"Magento 2 Developer’s Cookbook"

Magento 2 Stock Status Explained: What It Is and How to Change It During Stock Update Import

- Magento 2, Our extensions

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Managing product availability is critical for every Magento store, and that’s where the Magento 2 stock status comes into play. This attribute tells customers whether an item is in stock or unavailable, directly influencing sales and customer trust. Normally, stock status is controlled by the is_in_stock field in your import file. But what if that column is missing or empty?

By default, Magento can’t automatically fill in the blanks — leaving you with manual fixes or broken imports. The Improved Import & Export extension solves this by recalculating stock status based on the product’s qty value. That means you can bulk import products, and the extension will automatically set the right stock status without additional files or manual changes.

In this guide, we’ll explain what stock status in Magento 2 is, why it matters for your store, and how to update it during import — even if is_in_stock values are absent. Follow our Developer’s Cookbook for more useful tips on Magento 2.

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How to Import Magento 2 Product Images & Product Data Separately: A Faster Way to Bulk Upload

- Magento 2, Our extensions

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Importing products with images in Magento 2 often feels like a bottleneck. The more pictures you assign to each SKU, the longer the process drags on. Sometimes a simple catalog update can turn into hours of waiting and still lead to errors. Why does that happen? Because Magento 2, by default, ties product data and product images together during import. Consequently, the update quickly becomes resource-intensive and error-prone. The larger catalogs or high-resolution files you have, the more time they require for the update to complete.

That’s where a smarter workflow comes in. With the Improved Import & Export extension, you can import product images in Magento 2 separately from product data. This advanced feature, known as Deferred Import Images, allows you to upload products first and then process image files. The result? Faster imports, reduced RAM usage, and a far more stable process when handling thousands of SKUs.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to set up Magento 2 import for products and images separately, why this approach outperforms the default tools, and what best practices to follow to avoid common pitfalls like broken paths or missing files. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to streamline your catalog uploads, saving time and keeping your Magento 2 store fully operable. And don’t forget to visit our Magento 2 Developer’s Cookbook for other useful tips.
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How to Manage Inventory in Magento 2: Update, Increment, and Automate Product Quantities with Import

- Magento 2, Our extensions

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What is effective inventory management in Magento 2? Right, it is the backbone of any successful online store that ensures accurate product availability, prevents overselling, and keeps both customers and backend operations aligned. Now, you may wonder how to manage inventory in Magento to obtain the conditions described. Should it happen manually? Sometimes it may work. In that case, however, updating stock levels can quickly become a bottleneck. The more products you have to update, the more time-consuming this process becomes, especially if you have to deal with frequent supplier updates.

Now, imagine a common scenario: your supplier provides you with a CSV with product quantities they’ve sent to you. By default, a Magento inventory update import will overwrite existing stock levels with the new values from the file. But what if you need to add the new quantities to your current stock? For example, you already have 50 items in stock and your supplier delivers 30 more, you’ll want Magento to reflect 80 — not just 30. That’s where the Improved Import & Export extension comes in.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to automatically add product quantities to existing values during Magento 2 product import, instead of replacing them. With this approach, you can keep inventory accurate, streamline updates, and reduce manual work. Want more practical solutions? Explore our Magento 2 Developer’s Cookbook for additional tips and ready-to-use solutions.
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How to Archive Files After Magento 2 CSV Import to Save Storage Space

- Magento 2, Our extensions

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Running frequent updates via Magento 2 CSV import is crucial for keeping your catalog, prices, and customer data current. However, every transfer has one disadvantage that you cannot eliminate. The problem is that every import leaves behind source files, quickly eating up server space. The more often you update your store, the more clutter these CSV files create, leading to wasted storage, slower performance, and messy backups.

That’s why efficient file management is just as important as the import itself. By archiving or compressing files automatically after each Magento CSV import, you not only free up storage but also keep your system organized and secure. Unfortunately, Magento doesn’t provide this functionality out of the box.

With the Improved Import & Export extension, however, you can automate archiving as part of your Magento 2 import CSV workflow. The module includes a dedicated “Archive file after import” feature that compresses processed files into ZIP archives and stores them in a structured way. This guide shows how to enable this functionality, why it matters for merchants handling bulk data updates, and how it fits into your broader Magento import CSV strategy.

👉 For more developer insights, check out our Magento 2 Developer’s Cookbook.
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Magento 2 Image Resize Guide: How to Resize Product Images in Magento 2 Automatically After Import

- Magento 2, Our extensions

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Resizing product images in Magento 2 is no longer just a design concern — it’s a critical step for performance, SEO, and customer experience. If you’re still manually shrinking high-resolution photos before uploading them to your store, you’re wasting valuable time. With the right setup, Magento 2 image resize can be fully automated during the import process.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to resize product images in Magento 2 automatically after import using the Improved Import & Export extension together with Imagick (ImageMagick). You’ll learn how to keep the correct aspect ratio, improve image quality, and avoid oversized files that slow down your store. And if you’re still using unoptimized pictures, we’ll explain why resizing images in Magento 2 is essential for site speed, SEO, and sales.

