Set Parent on every variation row to the SKU of the variable product (the row with Type variable).

WooCommerce import error: "Variation cannot be imported: Parent product cannot be a product variation"

What it means: The Parent of a variation points at another variation instead of the variable product. This often happens when the Parent column was filled with the SKU of the row above, which was itself a variation.

Find the rows in your file

WooCommerce product import

Choose file

The product CSV you are about to import into WooCommerce (Products, Import), or the one that just failed.

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How to fix it

Set Parent on every variation row to the SKU of the variable product (the row with Type variable).

Example

A file with this problem

Type,SKU,Name,Published,Visibility in catalog,Tax status,In stock?,Stock,Regular price,Images,Parent,Attribute 1 name,Attribute 1 value(s...
variable,TEE,Tee,1,visible,taxable,1,,,,,Size,"S, M",0
variation,TEE-S,Tee S,1,visible,taxable,1,3,20.00,,TEE,Size,S,0
variation,TEE-M,Tee M,1,visible,taxable,1,3,20.00,,TEE-S,Size,M,0

What the checker says about it

Line 4: "Tee M": the Parent "TEE-S" is another variation (line 3), so the row fails with "Variation cannot be imported: Parent product cannot be a product variation". Use the variable product's SKU.

Once the listed rows are fixed, check the file again; the checker also looks for the other problems in WooCommerce's import code, so you do not trade one error for the next.

Other WooCommerce import errors

Sources

WooCommerce 11.2.2 source: abstract-wc-product-importer.php: https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/blob/11.2.2/plugins/woocommerce/includes/import/abstract-wc-product-importer.php

Based on WooCommerce 11.2.2's import code and documentation. Not tested on a live store.