How to Import and Export Advanced Linked Variations Rules in WooCommerce?
The Advanced Linked Variations for WooCommerce plugin links separate products by shared attributes such as Color and Size, so shoppers can switch between them from the product page.
The Import / Export feature saves your linked variation rules to a CSV file and loads them back in. You can use it to back up your rules, move them from a staging site to your live store, or edit many rules at once in a spreadsheet.
For example, you build and test your rules on a staging site, export them, and import the same file on your live store. You don't need to recreate a single rule by hand.
In The Article
Benefits
Using Import / Export can help you:
- Move rules between sites without setting them up again.
- Keep a backup of your rules before big store changes.
- Update many rules at once from a single spreadsheet.
How to Import and Export Linked Variation Rules
Step 1: Open the Import / Export tab
Go to DotStore Plugins → Advanced Linked Variations and click the Import / Export tab in the plugin header, right after Linked Variations Group.
Step 2: Export your rules
In the Export Linked Variations section, click Export CSV. The file advanced-linked-variations.csv downloads with every rule, including drafts and disabled rules.
Each row in the file is one rule. Products are saved by SKU, categories and tags by slug, and attributes by name, so the file works on another site with the same products.
If you have no rules yet, no file downloads. You'll see the message There are no linked variations available to export. instead.
Step 3: Prepare your CSV file
Use a file you exported, or click Download a sample CSV in the Import Linked Variations section to see the expected format. The file must include the title and groups columns.
Before importing on another site, make sure the products there use the same SKUs. Products are matched by SKU, not by product ID.
Step 4: Import the CSV file
In the Import Linked Variations section, choose your file under Import rules and click Import CSV.
| If the rule title in the CSV… | What happens |
|---|---|
| Matches an existing rule | That rule is updated with the values from the file. |
| Doesn't match any rule | A new rule is created. |
Step 5: Check the import result
After the import, a message shows how many rules were created, updated and skipped, for example Import finished. 2 created, 1 updated, 0 skipped.
If some products, categories, tags or attributes in the file don't exist on this site, a second line lists how many weren't matched. Add the missing items, then import the file again.
Open Linked Variations Group to review the imported rules, and check a product page to confirm the linked variations show correctly.
Example Use Cases
Staging to live store
If you build rules on a staging site, export them there and import the file on your live store.
Bulk changes
If you need to change many rules, export them, edit the file in a spreadsheet and import it back. Rules with matching titles are updated.
Backup before updates
If you're about to change products or attributes, export your rules first so you can restore them if needed.
Conclusion
Import / Export lets you save your linked variation rules to a CSV file and load them on any site. It saves time when moving, backing up or bulk editing rules.
FAQs
1. Where do I find the Import / Export option?
Go to DotStore Plugins → Advanced Linked Variations and click the Import / Export tab in the plugin header.
2. Does the export include draft and disabled rules?
Yes. Export CSV downloads every rule, including drafts and disabled rules.
3. Will importing create duplicate rules?
No. When a rule title in the file matches an existing rule, that rule is updated. A new rule is created only for titles that don't exist yet.
4. Why weren't some products linked after import?
Products are matched by SKU. If a product on this site has a different SKU or none at all, it isn't matched. Check the Not matched line in the import message, fix the SKUs and import again.