---
title: How to Import Affiliate and External Products with Excel
description: Import affiliate and external WooCommerce products from Excel by mapping a product URL column.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/import-affiliate-external-products-with-excel/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: How to
---

# How to Import Affiliate and External Products with Excel

To import affiliate or external WooCommerce products, map a product URL column when you import with [WooCommerce Products Import & Export with Excel](https://wpfactory.com/item/woocommerce-products-import-export-with-excel/). When a row has a product URL, Products Import & Export with Excel sets the product type to external / affiliate automatically, so you do not need a separate type column.

### How the product type is decided

During import, a product with no variations that has a product URL is saved as an **external / affiliate** product. This means the two fields below are all you need to turn a row into an affiliate product.

### Prepare the Excel file

Add these columns alongside the usual title and price fields:

| Field | Meta key | What it holds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Product URL | `_product_url` | The external destination where customers buy the product. Its presence marks the product as external / affiliate. |
| Button Text | `_button_text` | The call-to-action label on the product page, such as "Buy on partner site". |

### Run the import

1. Go to **WPFactory > Product Import/Export > Import/Update Products**.
2. Upload your Excel file.
3. Map your Product URL column to the **Product URL** field and your button label column to the **Button Text** field, along with the title and price fields.
4. Click **Upload**.

Each row with a product URL is created as an external / affiliate product with the button text you supplied.

**Note:** a row is treated as external only when it has no variations. If you also map attributes that produce variations, the product becomes variable instead.

### Get more from Products Import & Export with Excel

[WooCommerce Products Import & Export with Excel](https://wpfactory.com/item/woocommerce-products-import-export-with-excel/) imports simple, variable, external, and subscription products from one Excel file, choosing the right type from your data. [See everything it can do](https://wpfactory.com/item/woocommerce-products-import-export-with-excel/).

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