How to Import & Export Product Category in Odoo18

Managing product categories in bulk is essential for organising a large inventory. Odoo’s import/export tool allows users to set up their category hierarchy and accounting properties quickly.

• Accessing Categories: Navigate to Inventory > Configuration > Product Categories to see your current list.
• Exporting Data: Select existing categories and use Action > Export to download a CSV or Excel template for reference.
• Hierarchy Mapping: When importing, ensure the “Parent Category” column is correctly mapped to create a nested structure (e.g., Electronics / Laptops).
• Accounting Properties: You can bulk-update Income and Expense accounts for entire categories through the import file.
• Inventory Valuation: Use the import tool to set the “Costing Method” (Standard, FIFO, AVCO) across multiple categories at once.
• Importing New Categories: Use the Favorites > Import Records button to upload your prepared file into Odoo.
• Testing the Import: Always use the “Test” button in the import wizard to identify formatting errors before finalizing the upload.
• Internal Reference/ID: Use the External ID field during import to ensure you are updating existing records rather than creating duplicates.