sandywp / plugins / taxonomy-csv-import-export
Taxonomy CSV Import Export
Import and export WordPress taxonomy terms and users via CSV. Register custom taxonomies, create terms, and preview exports — all from the admin.
Ready in seconds.
v1.5 900+ installs WP 5.2+ PHP 7.4+

What you get inside
4 screens-
Import/Export page — Export tab active with live term preview table
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Import tab — file upload with success notice and imported terms summary
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Create Term page — accordion taxonomy list with one row expanded and term creation form
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Register Taxonomy page — custom taxonomy builder with type selector and post type checkboxes
About this plugin
Taxonomy CSV Import Export is the complete admin toolkit for managing WordPress taxonomies and users through CSV files. Import hundreds of terms in seconds, export any taxonomy with a single click, build custom taxonomies without writing a line of code, and manage your entire user base — all from a clean, modern admin interface.
Whether you are migrating a site, seeding a staging environment, bulk-editing taxonomy terms, or onboarding users, this plugin removes the manual work entirely.
Works with every taxonomy WordPress supports: built-in categories and tags, WooCommerce product categories, and any custom taxonomy registered by a theme or plugin.
🗂️ Feature 1 — CSV Export
Export any registered taxonomy to a structured CSV file in one click.
What it does:
Select a taxonomy from the dropdown, optionally preview the full term list in a table, then download the CSV. The exported file includes every term’s name, slug, description, and parent slug so the data is ready to import into any other WordPress site.
Use cases:
* Back up all taxonomy terms before a major site update
* Migrate categories or tags from a staging site to production
* Hand off a taxonomy list to a content team for bulk editing in Excel or Google Sheets
* Archive taxonomy data as part of a site documentation process
Exported columns: name, slug, description, parent_slug
🔍 Feature 2 — Export Preview
See exactly what will be exported before the file downloads.
What it does:
Click Preview to load a live table of all terms for the selected taxonomy — name, slug, description, and parent slug — directly on the page. No download needed to verify the data.
Use cases:
* Confirm the correct taxonomy is selected before downloading
* Spot missing descriptions or broken parent relationships before handing off data
* Show a client or team member what data exists without needing to open a spreadsheet
📥 Feature 3 — CSV Import
Bulk-import taxonomy terms from any CSV file with automatic hierarchy resolution.
What it does:
Upload a CSV file with a name column (plus optional slug, description, and parent_slug). The importer processes every row, creates the term, links it to its parent by slug, and shows a per-term results table — created, updated, skipped, or failed — when complete.
Use cases:
* Populate a brand-new site with hundreds of categories from a spreadsheet
* Migrate taxonomy terms from another CMS or platform exported as CSV
* Re-import an edited export file after a content team has updated descriptions in Excel
* Seed a development or staging environment to match the production taxonomy structure
* Sync taxonomy terms across multiple WordPress installations
Supported CSV columns: name (required), slug, description, parent_slug
🏷️ Feature 4 — Register Custom Taxonomy
Create and persist custom taxonomies from the WordPress admin — zero code required.
What it does:
Fill in a label, singular label, slug, and optional description. Choose the taxonomy type — Tags (non-hierarchical, like post tags) or Categories (hierarchical, like post categories). Select the post types to attach it to. Click Register. The taxonomy is saved to the database and re-registered automatically on every page load.
Use cases:
* Build a “Genres” taxonomy for a movie review site without editing functions.php
* Add a “Topics” taxonomy to a knowledge base that attaches to both posts and pages
* Let a non-developer client set up their own taxonomy structure during onboarding
* Quickly prototype a custom post type taxonomy during theme development
* Replace hardcoded taxonomy registrations with a UI-managed alternative that survives theme switches
Options: Label, Singular Label, Slug, Description, Type (Tags / Categories), Post Types
✏️ Feature 5 — Create Term
Add new terms to any taxonomy directly from the admin — no page reload.
What it does:
The Create Term page shows an accordion list of every registered taxonomy. Expand a taxonomy row, type a term title and optional description, and click Create Term. The term is saved instantly via AJAX and a confirmation message appears in place — the page never reloads.
Use cases:
* Quickly add a handful of new tags or categories without navigating to the taxonomy list screen
* Let an editor add terms to a custom taxonomy they do not have full edit access to
* Add terms to multiple taxonomies in a single session without switching between admin screens
* Test that a newly registered custom taxonomy is working before importing data into it
👥 Feature 6 — User Import & Export
Export and import WordPress users by role with a clean two-panel interface.
What it does:
The Users page is split into two side-by-side panels. The Export panel lets you select one or more user roles using checkboxes (or export all users if none are selected) and download a CSV. The Import panel accepts a CSV file and creates or updates user accounts automatically.
Use cases:
* Export all Editor-role users before transferring a site to a new host
* Back up your entire user database as a CSV for offline storage
* Migrate users from one WordPress site to another without a full database export
* Onboard a large number of new users by preparing a CSV and importing in one step
* Re-import updated user data after a team has edited roles or details in a spreadsheet
✅ Why Choose This Plugin?
- Zero configuration — activate and start working immediately, no settings page needed
- Preview before download — verify export data in a table before committing to a file
- Full hierarchy support — parent–child term relationships preserved on import and export
- No-code taxonomy builder — register custom taxonomies entirely through the admin UI
- Role-aware user export — filter users by one or more roles or export everyone at once
- AJAX-powered — term creation and export preview happen without page reloads
- PHP 8.4 compatible — no deprecated-function warnings on the latest PHP release
- Translation ready — all user-facing strings use WordPress i18n functions
Who Is This For?
- Site administrators who need to migrate or back up taxonomy data without developer help
- WordPress developers seeding staging environments or prototyping taxonomy structures quickly
- Content managers responsible for maintaining large category or tag libraries
- Agency teams delivering client sites that require custom taxonomy structures built in the admin
- WooCommerce store owners managing large product category trees
How It Works
- Go to Taxonomy CSV in the WordPress admin sidebar
- Export — select a taxonomy, click Preview to review, then Export CSV to download
- Import — switch to the Import tab, upload your CSV, and click Import CSV
- Register Taxonomy — fill in the form to create a new custom taxonomy
- Create Term — expand a taxonomy row, enter a title, and click Create Term
- Users — use the Export or Import panel to manage your user base by role
Questions
- Which taxonomies are supported?
All taxonomies registered in WordPress — built-in (category, post_tag) and custom ones from any theme or plugin, including WooCommerce product categories.
- Can I import terms with parent–child relationships?
Yes. Include a
parent_slugcolumn in your CSV. The importer resolves the parent by slug automatically.- Does this work with large CSV files?
Yes. The importer processes rows one at a time so memory usage stays flat regardless of file size.
- Is it compatible with PHP 8.4?
Yes. The deprecated
escapeparameter forfputcsv()andstr_getcsv()has been removed to eliminate warnings on PHP 8.4.- Can I create a custom taxonomy without writing code?
Yes. Use the Register Taxonomy page to create, name, and attach a taxonomy to any post type directly from the admin UI.
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