specifies UTF-8 encoding; multiple values are comma-separated, taxonomy hierarchy uses >, and boolean values use 1 or 0. Custom metadata can be supplied as plain text, while serialized data is not supported by this schema. Product CSV Import Schema
- Save the final file as UTF-8 CSV.
- Represent multiple categories or tags using the documented comma-separated format.
- Use
>between levels of a hierarchical taxonomy. - Use
1and0for boolean fields rather than words such as “yes” and “no.” - Keep custom metadata in plain-text form if using the documented schema; do not expect serialized values to import through it.
Keep parent and variation relationships explicit
For variable products, give each variation a stable SKU and explicitly associate it with its parent according to the importer’s expected fields. WooCommerce’s Product CSV Import Suite variation guidance uses SKUs to associate variations with parent products. Product CSV Import Suite variation-import guidance
In a folder-based preparation system, a shared product folder may help keep a parent’s source files together, but the relationship must be represented in the CSV—not inferred from co-location in a folder. Check that each child row points to the intended parent and that attribute values distinguish the variations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Make image references resolvable by the importer you use
The core CSV schema requires image files to be uploaded already or available online. It supports external image URLs and documents referencing an image already in the media library by filename. A path on a local preparation computer is not, by itself, a usable image reference to WooCommerce. Confirm that every image value points to an accessible URL or to a filename supported by the importer in use. Product CSV Import Schema
The Product CSV Import Suite FAQ contains additional filename guidance for files in particular uploads folders, including wp-content/uploads/year/month/ and wp-content/uploads/product_images/, as well as pipe-separated multiple-image references. It also describes a current-year/month restriction for one of those paths. Those are extension-specific instructions; do not assume they apply to the built-in importer or to every version. Product CSV Import Suite FAQ
Review the mapping before importing
On the importer’s column-mapping screen, check that each CSV heading is mapped to the intended product property before confirming the import. This is the point to catch a source-to-template mismatch, especially for custom columns, variation fields, and image references. The importer workflow also documents updating existing products by matching IDs or SKUs when the update option is enabled. WooCommerce product importer/exporter workflow
Enable updates only when the file is meant to modify existing products and its IDs or SKUs reliably identify those products. If the intent is to add new products, do not enable matching-based updates accidentally. Keep an unchanged copy of the CSV used for the import so the rows can be traced to the source records.
Quick Recap
A practical preparation checklist
- Create one representative product, export it, and use that output to identify the store’s required columns.
- Document the folder layout and filename convention as internal preparation rules, not WooCommerce requirements.
- Maintain a stable SKU for each product and variation, and encode each variation’s parent relationship in the CSV.
- Generate the CSV from the mapped source data using UTF-8 and the schema’s value conventions.
- Verify that each image reference is an accessible URL or a filename valid for the specific importer.
- Review the importer’s column mapping, then choose update matching only when updating existing products by ID or SKU is intended.
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