👉 Looking for more practical solutions? Don’t forget to explore our Magento 2 Developer’s Cookbook for additional import and export tips.
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Advanced Magento 2 Import of Images: How to Bulk Upload Product Pictures from FTP, Google Drive & More

- Magento 2, Our extensions

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Importing product images in Magento 2 is one of the most common challenges merchants face when setting up or updating their catalogs. By default, Magento only looks for pictures inside the root catalog of your store, which often forces you to move files manually before running a CSV import. This process is time-consuming and error-prone — especially if you receive thousands of product images from suppliers or keep them on external servers.

With the Improved Import & Export extension, you can streamline this workflow. The module introduces the Use Image Import Source feature, which lets you import product images in Magento 2 directly from FTP/SFTP, as well as from cloud storage like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Instead of shuffling files back and forth, you can bulk upload and assign images to products automatically.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use Magento 2 import images functionality with the Improved Import & Export extension, how to import product images using CSV and external sources, and why this approach is a game-changer for stores managing large or frequently updated catalogs. And if you’re looking for more developer insights, don’t forget to check out our Magento 2 Developer’s Cookbook.
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How to Import Product Reviews in Magento 2 and Assign Them to Parent Configurable or Bundle Products

- Magento 2, Our extensions

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Magento 2 import of product reviews is a crucial task for any store that wants to boost trust, improve SEO, and display authentic customer feedback. While Magento natively supports reviews, it doesn’t provide built-in tools to manage them in bulk or associate feedback from child products with their parent configurable or bundle items.

With the Improved Import & Export extension, however, you can easily import product reviews to Magento 2, connect child reviews to parent products, and even automate the entire process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to import reviews in Magento 2, link child feedback with parent products, and explain why our import reviews extension for Magento 2 is the most efficient solution. For more developer insights, check out our Magento 2 Developer’s Cookbook.
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Magento 2 Developer Guide & Cookbook: Essential Code Snippets, Tips, and User Notes

- Fire development, Magento 2

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Working with Magento 2 often means juggling dozens of tasks — from managing catalogs to customizing checkout flows — and that’s where a reliable Magento guide becomes indispensable. While the official Magento user guide covers the basics for store admins, developers need a more practical resource with copy-and-paste solutions and proven tips. This Magento 2 developer guide and cookbook is designed to bridge that gap.

Inside, you’ll find essential Magento code snippets, workflow optimizations, and notes gathered from real projects. Whether you are looking for a quick fix for recurring issues or deeper insights into Magento development, this guide will save you hours of trial and error. More than just a list of tricks, it functions as both a Magento user and developer guide, helping you streamline your store, extend functionality, and reduce technical debt. If you’re searching for a clear Magento 2 guide that combines usability with developer-ready knowledge, this resource has you covered. Continue Reading

Magento 2 XML Integration Guide 2025: How to Import Magento 2 Products from XML Feed & Export Them Back as XML (+Other Entities)

- Fire development, Magento 2

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Working with supplier catalogs, marketplace integrations, or ERP systems often means handling XML data, yet Magento 2 does not natively support it. If you need to import products from an XML feed into Magento 2 or perform a Magento export of products to XML, the default platform leaves you with only one option: converting everything to or from CSV files. While this works for basic tasks, it adds extra steps, increases the risk of formatting errors, and slows down your workflow, especially when managing large or frequently updated catalogs.

A better approach is to remove the conversion process entirely. The Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension allows you to connect directly to XML product feeds, pulling data into your store without manual transformations, and to export your catalog back into XML for seamless integration with external systems. It makes Magento XML product import and export as straightforward as working with CSV, helping you keep your catalog in sync with suppliers, marketplaces, and internal tools.

In this guide, you’ll see how to work with XML in Magento 2 using both the default CSV-based method and the streamlined, conversion-free approach with Improved Import & Export. You’ll learn how to configure the Magento 2 import of products from an XML feed, automate this process, set up Magento XML exports for products and other entities, and avoid the common pitfalls that can cause data errors.

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How to Import Customers & Customer Addresses to Magento 2: Complete Tutorial, CSV Samples & Tips

- Magento 2

Illustrative image for the Magento 2 customer import guide with emojis, magento logo, and text on orange background

Importing customers into Magento 2 is a critical step when migrating from another platform, syncing CRM data, or simply managing your customer base more efficiently. Whether you’re setting up a new store or updating existing records, knowing how to import customers to Magento 2 can save you hours of manual work and prevent costly data entry errors.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the Magento import of customers. You’ll learn how to use both the default Magento 2 import tool and advanced third-party solutions to streamline customer and address data uploads. We’ll also explain how to work with the three key entities: Customers Main File, Customer Addresses, and Customers and Addresses — each offering a different way to manage customer data imports.

To get started, we’ll show you how to prepare a valid Magento 2 customer import sample CSV, explain the structure of the required columns, and cover how to map attributes correctly. Whether you’re using the built-in Magento 2 functionality or looking to boost your workflow with the Firebear Improved Import & Export extension, this article has you covered.

Let’s dive into the step-by-step process of importing customers and their addresses into Magento 2, so you can get it right the first time.

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