WP All Import WordPress Plugin – Import to Custom Post Type

Importing items via Excel Spreadsheet into 2 different Custom Post Types (CPT) for a recording studio:

• Custom Post Type (CPT) name: Music Projects (for Albums)
• Custom Post Type (CPT) name: Clients (for Artists)

WP All Import only allows importing one Excel file into one CPT at a time, so I need to import the same Excel file twice but with slightly different file names (the original Excel file is named Discography National Acts and lists Artist, Album, Genre, Year, Engineer Role):

• Make a copy of the original Discography National Acts Excel file and add the word Albums to the front of the file name, like so: “Albums – Discography National Acts“. Once this file is uploaded, WP All Import settings will be specific to the Music Projects CPT (for Albums)
• Make another copy of the original Discography National Acts Excel file and add the word Artists to the front of the file name, like so: “Artists – Discography National Acts“. Once this file is uploaded, WP All Import settings will be specific to the Clients CPT (for Artists)

All of this file copying and re-naming is so the files are easy to tell apart once they’re uploaded to All Import.

Import Albums data into Albums posts (Custom Post Type: Music Projects)

Excel file name: Albums – Discography National Act

WordPress Admin > All Import > New Import

Step 1 screen

• Click “Upload a file” button
• Click “Existing Items” button (since I already have other items in this Music Project CPT (Albums)
• Import to existing dropdown: choose “Music Projects” (this is the Custom Post Type for Albums)
• Click dark blue “Continue to Step 2” button

Step 2 screen

• In the “What element are you looking for?” column, make sure the “Node” element is selected (it will be green).
• Click dark blue “Continue to Step 3” button

Step 3 screen

• From the sidebar, drag & drop <album> into Title field. It will appear as {album[1]} in the Title field.

Scroll down to Taxonomies, Categories, Tags:

• Tick “Music Genres”
• Radio button: “Each Music Project has just one Music Genre”
• Tick box in front of empty field
• From the sidebar, drag <genre> to empty field (it will appear as {genre[1]} tag)
• Tick “Try to match terms to existing child Music Genres”
• Click dark blue “Continue to Step 4” button

Settings screen

• Check that all settings are correct
• Click dark blue “Continue” button

Final Confirm & Run screen

• Check that the Import Summary is correct. Otherwise, click the “or go back to Step 4” link at the bottom of the page.
• Click green “Confirm & Run Import” button

Import Artists data into Artists posts (Custom Post Type: Clients)

Excel file name: Artists – Discography National Act

WordPress Admin > All Import > New Import

Step 1 screen

• Click “Upload a file” button
• Click “Existing Items” button (since I already have other items in this Clients CPT (Artists)
• Import to existing dropdown: choose “Clients” (this is the Custom Post Type for Artists)
• Click dark blue “Continue to Step 2” button

Step 2 screen

• In the “What element are you looking for?” column, make sure the “Node” element is selected (it will be green).
• Click dark blue “Continue to Step 3” button

Step 3 screen

• From the sidebar, drag & drop <artist> into Title field. It will appear as {artist[1]} in the Title field.

Scroll down to Taxonomies, Categories, Tags:

• Tick “Client Status”
• Radio button: “Each Client has just one Client Status”
• Tick box in front of empty field
• In empty field, type: national-acts (this will restrict these imported Artists to the National Acts Custom Term in the Client Status Custom Taxonomy)
• Tick “Try to match terms to existing child Client Status”
• Click dark blue “Continue to Step 4” button

Settings screen

• Check that all settings are correct
• Click dark blue “Continue” button

Final Confirm & Run screen

• Check that the Import Summary is correct. Otherwise, click the “or go back to Step 4” link at the bottom of the page.
• Click green “Confirm & Run Import” button

Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies

The Custom Post Types (Music Project CPT for Albums and Clients CPT for Artists) and the Custom Taxonomy (for Client Status) were created with PODs Framework.