Import Customers

Import customer data into WooCommerce from external sources

Overview

Customer imports allow you to migrate customer data from another store, import customer lists from external systems, or sync customer information between platforms.

PrimeLink imports customer accounts with all their information including billing and shipping addresses, account details, and metadata.

Customer Fields Overview

Account Information

  • Customer ID: WooCommerce customer ID
  • Username: Customer username (if creating new account)
  • Email: Customer email address (required)
  • Password: Customer password (hashed or plain text)
  • Role: Customer role (customer, subscriber, etc.)
  • Date Registered: Account creation date

Personal Information

  • First Name: Customer first name
  • Last Name: Customer last name
  • Display Name: Display name for the account
  • Nickname: Customer nickname

Billing Address

  • Billing First Name: Billing first name
  • Billing Last Name: Billing last name
  • Billing Company: Billing company name
  • Billing Address 1: Billing street address
  • Billing Address 2: Billing address line 2
  • Billing City: Billing city
  • Billing State: Billing state/province
  • Billing Postcode: Billing postal code
  • Billing Country: Billing country code
  • Billing Phone: Billing phone number
  • Billing Email: Billing email address

Shipping Address

  • Shipping First Name: Shipping first name
  • Shipping Last Name: Shipping last name
  • Shipping Company: Shipping company name
  • Shipping Address 1: Shipping street address
  • Shipping Address 2: Shipping address line 2
  • Shipping City: Shipping city
  • Shipping State: Shipping state/province
  • Shipping Postcode: Shipping postal code
  • Shipping Country: Shipping country code

Additional Information

  • Custom Fields: Additional customer metadata
  • Meta Data: Custom meta fields

Import Process

Step 1: Welcome

Start the customer import wizard from PrimeLink → Imports → New Import → Customers

Step 2: Select Data Source

Choose where your customer data is coming from

Step 3: Import Strategy

Choose how to handle existing customers:

  • Create & Update: Create new customers and update existing ones
  • Create Only: Only create new customers, skip existing
  • Update Only: Only update existing customers, skip new ones

Step 4: Filters & Preview

Filter your customer data and preview results

Step 5: Field Mapping

Map source fields to WooCommerce customer fields:

  • Map account information
  • Map billing and shipping addresses
  • Map personal information

Step 6: Options & Scheduling

Configure import options and scheduling

Step 7: Review

Review your import configuration

Step 8: Run Import

Start the import and monitor progress

Matching Customers

Matching Criteria

When updating existing customers, PrimeLink needs to match them. Available options:

  • Customer ID: Match by WooCommerce customer ID
  • Email: Match by email address (recommended)
  • Username: Match by username
  • Custom Field: Match by custom field value

Best Practices

  • Use Email for matching when possible (most reliable)
  • Ensure email addresses are unique
  • Use Customer ID if importing from another WooCommerce store
  • Username matching is less reliable

Password Handling

Password Formats

Passwords can be imported in different formats:

  • Plain Text: Passwords in plain text (will be hashed automatically)
  • Hashed: WordPress password hashes (from another WordPress site)
  • Generate: Auto-generate passwords (customers receive reset email)

Password Security

🔒 Security Tip: If importing from another WordPress/WooCommerce site, you can import password hashes directly. For new customers or external sources, use plain text passwords (they'll be hashed) or generate passwords and send reset emails.

Best Practices

  • Use Email for matching: Most reliable way to match customers
  • Test with sample data: Run a test import with a few customers first
  • Verify email addresses: Ensure email addresses are valid and unique
  • Handle passwords carefully: Use hashed passwords when possible
  • Backup first: Always backup your store before large imports
  • Check for duplicates: Verify no duplicate email addresses
  • Validate addresses: Ensure billing and shipping addresses are complete

Common Issues and Solutions

Customers Not Created

  • Check required fields are mapped (Email is required)
  • Verify email format is correct
  • Check import logs for specific errors
  • Ensure email addresses are unique

Duplicate Customers

  • Check for duplicate email addresses in source data
  • Use "Update Only" mode to update existing customers
  • Verify matching criteria is correct
  • Filter duplicates before import

Password Issues

  • Verify password format is correct
  • Check if password hashes are valid (if using hashed passwords)
  • Consider generating passwords and sending reset emails

Address Issues

  • Verify address fields are properly mapped
  • Check country codes are valid (ISO format)
  • Ensure state codes are correct for the country

Next Steps

🛒 Import Orders

Learn how to import orders

Learn More →
🗺️ Field Mapping

Detailed guide to field mapping

Learn More →
📥 Creating Imports

Complete import process guide

Learn More →