Mass update WooCommerce product descriptions and metadata

Fed up with manually editing product descriptions? Stop wasting time and discover 3 easy ways to bulk edit WooCommerce product descriptions.

Tired of spending hours updating product descriptions in your WooCommerce store one by one? You're not alone.

Managing a growing product catalog can quickly become overwhelming when you're stuck with manual edits. Product descriptions are vital for both customer experience and SEO. Clear, accurate, and keyword-rich descriptions help customers make informed decisions, reduce bounce rates, and increase conversions. Yet, most store owners dread the thought of making changes manually across hundreds of products.

Thankfully, there's a faster, more efficient way. Keep reading to discover 3 easy ways to bulk edit product descriptions in WooCommerce:

• By updating descriptions inline in a product spreadsheet editor ✏️
• By selecting products and applying bulk actions to their descriptions or short descriptions 🪄
• And also be using AI to auto-update your product descriptions and make them more likely to sell 🤖

We'll do it using Setary - a powerful bulk editor designed to save you time and frustration while improving your product data across the board.

Setary streamlines bulk product edits in WooCommerce

Setary is a cloud-based bulk editor for WooCommerce that makes it easy to update product descriptions and other data across your WooCommerce store in minutes instead of hours. Designed with store owners in mind, it eliminates the tedium of clicking into each product individually just to make simple edits. Whether you're updating seasonal messaging, correcting errors, or optimizing descriptions for SEO, Setary helps you get it done fast.

Here are some of Setary's standout features:

• Bulk actions: Select multiple products and edit them simultaneously - perfect for replacing outdated text or applying campaign messaging in bulk.
• Inline editing: Spreadsheet-style interface with no page reloads, making it feel just like working in Excel or Google Sheets.
• AI-enhanced descriptions: Use AI to generate or improve product descriptions at scale, while maintaining consistency and tone.
• Time-saving: Update hundreds of products in minutes, freeing up hours of manual work.
• Views and filters: Filter and organize products to target specific updates with ease.
• Multi-store management: Manage product data for up to 10 stores from one dashboard.

Having worked with WooCommerce store owners for over a decade, we've seen firsthand how product management can become a major bottleneck as stores grow. Many merchants are spending hours on menial tasks like updating product descriptions one by one. Setary isn't just about convenience - it's about giving merchants back valuable time they can reinvest in growing their business.

Katie KeithPartner at Setary

How to bulk edit product descriptions in WooCommerce using Setary

If you're looking for a practical and intuitive way to bulk edit product descriptions in WooCommerce, Setary makes the process effortless. Here's a detailed step-by-step walkthrough of the 3 ways to do it:

Step 1: Set up Setary

1. Go to Setary.com and sign up for a free 7-day trial.
2. Install the free Setary Helper plugin from your WordPress dashboard.
3. This will connect your store via the WooCommerce API (guided in-app, no coding required).

Once connected, your products are synced and displayed in a spreadsheet-style grid, ready for editing.

Step 2: Filter and select the products you want to edit the descriptions for

1. Use filters to segment your product catalog by category, tags, stock status, price range, or any other available attribute.
2. Use the 'Columns' button to choose which product data you want visible in the bulk edit spreadsheet. As a minimum, you'll want the product name, short and main product description.
3. Create and save custom views for frequently updated product groups (e.g., seasonal products or sale items).

Step 3: Bulk edit product descriptions

Method 1: Edit descriptions inline

The first way of bulk editing WooCommerce product descriptions is simply to click in the spreadsheet and edit the relevant description:

1. Click directly into the description or short description columns and type your updates.
2. Use keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Tab, Shift+Enter) to navigate quickly between fields.
3. Copy and paste across rows, or drag to autofill repetitive updates.
4. The product descriptions you've edited will appear with a blue dot alongside so that you can easily see what's changed. Once you're happy everything is correct, click Save to apply the bulk edits to your live product descriptions.

Method 2: Use AI to generate and improve product descriptions

This method is the most exciting because it uses the power of AI to transform the selling power of your product descriptions. Use it Use the to improve consistency, tone, and readability across your store - or to fill in missing descriptions from scratch:

1. In the spreadsheet, find a product description and click the 'Enhance with AI' *️⃣ button next to it.
2. If the product already has a description then you can use this as the prompt. Alternatively, write the requirements for the product description (e.g. product features and required tone) so that the AI has the information it needs.
3. This will auto-generate 3 AI product descriptions for you to choose from. Either select one to apply to the product, or click 'Generate Again' for more options.

Example:

• Before: "Red cotton hoodie."
• After: "Stay cozy and stylish with our soft red cotton hoodie. Perfect for everyday wear, this classic piece adds comfort and flair to any outfit."

Method 3: Use Bulk actions for editing product descriptions

Our final method for bulk editing WooCommerce product descriptions is to apply bulk edits to multiple products at once. This is the best way to make the same changes to several (or many) descriptions at once - for example if you want to add the same text to the end of all the descriptions in a particular product category:

1. Select the WooCommerce products that you want to bulk-edit the product descriptions for.
2. Click the 'Bulk Actions' button above the spreadsheet.
3. Click the 'Edit [X] products' option.
4. Select one of the bulk edit options:
   • Set value - Apply the same description to all products.
   • Clear value - Remove the description from all the selected products.
   • Prepend value - Add the same text or HTML code to the start of all the selected product descriptions.
   • Append value - Add the same text or HTML code to the end of all the selected product descriptions.
   • Replace value - Replace a particular string in all the descriptions.

Tips for efficient bulk editing of product descriptions

• Start with smaller batches if you're new to Setary.
• Use saved views to avoid re-filtering every time.
• Take advantage of undo history to revert changes if needed. This is available before you click Save - you'll see all the updated cells with a blue dot in the bulk edit spreadsheet.
• Backup your site for added peace of mind if you're making mass edits.

Bulk edits beyond product descriptions

Setary isn’t just for editing product descriptions. It can bulk edit nearly every part of your WooCommerce product data:

• Titles and SKUs
• Prices, sale prices, stock levels
• Categories, tags, shipping classes
• Product images and featured media
• Attributes and variation-specific data
• Custom fields and metadata (including ACF and other plugin data)

Yes, you can even edit variable products and their individual variations! For a deeper dive, see our guide: Quick Methods to Bulk Edit WooCommerce Product Variations.

Use Setary and start saving hours on product updates

Editing WooCommerce product descriptions manually can drain your time and morale - especially if you need to update hundreds at once for a seasonal promotion or SEO refresh.

Imagine needing to:

• Add a promotional message to 150 items.
• Fix a typo in a brand name across 300 SKUs.
• Replace old sizing info after updating your product range.
• Enhance short, generic descriptions using AI.

Setary makes all of this fast and frustration-free. Its spreadsheet-like interface and powerful bulk edit features are designed for WooCommerce users who want total control without the hassle.

Bulk product management has never been easier!

Bryce AdamsFounder at Metorik

Start your 7-day free trial today and experience how easy it is to bulk edit product descriptions in WooCommerce. Paid plans start at $49/month and support up to 10 stores.

Get started with Setary and reclaim your time for what really matters.