Toolset – How to Import or Export Post Types

We have already shown you in a previous tutorial how you can view and bulk edit any post type created with Toolset. We have also shown you how you can bulk edit post type relationships; for example, you can assign a speaker to all events and vice versa, being both post types created with Toolset.

Now we will show you how you can download the information of your Toolset post types to a CSV file that you can edit in Excel or Google Sheets. You can apply any changes or even create new posts. Then you will see how to import the updated information and create new posts automatically for any Toolset post type.

You need to follow these simple steps:

1- Download and install the “WP Sheet Editor Post Types” plugin

Use an intuitive spreadsheet inside WordPress to:

• View and edit posts, pages or custom post types quickly
• Bulk edit pages, posts or custom post types
• Do advanced searches of your posts, pages or custom post types quickly
• Import posts, pages or custom post types from Excel, Google Sheets, etc.
• Download all items of any post type to a CSV file.
• Bulk edit fields generated by other plugins.

2- Download and install the “WP Sheet Editor – Toolset” extension

Besides installing the plugin, you need to install the WP Sheet Editor – Toolset extension, which will add full compatibility between both plugins.

With this extension, all Toolset custom fields from any post type will be correctly displayed in the spreadsheet.

3- Generate a spreadsheet for your Toolset post type

Once you install and activate WP Sheet Editor, you need to set up the spreadsheet in which you’ll edit your Toolset custom post.

• Go to WP Sheet Editor > Setup Spreadsheet.
• Tick the post type you’ll edit in the spreadsheet. We’ve created a post type with Toolset called Events for this example.
• Click Save.

After selecting the post type you’ll edit, you need to configure the columns you want to see in the spreadsheet. Each column is a field, so you’ll see the normal WordPress fields and the custom fields and metaboxes you’ve created with Toolset.

• Move the columns from the Enabled to the Disabled side.
• Click Save.

After that, you’ll see the spreadsheet containing all the custom posts for the custom post type you selected.

• Every row is a custom post.
• Every column is a field.

4- Export your Toolset post type to a CSV file

If you want to download your custom posts to a CSV file to edit it in Excel or Google Sheets, you just need to open the Export tool.

Now you need to select how you want to export the CSV file you’ll download using these fields and values:

• What columns do you want to export: You can select all columns, only active columns, or select specific columns to export them.
• Tick the I understand it will export all the rows from my current search checkbox.
• What app will you use to edit this file (optional): Select the software you’ll use to open and edit the CSV you’ll download. This is important because some versions of Microsoft Excel don’t recognize the comma as a valid separator.
• Name of this export (optional): You can save this export for future sessions.
• Click Start new export to download the CSV file.

After that, the CSV containing the custom posts will be downloaded to your computer, and you need to open it with the software you selected in the export settings.

5- Edit your Toolset post type in a CSV file

This is how our Toolset custom posts look in Google Sheets. We can apply any changes and even create new custom posts using this CSV file.

6- Import your Toolset post type from a CSV file

After you have made any changes or created new custom posts using the CSV, you can quickly import them back to WordPress by using the Import tool on WP Sheet Editor.

Now you need to select the CSV you will import by using these fields and values:

• Source: CSV file from my computer
• Click Choose File and select the CSV from your computer.
• Click Next to go on.

Now click Import all the columns.

After that, you need to configure the import:

• Do you want to update or create items: Create new items and update existing items
• CSV Field: record_id
• WordPress Field: ID
• Click Next.

Finally, you’ll be shown a preview of how the values will look once they’re imported into WordPress.

• Click The preview is fine, start import.

That was really simple!

Exporting and importing Toolset custom posts is really simple. If you prefer it, you can apply changes using the intuitive spreadsheet, but you can also, as shown in this tutorial, download your custom posts to a CSV to apply changes offline.