Requirements

WooCommerce Export Products to XLS runs inside the WordPress administration area and requires the following environment.

Installation & upgrade

Install the distributable ZIP

1. In WordPress, open Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
2. Select the plugin ZIP, choose Install Now, then activate it.
3. Open WooCommerce → Export Products.
4. Open the License tab, enter the key from your purchase receipt or Amazing WP Plugins account, and choose Activate License.

Upgrade from 0.6.x or older

Activate version 1.0.0 normally. Existing current settings and templates stored by older releases are converted to the new settings model on upgrade. Category selections become product-category taxonomy filters. New settings that did not previously exist use safe defaults.

License activation

WooCommerce Export Products to XLS uses Easy Digital Downloads Software Licensing through Amazing WP Plugins. The License tab is always available to users with the manage_woocommerce capability.

1. Open WooCommerce → Export Products → License.
2. Paste the license key from your purchase receipt or Amazing WP Plugins account.
3. Select Activate License. A successful activation unlocks every plugin tab and licensed WordPress updates.

When active, the License tab shows the masked key and renewal date. Licensed releases are delivered through the normal WordPress Plugins update screen. When inactive, export settings, saved settings, schedules, and saved-file management are locked, and a WordPress administrator notice links directly to the License tab.

To move a license to another site, choose Deactivate License & Remove Key before activating it on the replacement site. The plugin rechecks the saved license daily with the Amazing WP Plugins licensing server.

Quick start

The filtered product count updates automatically after settings stop changing. This short delay prevents unnecessary count requests while you are making several selections.

Export settings

Fields & columns

The field picker combines core WordPress data, WooCommerce product data, taxonomies, plugin integrations, custom product meta, and detected ACF fields. Selected fields become columns in the same order shown in the interface.

Descriptions and shortcodes

Shortcode execution is off by default. Enable it separately for the full description or short description when you want the rendered shortcode output in the file. Only enable this for trusted shortcode providers; rendering can add processing time or trigger shortcode side effects.

Structured values

Values that remain arrays or objects after field processing are serialized as compact JSON. Boolean and numeric values retain their scalar type where the file format permits it.

Advanced Custom Fields

When ACF is active, top-level fields found in ACF field groups appear in the export field picker. The exporter reads both formatted and raw values and converts each supported type into a useful spreadsheet value.

Product filters

The Export tab shows every public taxonomy assigned to the product post type, including product categories, tags, attributes, brands, and taxonomies registered by other plugins.

• Terms are checkboxes, making the active selection visible without opening a multi-select control.
• Hierarchical taxonomies retain their parent and child indentation.
• Each taxonomy has Select all and Deselect all controls.
• Multiple selected terms within one taxonomy are matched with OR.
• Selections in different taxonomies are combined with AND.

The product count beside the settings reflects both the product and variation inclusion choices. It is recalculated through a throttled AJAX request after the form becomes idle.

Background jobs

Every manual, forced, or scheduled export creates its own job. Jobs are processed first-in, first-out: the active job continues, and newer jobs wait without replacing or stopping it.

Action Scheduler and fallback processing

When WooCommerce Action Scheduler is available, export batches and scheduled triggers use grouped Action Scheduler actions. A guarded WP-Cron fallback keeps processing available if Action Scheduler cannot be used.

While an authorized user stays on a plugin page, the browser polls job status and requests the next worker batch without waiting for the next cron visit. The bottom-right job panel shows running and queued jobs with progress bars.

Job states

Saved settings

Saved settings are reusable export templates. Save a named template, load it back into the Export tab, or select it when creating a schedule.

• Loading a template replaces the current Export-tab configuration.
• Deleting a template also deletes schedules that depend on it.
• The deletion interface warns when linked schedules will be removed.
• Templates from older plugin versions are converted on installation or upgrade.

Current settings in schedules

The Scheduled exports tab also offers Current settings (save automatically). Choosing it creates a background template named product-export-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS, then creates the schedule from that snapshot. Later changes on the Export tab do not silently alter the schedule.

Scheduled exports

Create recurring exports from a saved template or an automatic snapshot of the current settings. The schedule table shows the next occurrence in the WordPress site’s configured local timezone.

Export filename

The optional schedule filename gives recurring output a stable name. After a new run completes successfully, it replaces the previous successful saved file from that schedule. The previous file is kept until the replacement succeeds, preventing a failed run from removing the last good export.

Run now

Select Run now to force a scheduled export immediately without changing its next recurring run. Repeated Run now actions create distinct jobs. If one export is active, the others remain queued and run in order.

Saved files & sharing

The Saved files tab lists export jobs, status, progress, filenames, dates, and available actions.

Deleting a saved file removes its export record and stored file. This cannot be undone unless the file exists in a separate backup.

File formats

Spreadsheet library

Version 1.0.0 replaces the abandoned PHPExcel library with OpenSpout 4.32. OpenSpout is actively maintained, supports PHP 8.5, writes XLSX, ODS, and CSV, and uses a streaming architecture suitable for large product catalogs.

Security

Version 1.0.0 removes the legacy public export endpoint and adds layered controls around administration and file access.

• All management actions require the manage_woocommerce capability.
• All plugin tabs except License, including direct settings submissions and AJAX actions, require a locally valid EDD license status.
• License activation, deactivation, and daily validation use HTTPS requests to amazingwpplugins.com; the license key is never printed in full after activation.
• State-changing administrator actions use WordPress nonces.
• Settings, identifiers, terms, filenames, formats, and intervals are allow-listed and sanitized.
• Generated spreadsheet cells are protected against formula injection.
• Saved exports live in a protected uploads subdirectory with randomized internal filenames.
• Normal downloads are authenticated; optional direct links require a high-entropy bearer token.
• The former xls.php generator no longer performs exports and returns HTTP 410.
• Admin JavaScript and CSS load only on this plugin’s own administration pages.

Developer hooks

Filters retain legacy compatibility where practical and add richer context for new integrations.

Add a custom column

add_filter( 'wooxls_export_fields', function ( array $fields ): array {
	$fields['warehouse_code'] = 'Warehouse code';
	return $fields;
} );

add_filter( 'wooxls_product_data_filter', function ( array $data, int $product_id ): array {
	$data['warehouse_code'] = (string) get_post_meta( $product_id, '_warehouse_code', true );
	return $data;
}, 10, 2 );

Restrict export queries

add_filter( 'wooxls_product_query_args', function ( array $args, array $settings ): array {
	$args['date_query'] = [
		[ 'after' => '2026-01-01', 'inclusive' => true ],
	];
	return $args;
}, 10, 2 );

Troubleshooting

Useful diagnostics

• Enable WordPress debug logging on a staging site and inspect wp-content/debug.log.
• Review failed or pending Action Scheduler entries in WooCommerce Status.
• Confirm the site URL and WordPress URL use the correct HTTPS hostname.
• Check PHP memory, execution-time, disk-space, and uploads permissions.
• Temporarily test with a small product selection and the default XLSX fields.

Frequently asked questions