Export and import Delivery Dates configuration

Updated September 20, 2026

Delivery Dates import and export lets you move delivery settings between stores or retain a recoverable copy before making significant configuration changes. The export is a JSON file created from the Import / Export tab.

Delivery Dates import and export: what the JSON contains#

The export includes the schema version, plugin version, generation time, global settings, shipping rules, targeted delays, manual holidays and imported national holiday calendars. It does not include saved order estimates or other order-specific delivery history.

When to export configuration#

• Before changing a large set of rules, working days or holidays.
• Before testing changes on a staging store.
• When preparing to configure a similar new store.
• As a configuration record alongside your normal site backup process.

An export is useful for Delivery Dates configuration, but it is not a replacement for a full WordPress, WooCommerce or database backup.

Export Delivery Dates configuration#

1. Open WooCommerce > Delivery Dates > Import / Export.
2. Under Export configuration, select Download JSON export.
3. Store the downloaded JSON file securely and give it a meaningful name, such as the store and export date.
4. Before relying on the file for a move, open it only in a text editor if you need to inspect it. Do not alter IDs or rule values unless you understand the destination store differences.

Import Delivery Dates configuration safely#

Importing is a write operation. Back up the destination store first and test on staging where practical.

1. Open WooCommerce > Delivery Dates > Import / Export on the destination store.
2. Under Import configuration, select the Delivery Dates JSON file. It must be smaller than 2 MB.
3. Select Validate and import.
4. Read the resulting summary, including the holiday-record count, resolved portable zone references and any unavailable references.
5. Open Diagnostics and test representative products, destinations and shipping methods before relying on the new configuration.

The importer accepts supported Delivery Dates schema-version 1 files. It sanitises the JSON as untrusted input. The included global settings, targeted delays and manual holidays replace the destination equivalents; imported holiday records are written for the country and year contained in the file. Saved order estimates are not changed.

Handle references between different stores#

Products, categories, tags, shipping classes, zones and shipping-method instances can differ between stores. The importer does not silently map a missing reference to a different product, term or shipping service. It leaves unavailable references identifiable so you can correct them deliberately.

Standard exports retain WooCommerce numeric zone IDs. A purpose-built migration file can explicitly request an exact shipping-zone-name match, but this should be used only when preparing a controlled migration between known stores.

Example: move a tested setup to a new store#

1. Export the configuration from the tested store.
2. Import it into a staging copy of the destination store.
3. Review the import summary for unavailable products, shipping classes, zones or method instances.
4. Correct those references in Delivery Dates rather than assuming an equivalent service exists.
5. Run Diagnostics for a normal product, a delayed product, a domestic address and an international address.
6. Only then repeat the import on the intended live destination, following your normal change-control process.