Huge Update in WP Import Export 1.1.0: Live Preview, XML, XLSX, ODS, and ZIP Support

WP Import Export 1.1.0 is a huge update focused on making the plugin easier to try and more flexible to use. This release adds Live Preview, so you can explore the plugin in a browser without installing it on your own WordPress site, and it also adds new export and import formats: XML, XLSX, ODS, plus ZIP support.

If you work with WordPress data, this update gives you more ways to test workflows, share examples with a team, and move content through formats that fit real projects instead of forcing every workflow into one file type.

What is new in WP Import Export 1.1.0?

Version 1.1.0 introduces two major improvements:

• Live Preview for trying WP Import Export directly in a browser.
• New file formats, including XML, XLSX, ODS, and ZIP support.

These changes make WP Import Export more approachable for new users and more practical for teams that work with different data formats across clients, tools, and systems.

Live Preview: try the plugin without installing it

Live Preview lets you open WP Import Export in a browser and test the interface before installing the plugin on your own website. This is useful when you want to understand the workflow, review available screens, or show the plugin to a client or teammate before adding anything to a production site.

Instead of setting up a test WordPress site first, you can explore the plugin through a hosted WordPress preview environment. You can check the Import screen, Export screen, field mapping workflow, Jobs Log, settings, and other available plugin areas from the browser.

Who benefits from Live Preview?

Agencies can use Live Preview during client conversations. If a client asks how an import, export, or field mapping process works, the team can show the interface without preparing a separate demo website.

Developers can review the plugin workflow before deciding how it fits into a migration, content model, custom post type setup, or database table export task.

Content managers can see the import and export process before requesting installation on a production site. This makes it easier to understand what information is needed in a CSV, spreadsheet, or other supported file.

SEO teams can explore URL export, content export, and data review workflows before using the plugin for audits, redirects, crawler lists, or migration checks.

Store owners can preview WooCommerce-related workflows where supported by the active setup, especially when preparing product or order data operations.

New format support in version 1.1.0

WP Import Export 1.1.0 adds support for more file formats, giving you more flexibility when moving WordPress data between systems. The new formats include XML, XLSX, ODS, and ZIP.

XML support

XML is useful when WordPress data needs to be exchanged with systems that expect structured documents instead of flat spreadsheets. Some integrations, legacy systems, feeds, and enterprise workflows still rely on XML because it can represent nested data and named elements clearly.

With XML support in WP Import Export 1.1.0, users get another practical option when CSV or JSON is not the best fit for a project.

XLSX support

XLSX support is especially helpful for teams that already work in Excel. Many product catalogs, content plans, client exports, editorial sheets, and operational reports are shared as Excel files, not plain CSV files.

With XLSX support, WP Import Export can fit more naturally into business workflows where stakeholders expect spreadsheet files with a familiar format.

ODS support

ODS support is useful for teams that prefer open document formats. If your workflow uses LibreOffice, OpenOffice, or open-format spreadsheet tools, ODS gives you a file option that does not depend on Excel.

This makes WP Import Export more flexible for teams that want open spreadsheet compatibility while still working with structured WordPress data.

ZIP support

ZIP support helps when files need to be packaged or transferred together. Compressed files can make large workflows easier to move, share, store, or download, especially when data files are connected with supporting assets.

For import and export workflows, ZIP support can reduce friction when a project involves bundled files or compressed archives where supported by the active workflow.

How this improves everyday workflows

This release is not just about adding more format names to a dropdown. The goal is to make WP Import Export fit more real-world WordPress data workflows.

An agency can preview the plugin with a client before installing it. A content team can work with XLSX files instead of converting every spreadsheet to CSV first. A developer can use XML or JSON when structured output is better for automation. A team using LibreOffice can use ODS. A migration workflow can use ZIP archives when compressed files are more convenient.

Version 1.1.0 gives each team a little more room to work the way they already work.

HowTo: Try Live Preview and use the new formats

1. Open the WP Import Export Live Preview from the plugin page or preview link.
2. Explore the WordPress admin demo environment directly in your browser.
3. Open Import Export -> Import or Import Export -> Export.
4. Select the content type or workflow you want to test.
5. Choose one of the supported formats, such as XML, XLSX, ODS, CSV, JSON, or ZIP where available for that workflow.
6. Continue through the workflow to preview how the plugin handles mapping, options, jobs, and downloads.
7. Install WP Import Export on your own WordPress site when you are ready to use it with real data.

Best practices before using new formats on a live site

Test new import workflows on a staging site before using them on production data. This is especially important when importing large files, structured XML, spreadsheet data, WooCommerce records, ACF fields, or media references.

For spreadsheet files, make sure columns are named clearly before import. Good column names make field mapping easier and reduce confusion during review.

For XML files, check that the structure matches the data you expect to import or export. XML can represent nested data, so reviewing the structure before processing helps avoid mapping mistakes.

For ZIP files, confirm what the archive contains before importing or sharing it. A clean archive structure makes the workflow easier to understand and troubleshoot.