Improved Import for Magento 1- extension manual

Improved Import extension enhance the ability of default Magento import process with adding the most requested by Magento community import features! All this features works with default Magento Dataflow import/export from .csv files. We provide detaileda manual and .csv samples for make you life easy! This extension can be very helpful for product migration from another E-Commerce systems to Magento and also on data migration between Magento stores. Extension can be also used for update already exist products with multiple images, additional images from URL, custom options and tier prices!

On this post you can find official manual for Improved Import extension – detailed instruction for use each feature, how create correct .csv file for import, description of extension settings and other tips about Magento import process.

If you are new in Magento product import process as well – check our post Magento product import from scratch

Improved Import for Magento 2

We’ve decided to provide Magento 1 extensions for free, so you can get this module out of charge here:

Firebear Studio GitHub

Improved import features (manual table of content):

• Improved Import extension installation
• Improved Import Extension settings
• Import multiple product images
• Import multiple product images from external URL
• Show product SKU for missed images
• Import product custom options
• Import product tier prices
• Import customers with unencrypted passwords
• Export multiple product images
• CSV file sample

General information about Magento import process

For import products & customers in Magento we use .csv files, this is structured file format what stored all information about products or another entities what you want import on you store, once you have correct .csv file – all what you need upload it and tun import process on Magento admin. On this article and for use Improved Import extension you must use default Magento dataflow profiles – Import all products, Export all products and Import customers. For find this profiles and begin import you must go to Magento Admin -> System -> Import/Export -> Dataflow – profiles

If you try import data to Magento from another system or just new data first time it’s can be little confused – how you can get correct .csv file what can be correct processed in Magento? Most easy way – just try export some products from you store to .csv (Magento Admin -> System -> Import/Export -> Dataflow – profiles -> Export All Products) and have looks what columns you have here – for correct import you need basically exactly the same file. For edit and work with .csv files we recommend use Open Office –  it have amazing features for work with large and complex .csv files. More information about Magento Import/Export process you can find in Magento Import / Export from sratch

Please note – all extension features can be used in same time – this mean in one .csv you can add all columns for additional images, images from URL, tier prices, use images from URL as main product images etc. But please very carefully read all next instructions for make all correct!

Improved Import Extension installation

For install extension just unzip content of archive what you download after purchase to you Magento root folder with merge files. After this clean Magento cache on Magento Admin -> System -> Cache Management -> Flush Magento cache and last step is logout from Magento admin and login back!

Improved Import Extension settings

Improved Import Settings

Let’s have looks what we have on Improved Import extension settings. After install extension you find it on Magento Admin -> System -> Configuration – > Firebear (on left nav column) -> Impoved Import

General tab

Enabled – Yes / No – Global Enable / Disable for Improved Import extension.

Product images import tab

Show product SKU for missed images – Yes/No – Enable/disable feature for show SKU of products with missed images on media/import folder

Enable Excluded Images – Yes/No – If the product image is a main product image (image, small_image, or thumbnail), automatically check the exclude checkbox

Multiple Image Column Name – Text input – The header in your CSV where you will put your additional images from URL to import. When importing multiple images from URL, separate with a semi-colon, put full image URL: ‘http://site.com/image1.jpg;http://site.com/image2.jpg;http://site.com/image3.jpg’.

Enable images from URL for main images – Allow images from URL for main product images (image, small_image, or thumbnail).

Product custom options tab

Enable product custom options import – Enable import product custom options. To import a custom option you need to add a new column to your CSV import file. The name of the column determines the name and type of the option.

Product tier prices import tab

Enable product tier prices import – Enable tier prices product import. You can add column to you .csv file with special prices for different customers group for each product.

Customers passwords import tab

Enable customers import with unencrypted password – Enable customers import with unencrypted password – you just need specify column on you CSV and put there unencrypted password.

Customer Unencrypted Password Column Name – Name of column on you csv file where is customers unencrypted passwords located

Export multiple product images tab

Multiple Images Export Column Name – Name of column on csv file what be added for export multiple product images separated with “;”

Import multiple product images

By default in Magento you can import only tree types of product images – image, small_image and thumbnail. This is sad, because usually each product on you store can have much more images, photos etc. With Improved Import you can import as many images as you want for each product! Additional product images by default be displayed as product gallery images on product view page. Import multiple products images feature can be very helpful together with Export multiple product images feature – use only Imroved Import extension you can easy migrate products with multiple images between Magento stores!

