In a recent Business Bloomer Club Slack thread, we discussed the best approach when onboarding a client to a newly built WooCommerce store—especially when it comes to adding their products for the first time.
Should you walk them through the WordPress admin UI and teach them how to do it manually? Or do you require them to compile their inventory in a spreadsheet that can then be imported?
The trigger for this discussion was a tweet wondering what other developers typically do: teach or template? The real answer, unsurprisingly, is “it depends.”
Why Teaching Product Input Can Be Useful
Training clients on how to add products manually is a good investment in the long term. It helps them understand how WooCommerce works, how to create variations, how product categories behave, and where images, prices, and stock levels go. Empowering them to manage their catalog can build confidence and reduce dependency on you for every future change.
As one person in the thread put it: “I don’t like clients being intimidated by their site.” Showing them the UI reduces that fear and encourages autonomy.
Why Spreadsheets Can Be a Smart Starting Point
On the other hand, having clients fill out an Excel file with all the product data is often a great way to start. It forces them to tidy up what’s usually a very messy inventory.
When clients are unclear on SKUs, categories, or product types, preparing a template can guide them through what’s required—and make sure you receive complete data.
This method also scales well. If a client has dozens or hundreds of products, manual entry isn’t practical. Uploading a CSV to WooCommerce using the built-in importer (or WP All Import, if needed) is significantly faster and more reliable than copy/pasting from messy emails or PDFs.
What About the Client’s Tech Savviness?
One participant mentioned that their client was an older artist. In that case, the admin interface may be more overwhelming than Excel. For clients like this, a spreadsheet can act as both a content-gathering tool and a checklist of all product fields that will eventually go into WooCommerce.
Another benefit of the spreadsheet-first approach is it facilitates discussion. If something’s unclear—like whether a variation should be a separate product or a dropdown option—you can catch it early before it gets implemented the wrong way.
So… Why Not Both?
Many developers, especially when budget allows, combine both methods: collect products via Excel, import them, and then train the client on how to maintain or add future products via the UI.
That hybrid approach provides structure during the launch phase while ensuring the client feels in control going forward.
Conclusion
Whether you lean toward spreadsheets or dashboard training, the right choice comes down to the client’s comfort with tech, their number of products, and your timeline.
In many cases, starting with a structured Excel file and finishing with a training session on the WordPress backend can give your client both clarity and confidence—without turning the onboarding into a support nightmare.
