Smacks! Simple Importer – CSV, Excel & WooCommerce Bulk Import
Bulk import CSV, Excel, XML and JSON into WooCommerce products, posts, pages and custom post types. Drag-and-drop mapping with live preview.
Use with caution
Smacks! Simple Importer works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 30+ sites and was last updated 3 months ago, and scores 52/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (30+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Smacks! Simple Importer stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| csv | >100 |
| excel | >100 |
| import | >100 |
| importer | >100 |
| woocommerce | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Smacks! Simple Importer
From the official readme · v0.1.3Description
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.
Frequently asked questions
How do I import products into WooCommerce from a CSV?
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.
Can I import from an Excel (XLSX) spreadsheet?
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.
Is this a free alternative to paid importers?
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.
Does it require WooCommerce?
No. WooCommerce is only needed for product imports. Posts, pages, custom post types, and media work on any WordPress site.
How big a file can I import?
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.
Can I re-import the same file to update records?
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.
What about JSON files?
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?
Custom fields work via the meta:fieldname mapping 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?
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.
Where do I get support?
Use the WordPress.org support forum for this plugin, or visit https://simpleimporter.com.
Is there a Pro version?
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.
Changelog
Documentation update only. No code changes.
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).
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Smacks! Simple Importer alternatives
All csv plugins →
FAQ
Smacks! Simple Importer: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 29, 2026
Is Smacks! Simple Importer free?
Yes. Smacks! Simple Importer is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Smacks! Simple Importer safe to use in 2026?
Smacks! Simple Importer works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 30+ sites and was last updated 3 months ago, and scores 52/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Smacks! Simple Importer?
Smacks! Simple Importer is active on 30+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 373 times since it launched in June 2026. It was downloaded 135 times in the last 30 days.
Does Smacks! Simple Importer work with WordPress 7.1?
Smacks! Simple Importer is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.6, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Smacks! Simple Importer need?
Smacks! Simple Importer requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Smacks! Simple Importer last updated?
The latest version, 0.1.3, was released on June 26, 2026 (3 months ago).
Who makes Smacks! Simple Importer?
Smacks! Simple Importer is developed and maintained by simpleimporter.
What are the best alternatives to Smacks! Simple Importer?
The most popular alternatives to Smacks! Simple Importer are TablePress (600K+ installs), WP All Import (100K+ installs) and Import and export users and… (70K+ installs).
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