1. Upload all you images to media/import  (if not exist – create it!)folder on you Magento installation folder. Make sure media/import be writable, you can make this with CHMOD 777 on you server.
2. On .csv file you must have tree default required columns for images import – image, small_image and thumbnail. On this columns you must put absolute patch from /media/import folder  to image for each product. Example if you copy img1.jpg directly to media/import folder, on .csv file you should put just “/img1.jpg”.   But if you copy image img1.jpg to media/import/some_folder – on .csv file image column you should put “/import/some_folder/img1.jpg”. Same patch rules works for multiple product images images import.
3. For import multiple product images you need add additional column to you .csv file. Name of this column can be changed on extensions setting page Product images import tab -> Multiple image column name, by default – “additional_images”
4. On additional images column you can put images names with absolute patch to media/import folder separated by “;”

Example of multiple images column on .csv

     5.   Once you .csv be ready you can start import products with multiple images on Magento Admin -> System -> Import/Export -> Dataflow – profiles -> Import All Products

Import multiple product images from external URL

Allow product images import from external URLs, this mean instead of copy product images to media/import folder for import you can just use external URLs from another sites or image storages on you csv file (like “http://sample.com/image.jpg”). External images can be used as main product images (image, small_image and thumbnail) and also you can add additional column to you .csv file for import multiple images from external URLs same as images what be uploaded to you server!

1. Images from external URL can be used as main product images (image, small_image and thumbnail). For use this features you need enable it on extension settings page – Product images import tab -> Enable images from URL for main images. Once this be done you can use images URLs on main product images columns on you .csv

Example of product main images columns on .csv with images from external URL

    2. For import additional multiple product images from URL you need add additional column to you .csv file. Name of this column can be changed on extensions setting page Product images import tab -> Multiple image from URL column name, by default – “additional_images_urls”

      3. On additional images URLs column you can put image URLs  with full patch (with “http://”) separated by “;”

Example of column with multiple images from external URL

     4.   Once you .csv be ready you can start import products with multiple images on Magento Admin -> System -> Import/Export -> Dataflow – profiles -> Import All Products

Please note – import images from external URL can take much more time that usually images import because before import to Magento, Improved Import extension go to download each images from URLs for palce it on media folder on you server.

Imported images should displayed on product edit page on Images tab

Magento multiple product images

Show product SKU for missed images

Magento not can processed import product if one of main product images – image, small_image, thumbnail be missed on media/import folder. When this happens you see error you import process – Image does not exist but you not can know for what exactly product image missed. Show SKU for missed images feature of Improved Import extension allow you to see for what exactly product SKU image missed. This feature works or default Magento product images import and for multiple product images import with Improved import extension.

1. Enable feature on extension setting page Product custom options import tab -> Show product SKU for missed images
2. Start import import product images Magento Admin -> System -> Import/Export -> Dataflow – profiles -> Import All Products

Show SKU of products with missed images

Import product custom options

By default in Magento you can import only product attributes but not product custom options, this is can be very big problem add custom options manual in admin for each product. With improved import you can add column on you csv file for import and create product custom options with parameters like option name, type, values etc. This is very easy and flexible method for mass product custom options import and creation.

1. For import product with custom options you need enable this feature on extension settings Product custom options import tab -> Enable product custom options import
2. Also you need to add a new column on you .csv file. Very important! Custom options column should be last on you .csv file! Also options names can sonsist spaces, so you can just write on column name “Some column name”, not use _ for word separate! Name of this column should be the name and type of the custom option what you want add. The format is: Name:Type:Is Required. Example : for create required dropdown option “Memory” column title must be: “Memory:drop_down:1″ (1 – required custom option, 0 – optional custom option). Next – list of possible types for Magento product custom options

• field : Field
• area : Area
• file : File
• drop_down : Drop-down
• radio : Radio Buttons
• checkbox : Checkbox
• multiple : Multiple Select
• date : Date
• date_time : Date & Time
• time : Time

  3. Now let’s have look how you need fill custom options values on you .csv rows. For custom option types with multiple values (drop_down, radio, checkbox, multiple) you need specify using a | separator. Example with Memory custom option:  8GB, 16GB, 32GB you must use “8GB|16GB|32GB” as values for “Memory:drop_down:1” column in your .csv file.

