Many dropshipping suppliers do not publish a product file at a public address. They put it on an FTP server and overwrite it once or twice a day, often because their export process has worked that way for years. This guide shows how to import that file into WooCommerce automatically, what to check before you automate anything and why the first full import needs a look at your server limits.
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How to import dropshipping products from an FTP server into WooCommerce?
Use the FTP Import add-on for Dropshipping Import Products PRO. It logs into the supplier's FTP or FTPS server with the details they give you, downloads the CSV or XML file and passes it to the regular import, on a schedule you set.
Get the full file address, login and password from the supplier, check the file structure once by hand, map the fields carefully and set the schedule to match the supplier's updates.
If your supplier publishes the file at a public web address, you do not need the add-on: Dropshipping Import Products PRO imports it from a URL with the same field mapping.
What an automated FTP import does
The store has current prices and stock levels without anyone opening an FTP client. The difference matters most for stock: a product that sold out at the wholesaler yesterday should not still be available in your store tonight.
How to set it up
The setup takes five steps.
Step 1: Collect the connection details
You need the full file address with the protocol, for example ftp:// or ftps://, the domain and the path to the file, as well as the login and password. The add-on works with FTP and FTPS servers. If the supplier offers only SFTP, ask them for FTP or FTPS access.
Step 2: Check the file before automating anything
Download the file once by hand and look at its structure: column names, character encoding, decimal separators and the field with the unique product identifier. Suppliers change these without notice, and that is the most common reason why a working import breaks.
Step 3: Map the fields
Map the SKU, name, price, stock quantity, category and images to WooCommerce fields. The identifier matters most, because it decides whether the next import updates an existing product or creates a duplicate.
We also have videos on mapping fields to WooCommerce, updating stock and prices without overwriting your own descriptions and the first plugin configuration.
Step 4: Set the schedule
Match the schedule to how often the supplier updates the file. Importing every hour from a file refreshed once a day wastes server resources, while importing once a day from a file refreshed every hour means selling products that ran out in the morning.
Step 5: Check the server limits before the first full import
Importing a catalogue with images puts a heavy load on the server. WP Desk telemetry data from 19,803 stores (August 2026) shows that 21.3% of them have less than 512 MB of PHP memory and 17.5% still run PHP 7.4. With such settings, a large first import can stop halfway and leave the catalogue partly updated. If that happens, check the error log: depending on the error, raise max_execution_time or the PHP memory limit.
What to monitor afterwards
After each run, check how many products were updated, how many were skipped and whether any field suddenly arrived empty. An import that has silently stopped updating stock looks exactly like one that works, until the first order for a product you no longer have.
To limit such orders, turn on stock management in WooCommerce and set the out of stock threshold in the inventory settings, so the store stops selling a product a little before the supplier runs out.
Summary
The FTP Import add-on for Dropshipping Import Products PRO imports a supplier's CSV or XML file from an FTP or FTPS server into WooCommerce on a set schedule. You need the full file address with the protocol and path, the login and the password. Check the file structure once by hand, map the fields with the product identifier as the most important one and match the schedule to the supplier's updates. Before the first full import, check the PHP memory and execution time limits, and after each run monitor the number of updated and skipped products.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions about FTP imports.
Can WooCommerce import products from an FTP server automatically?
Not on its own. WooCommerce has no FTP client, so it needs an import tool that can log into the server and run on a schedule.
How often should the import run?
As often as the supplier updates the file, and no more often. If you import many products with images, consider updating only stock and prices in each run and leaving descriptions unchanged.
What happens if the supplier changes the file structure?
The import stops or writes wrong data, so watch for a sudden change in the number of updated products.
Should I use FTP or FTPS?
If the supplier offers both, choose FTPS. Plain FTP sends the login and password unencrypted, while FTPS encrypts the connection. The add-on supports both protocols.
