How to Import Categories in Magento 2?

There are numerous limitations in Magento 2 Default that can hinder merchants from optimizing their store performance.

One of the most common problems is that the importing process of categories is still manual. In other words, store owners have to generate categories one by one and enter relevant data in each category.

Particularly for a large-scale business, it is essential to update a huge amount of category data constantly. In this case, importing each category one by one is really time-consuming and boring.

So how can we import categories in Magento 2 quickly and efficiently? Let’s explore it in the following article.

As mentioned earlier, the Magento 2 Default allows administrators to create categories one by one only. Therefore, store owners might need help from third-party modules. And Mageplaza Import/ Export Categories for Magento 2 is a perfect solution for your online store. The extension allows admins to include a bulk of categories simultaneously, helping reduce their workload and boost productivity.

Parts of a CSV file

A CSV (Comma-separated values) file includes these categories:

• Source_code: Each SKU or source has its own row.
• SKU: To properly update your Inventory Management data, the SKU must match the item in your shop.
• Status: There are 2 statuses: Out Of Stock (if the value is 0) and In Stock (if the value is 1).
• Quantity: Show the stock amount available for an SKU/ source.

How to Import Categories in Magento 2?

The first step is to install the Magento 2 Import Export Categories. The module costs $99 with one-year free support, a 60-day money-back guarantee, and a lifetime update.

Notably, the module comes with data validation notifications. To ensure a thorough imported file, admins are enabled to validate the data before clicking the Import button. After the admin checks the data, the detailed notification on validation results will show up. If the file is good, the Import button will appear, and admins can import the data immediately. Nevertheless, if there are any errors happening, admins have to fix them and import them later.

There are four steps to import categories in Magento 2, including

• Step 1: Prepare data
• Step 2: Configure Import Behavior
• Step 3: Choose File to import
• Step 4: Check data and finish data entry

Step 1: Prepare data

Go to the Magento Admin, then navigate to System > Import

• In the Import Settings section, choose Entity Type = Mageplaza Categories Import and select Download Sample File to download the file. The extension enables the imported file type under the format of a CSV file.
• Ensure that the input file doesn’t exceed 5M

• Adjust the information you will import into the template file

Step 2: Configure Import Behavior

• In the Import Behavior section:
  • Choose the action you want when importing the data:
    • Add/ Update
    • Replace
    • Delete
  • The data stream is compared and assessed according to the identified action of each category imported.
  • The Stop on Error option means stopping importing when you have an issue, or the Skip Error Entries option means ignoring the error and keep importing.
  • In the Allowed Errors Count field, fill in the error number to cease the importing process. The default value is 10.
• Field separator:
  • Field separator: Fill in a marker to separate the fields in the column. The default value is a comma (,).
  • Multiple value separator: Fill in a marker to separate different values in the cell of one column. The default value is a comma (,).
    • Notice: In a CSV file, a comma is the default delimiter. To get a different character, you need to ensure that the data in the CSV file matches the character you select.
• Fields enclosure: Click on the checkbox to enclose the value in the column. The default value is an apostrophe (“)
• Notice: In case you want to Replace or Delete, enter the exact category_id of the category so that your action can be taken.

Step 3: Choose File to import

• In the Select File to Import field, click on Choose File to select the imported category file.
• Notice: If Entity File = Mageplaza Categories Import, then your entity file must be matched with the fields in that file. The file format is CSV.
• If the imported files include a path to the product image (and the Images File Directory is empty), add your image to the directory with the path pub/media/import/wysiwyg. (If this folder is not available, you need to generate one.)

Step 4: Check data and finish data entry

• After filling in the above information, click on Check Data at the top right to see whether the data you entered is correct. If the file is valid, choose Import in the Validation Results section.

• If the file is invalid or your process is wrong, fix the error reported in the message and try again.
• Here are some examples of showing error messages when entering data incorrectly:

• As the importing process is complete, the system will show your successful message.

Conclusion

That’s the detailed instructions on how to import categories in Magento 2 with the help of Mageplaza’s Import Export Categories extension. Install the module today to reduce your workload and save you plenty of time.

There’s no risk here. If you feel unsatisfied with the solution, you can get your money back instantly within 60 days after the purchase.