Category Import Export

Mage2Expert Category Import/Export is an extension for Magento 2 that lets store owners and administrators add, update, delete, and export entire category trees in bulk using simple CSV files, instead of creating and editing categories one at a time in the admin category tree. Once installed, you upload a spreadsheet-style file listing category names, parent paths, activity and menu flags, SEO fields, images, and the SKUs of the products that belong to each category, and the extension creates or updates every one of them in a single pass — automatically building any missing parent categories along the way, so a brand-new four-level category path can be created from one row without pre-creating each level by hand. The same file format works in reverse: export your existing catalog structure to CSV at any time, including category images and assigned product SKUs, edit it in a spreadsheet program, and re-import it to apply the changes. This is especially useful when migrating a category tree from a staging site, another platform, or a client's spreadsheet; restructuring hundreds of categories ahead of a seasonal sale or new product line; updating meta titles and descriptions across an entire catalog in one pass instead of opening each category individually; or keeping translated category names and descriptions in sync across multiple store views — tasks that would otherwise mean hours of repetitive manual editing.

The extension works entirely inside Magento's own Data Transfer tools, so there is nothing new to learn: after installation, a Categories option simply appears in the Entity Type dropdown on both the System → Data Transfer → Import and System → Data Transfer → Export pages, using the same file upload, validation ("Check Data"), per-row error reporting, and Import History screens merchants already use for products and customers — no new menu or admin grid is added anywhere else. A new configuration section under Stores → Configuration → Mage2Expert → Category Import/Export lets the merchant turn the feature on or off, choose the folder category images are imported from, and decide whether exported files include assigned product SKUs; no coding or developer customization is required to install, configure, or use the extension. Because it is a pure admin/back-office tool, it makes no changes whatsoever to the storefront theme, layout, or design — shoppers will not see or notice anything different — while the merchant and their team gain a fast, validated, spreadsheet-driven way to build and maintain category structure that previously had to be done by hand, one category at a time.

Features

• Native Import/Export Integration — adds a Categories entity type to System → Data Transfer → Import and System → Data Transfer → Export, with no separate admin screen to learn.
• Add, Update, or Delete in Bulk — a single CSV drives category creation, attribute updates, or deletion (including subcategories), selected via the standard Import Behavior dropdown.
• Automatic Parent Category Creation — reference a category by its full path (e.g. Default Category/Men/Shirts) and any missing segment in that path is created on the fly, with no separate row required per tree level.
• Full Attribute Coverage — name, description, URL key, Is Active, Is Anchor, Include in Menu, position, meta title, meta keywords, meta description, display mode, and landing page (CMS block) are all supported CSV columns.
• Category Image Import & Export — reference an image filename in the CSV and the file is copied automatically from a configurable import folder into the category media directory; exporting copies category images back out alongside the CSV.
• Product-to-Category Assignment by SKU — list pipe-separated SKUs in a product_skus column to assign products to a category on import, and export existing assignments back out the same way.
• Multi-Store Value Overrides — a store_view_code column lets a single import file carry different translations of name, description, URL key, and meta fields for each store view.
• Attribute Picker & Filters on Export — choose exactly which columns to include and filter which categories are exported (by active status, name, description, and more) using Magento's standard export attribute grid.
• Downloadable Sample File — a ready-to-edit template CSV is one click away from the Import screen, demonstrating new categories, nested paths, images, product assignment, and store-view overrides.
• Detailed Per-Row Validation — "Check Data" reports specific, actionable errors for every problem row (missing fields, unknown SKUs, missing images, invalid values) before any data is written, and only the affected rows are skipped — the rest of the file still imports.
• Native Import History — every run is logged under Magento's own Import History screen with counts of created, updated, and deleted categories, exactly like a Products or Customers import.
• Enable / Disable without Uninstalling — a single configuration switch hides the Categories entity from the Import and Export screens and blocks import execution, while leaving all previously imported category data untouched.
• Zero Core Code Modifications — built entirely on Magento's standard Import/Export entity framework. No class rewrites, no preferences, no patches. Safe alongside Magento upgrades and other extensions.

How It Works

After enabling the extension, go to System → Data Transfer → Import and set Entity Type to Categories. Download the sample file, edit it with your category data, choose Add/Update or Delete as the Import Behavior, and click Check Data. Once validation passes, click Import to write the changes. The reverse flow works the same way: set Entity Type to Categories on the System → Data Transfer → Export screen, choose which attributes and filters to apply, and download a CSV that can be edited and re-imported without any reformatting. 

CSV Columns at a Glance

Each row uses category_id to update or delete an existing category, or parent_category_path plus name to create a new one. Optional columns cover every commonly-needed category attribute — activity and menu flags, position, URL key, description, full SEO field set, display mode, landing page block, image filename, and assigned product SKUs — so a single export/import round trip captures everything needed to back up, migrate, or bulk-edit a category tree between environments. 

Multi-Store & SEO

Store-view-scoped fields — name, description, URL key, and the meta title, keywords, and description trio — can be overridden per store view by adding extra rows with a store_view_code value, making the extension suitable for multi-store and multi-language catalogs without any additional configuration. 

Use Cases

• Store migrations — export the full category tree with images and SEO fields from a staging or legacy store, then import it into production in one pass.
• Bulk SEO updates — export categories, edit meta titles and descriptions in a spreadsheet, and re-import to apply changes across hundreds of categories at once.
• Seasonal catalog restructuring — build or rearrange multi-level category trees from a single CSV instead of manual drag-and-drop in the category tree.
• Multi-store rollouts — apply per-store-view translations of category names and descriptions in the same file used to create the categories.
• Merchandising re-assignments — reassign products to categories in bulk by SKU when reorganizing a catalog.