Help Tip this is an advanced skill level topic - please proceed with caution!

This addon allows you to export your VirtueMart product data in Excel xls format so you can update prices and information in Excel and then upload the updated xls file to your site. You cannot update item images using this system.

Requires the Excel Export/Import Addon For VirtueMart written by Joseph Kwan. You can download the files and find out more here. This is not a standard extension installation since you need to ftp files and the normal Joomla installation process is not used.

BEFORE USING THIS UPDATE METHOD MAKE AT LEAST 2 BACKUPS OF YOUR SQL DATABASE!

Exporting Your VirtueMart Product File

• In VirtueMart, mouse over Products on the VirtueMart menu and then click on CSV/Excel File Upload (If your site is art related, the VirtueMart menu may say "Artworks" instead of "Products".)
• In the right pane, Export to CSV/XLS File, check:
  - Default Ordering
  - Include column headers
  ...and then click on "Export all products to XLS".
• Save the file to your own computer.

Updating Your VirtueMart Product File in Excel

• Open the downloaded file in Excel. You may get a warning message that the file format is wrong but open the file anyway.
• You should see all your items organized into columns.
• Edit your file as needed.
• IMPORTANT: If you have Excel more recent than 2003, save the file as Excel 2003 format using the "Save As" option. Your file may be unreadable if you don't.

Uploading Your Updated XLS File

• In VirtueMart, mouse over Products on the VirtueMart menu and then click on CSV/Excel File Upload. (If your site is art related, the VirtueMart menu may say Artworks instead of Products.)
• In the left pane, under "File Upload Format", check "EXCEL File".
• Under "Upload Settings", check:
  - Use column headers as configuration
  - Overwrite existing data
  - Show preview
• Under "Upload File", use the browse button to find the updated xls file on your computer, then click "Submit File".
• If your file format is readable you will see a preview of the data to be imported. If you get an error message instead, it means your file is not readable - you probably didn't save it in Excel 2003 format.
• If your data looks fine, click "Continue upload" which is under the VirtueMart menu.