Columns for product custom options import

  4. Additionally you can setup price  values for each option value. The syntax for this is Value:[fixed|percent]:price_modifier. Example – if you have a product which price +$100 more for a 16GB and +10% more for a 32GB you can use next option value – 8GB|16GB:fixed:100|32GB:percent:10

  5. Now you can fill custom option values for each product on specific option column.

  6.  Once you .csv be ready you can start import products with custom options on Magento Admin -> System -> Import/Export -> Dataflow – profiles -> Import All Products

Imported custom options should displayed on product edit page on Custom options tab

Imported product custom options magento

Import product tier prices

This feature allow you import different product prices for different customers groups on you Magento store. Just add new column on you csv for each customer group. Also you can setup minimum products qty what must be purchased for get special group price. Tier prices works with customers groups in Magento what can be found on Magento admin -> Customers -> Customer group here you can manage customer groups and create new.

1. For import product tier prices you need enable this feature on extension settings Product tier prices import tab -> Enable product tier prices import
2. You must add new column to you .csv  in the form “price_groupname” or “price_groupname_minqty”  where is groupname – customer group name according to group name on Magento admin but in lowercase! (this mean if you have group Special it must be “special”, “Wholesale” as “wholesale” etc. also group name cannot contain underscores ) qty – it’s minimum qty from what special price start.
   

Example of csv column for tier prcies import

1. Fill tier prices for products on specific column
2. Once you .csv be ready you can start import products with tier prices on Magento Admin -> System -> Import/Export -> Dataflow – profiles -> Import All Products

Imported tier prices should displayed on product edit page on Prices tab

Imported product tier prices

Import customers with unencrypted passwords

Magento use one side encryption for save customers passwords, this mean you need use hashed passwords in customers import progress, it’s not problem when you import customers from another Magento store but if you have you customers passwords without hashing you not have possibility to import it in Magento. This feature resolve this problem, now you can just put unhashed customer passwords on special csv column on import progress.

1. For import customers with unhashed passwords you need enable this options on extnesion settings page Customer password import -> Enable customers import with unencrypted password. Also here you can change column name what be used in you .csv for unencrypted customer passwords (by default – password). Please note – if you disable this feature, you can import customer with default Magento settings, this mean on you .csv you must have column with hashed customers passwords (it’s possible only if you make impiort from another Magento store) or Magento can just genarte new password for each customer.
2. On you .csv with customers data you need add new column according to unencrypted customer passwords (by default – password) and fill it for each customer.

Example of column with passwords

Export multiple product images

Impoved Import extension allow you not only import but also export multiple product images, this mean on export process you get all product images what you have on you Magento admin. This feature can be very helpful with migration products with multiple images between Magento stores – exported column on .csv file can be used on multiple images import without any modifications, you just need place images on media/import folder.

1. Set column name on   Export Multiple Product Images -> Multiple Images Export Column Name (by default “additional_images” same as default column name for multiple images import)
2. For start product export with multiple product images go to  Magento Admin -> System -> Import / Export -> Dataflow profiles -> Export customers
3. In result you get .csv with all product images in additional column.

Sample CSV file

Download CSV file sample for Improved Import

Few products in .csv file assume you have category with id = 3, you can change category for sample import on category_ids column.

Possible troubles and solutions

1. Error on import process Warning: include(NOTICE.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in magento/lib/Varien/Autoload.php on line 93 – something wrong with column names on you .csv file, check column names for multiple images, ier prices etc. All should be correct according to samples.
2. If you not want import tier prices but want import product custom options – please disable tier prices import in extension settings, here is can be some conflicts if tier prices import enabled but column with data not exist in csv.
3. Can’t get image from URL for product SKU: (here is you product SKU) –  here is error from server side – URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration – this come from PHP configuration by you hosting provider, here is link with details about this http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2010/04/07/quick-fix-for-url-file-access-is-disabled-issues/ , also you can find details about this error in var/system.log in you Magento installation.  Also it’s can be issue with folder permissions, make sure you have 777 for media/import folder.

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If you have any questions, troubles or suggestions please feel free ask on comments or contact us.

More import/export improvements coming with each next release of extension!

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