While importing the demo data of a theme bought from ThemeForest, a long list of errors appeared, such as "Failed to import product_tag" and "Failed to import product_cat". The fix turned out to be simple.
Key takeaways
- The errors appear when the import file contains WooCommerce data but WooCommerce is not active.
- Install and activate WooCommerce, then run the import again.
- Always install the plugins a theme requires before importing demo content.
The problem: failed imports
The importer printed dozens of failures, one per line. Typical lines looked like this:
Failed to import product_tag asymmetrical
Failed to import shop_order_status cancelled
Failed to import product_type simple
Failed to import product_cat AccessoriesThe log listed roughly 67 entries covering product tags, order statuses, product types and product categories.
Why this happens
The demo file contains WooCommerce-specific data: product_tag, product_cat, product_type and shop_order_status. If the WooCommerce plugin is not installed and active, WordPress does not know these taxonomies exist, so the importer cannot create them and reports a failure for each one.
The solution: install WooCommerce
- Go to Plugins > Add New and search for WooCommerce.
- Install and activate the plugin.
- Run the import again.
After this, all tags, categories and product types imported successfully.
Tips to avoid import errors
- Install every plugin the theme lists as required before importing.
- Increase the PHP time and memory limits if the import stops part-way.
- Take a backup before importing demo content.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does WordPress say "Failed to import product_cat"?
Because the WooCommerce plugin is not active, so WordPress does not recognise the product category taxonomy in the import file.
Do I need to delete the failed import first?
Usually not. Activate WooCommerce and run the import again. If you see duplicates, remove them afterwards.
