Install the Plugin

At a Glance

Time: About 2 minutes plus any missing prerequisites
What you do: Check your system, upload the ZIP, activate, open the wizard
Up next: Quick Start

Pre-flight Checklist

Run through this list first. It only takes a minute, but each item saves hours of hair-pulling later.

[ ] PHP 8.1 or higher (run php -v to check)
[ ] WordPress 6.0 or higher
[ ] WooCommerce 8.0 or higher, installed and active
[ ] MySQL 8.0 or higher (MariaDB 10.4+ also works)
[ ] pcntl PHP extension (for parallel processing — optional but strongly recommended)
[ ] posix PHP extension (for FIFO pipes — optional but recommended)
[ ] LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE enabled in MySQL
[ ] PHP memory_limit of 256M or higher
[ ] PHP max_execution_time of 300 seconds or higher (or 0 for unlimited)

Do not worry if some of these are missing. The plugin runs a full system check the first time you open the dashboard and tells you exactly what to fix.

System Requirements

Here is the full table so you know what works.

Requirement	Minimum	Tested Up To
PHP	8.1	8.3
WordPress	6.0	6.9
WooCommerce	8.0	10.6
MySQL	8.0	8.4
MariaDB	10.4	11.4

Recommended (Not Required)

These make the plugin faster but are not strictly needed.

Item	Why
`pcntl` extension	Enables parallel processing — 10x faster imports
`posix` extension	Enables FIFO pipes for zero-disk I/O
MyISAM engine	2x faster than InnoDB for bulk staging
4+ CPU cores	The plugin uses every core you have
4GB+ RAM	Helps with very large files

Shared Hosting Warning

Most shared hosting plans do not have pcntl. The plugin still works, but falls back to single-process mode. For stores with more than 10,000 products, a VPS or dedicated server is much better.

How to Install the Plugin

You have three ways to install. Pick the one that matches your style.

Option 1 — Upload the ZIP (Easiest)

This is the way most people install WordPress plugins.

Download advance-import-and-export-for-woocommerce.zip from your Webkul account or CodeCanyon.
In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New and click Upload Plugin.
Click Choose File, pick the ZIP, and click Install Now.

Add Plugins screen — click Upload Plugin, choose the ZIP file, and click Install Now.

Wait for "Plugin installed successfully" and click Activate Plugin.

Plugin installed After install, click Activate Plugin to turn it on.

Option 2 — FTP or SFTP

Use this method if your host limits file upload size.

Unzip advance-import-and-export-for-woocommerce.zip on your computer.
Open your FTP or SFTP client (FileZilla, Cyberduck, etc.) and connect to your server.
On the remote side, go to /wp-content/plugins/. Drag the unzipped advance-import-and-export-for-woocommerce folder from your computer and drop it in.
Open your WordPress admin and go to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
Find Advance Import and Export for WooCommerce in the list and click Activate.

Option 3 — WP-CLI (For Developers)

One command gets it done:

wp plugin install /path/to/advance-import-and-export-for-woocommerce.zip --activate

What Happens After You Activate

Three things happen right away.

Look for Webkul WC Addons in your sidebar. Under it you will find Advance Import Export with these pages:

Dashboard — Stats and system info
Quick Import — The 5-step wizard
Quick Export — One-page export tool
Jobs — Saved and scheduled jobs
History — Every run you have done
Health Check — Data integrity tool
Settings — Defaults and credentials

2. Database Tables Are Created

The plugin adds six tables to your database. You do not need to do anything with them.

Table	What It Stores
`wp_wkaie_jobs`	Saved import/export jobs
`wp_wkaie_history`	Every import run
`wp_wkaie_schedules`	Cron schedules for jobs
`wp_wkaie_mappings`	Saved column mapping presets
`wp_wkaie_row_hashes`	Delta import fingerprints
`wp_wkaie_stg_*`	Per-job staging tables (auto-dropped)

3. The System Check Runs

Open the Dashboard. The System Information card shows what is working and what is not. Anything in red needs your attention.

Screenshot: System Information card — green good, yellow warning, red needs attention.

If pcntl or posix is missing, the card has a "How to fix this" section with exact install commands for your server OS.

Verify the Install

Open the Dashboard page. You should see:

✅ Connection status
✅ System info (everything green or yellow — red items are explained below)
✅ Quick Action buttons
✅ "No recent activity" (because you have not run anything yet)

Click New Import to jump to the wizard. If that page opens, the plugin is installed correctly.

How to Uninstall or Reset

Sometimes you need to start over.

Deactivate keeps all your data. Jobs, history, and mappings stay put.
Uninstall (Delete from the Plugins screen) removes the files. By default, it keeps your settings in case you reinstall.
Reset plugin (under Settings → Advanced) wipes everything — jobs, history, mappings, schedules — and starts fresh.

Reset wipes everything

Reset is final. You cannot undo it. Make sure you really want a clean slate first.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
"Plugin could not be activated — fatal error"	Your PHP version is too old. Upgrade to PHP 8.1 or higher
"WooCommerce is not active"	Install and activate WooCommerce first
Menu does not appear after activation	Clear your browser cache and refresh. Also check you have `manage_woocommerce` capability
Dashboard shows blank page	Turn on WP_DEBUG in `wp-config.php` to see the error. See Troubleshooting
pcntl shows "Not Available"	Follow the install commands in the dashboard "How to fix this" box
LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE shows "Disabled"	Run `SET GLOBAL local_infile = 1;` as MySQL admin or ask your host

Where to Go Next

Quick Start — Run your first import in 5 minutes
Dashboard — Learn every section of the dashboard
Settings — Set defaults for batch size, images, and more
Compatibility — Turn on support for Yoast, ACF, Dokan, and others