WooCommerce import error
How to fix "Allowed memory size exhausted"
What this error means and the exact, free way to fix it — right in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
If your import fails with:
What it means
WooCommerce loads and processes the whole file — and often downloads each product image — during import. On a shared or resource-limited host, the PHP process runs out of memory or execution time and the import dies partway through.
Common causes
- The CSV has too many rows for the host's PHP memory and time limits.
- Very large descriptions or many image URLs per row inflate memory use.
- A restricted hosting plan with low WP memory / max-execution-time.
How to fix it
The fix that needs no server access is to import in smaller pieces so each run stays within the limits.
- Open the free Split CSV tool and split the export into smaller files (e.g. 200–500 rows each).
- Import the parts one at a time — each stays under the host's memory and time limits.
- If a part still fails, split it smaller and retry just that part.
If you do have server access, raising WP_MEMORY_LIMIT and max_execution_time also helps — but splitting the file requires no server changes and works on any host.
Import it in smaller pieces — free
Split CSV turns one oversized import into several small, header-complete files that fit within WooCommerce's memory and time limits.
Also free, in your browser: all CSV tools · the converter · Fix a CSV · Split CSV