WooCommerce Blueprints: The Future of Store Setup & Migration

WooCommerce 9.9 will introduce Blueprints, a powerful feature that lets you export and import store configurations as JSON files. This revolutionizes store setup, migration, and configuration sharing between environments. Finally!

Early Access Feature
Blueprints is currently available in WooCommerce 9.9 Nightly builds. I've had the opportunity to test this unreleased feature and wanted to share my discoveries with the community.

What are WooCommerce Blueprints?

Blueprints are setup files that contain your store's configuration instructions, including plugins, themes, and settings. They make it easy to replicate store setups across different environments or share specific configurations with team members. Oh my! This is a game changer!

Think of Blueprints as a configuration snapshot that can be exported as a portable JSON file and imported into any WordPress installation to replicate your exact WooCommerce setup.

Why Blueprints transform WooCommerce workflow

  • Development synchronicity: Keep development, staging, and production environments identical with minimal effort.
  • Simplified collaboration: Share configurations with your team without writing extensive documentation.
  • Template creation: Build foundation stores with your optimal setup for rapid client deployments.
  • Effortless transitions: Transfer configurations between hosts without manual reconfiguration hassles.
  • Configuration versioning: Store your Blueprints in version control to track changes over time.

The technical foundation of Blueprints

At their core, Blueprints are structured JSON files containing a series of sequential steps that recreate your store setup:

  1. Plugin installation commands
  2. Theme installation instructions
  3. WooCommerce configuration settings
  4. Database operations for complex settings

The system executes these steps in order, essentially "replaying" your configuration choices on a fresh installation.

Exploring the export functionality

In my testing with WooCommerce 9.9 Nightly, I found the Blueprint feature in WooCommerce Settings under Advanced > Blueprint (beta):

WooCommerce Blueprints settings interface

The export interface offers granular selection of what to include:

Blueprint export options

You can customize your export to include:

  • Store settings: Pick and choose specific configuration sections
  • Plugin setup: Select which plugins to include in your export
  • Theme configuration: Include your current or additional themes

Importing configurations

The import process is user-friendly and straightforward:

Blueprint import interface

Before applying changes, the system shows which settings will be modified:

Blueprint override confirmation

Blueprint file anatomy

From my exports, I've analyzed the structure of the Blueprint JSON:

{
  "landingPage": "/wp-admin/admin.php?page=wc-admin",
  "steps": [
    {
      "step": "installPlugin",
      "pluginData": {
        "resource": "wordpress.org/plugins",
        "slug": "woocommerce"
      },
      "options": {
        "activate": true
      }
    },
    {
      "step": "installTheme",
      "themeData": {
        "resource": "wordpress.org/themes",
        "slug": "twentytwentyfive"
      },
      "options": {
        "activate": true
      }
    },
    {
      "step": "setSiteOptions",
      "options": {
        "woocommerce_store_address": "",
        "woocommerce_store_address_2": "",
        "woocommerce_store_city": "",
        "woocommerce_default_country": "FR",
        "woocommerce_store_postcode": "",
        "woocommerce_allowed_countries": "all"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Each step represents a specific operation to be performed, with detailed parameters for how it should be executed.

Real-world applications

For development teams

  • Starter frameworks: Create baseline configurations for new projects.
  • Environment parity: Ensure your development environment matches production.
  • Deployment automation: Integrate Blueprint exports into your CI/CD workflow.

For store operators

  • Configuration snapshots: Take configuration backups before major changes.
  • Multi-store consistency: Keep settings aligned across multiple storefronts.
  • Recovery preparation: Have ready-to-deploy configurations for disaster scenarios.

Current limitations to be aware of

  • Not for content transfer: Products, orders, and customer data aren't included.
  • Environmental differences: Some settings may need adjustment for different environments.
  • Size restrictions: Files are limited to 50 MB.
  • Sequential imports: Only one Blueprint can be processed at a time.

How to activate and test Blueprints today

If you're eager to experiment with this feature:

  1. Get WooCommerce 9.9 Nightly build
  2. Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Features
  3. Enable the Blueprint feature flag
  4. Access the Blueprint tools under Advanced settings
Testing precautions
Always create a full backup of your store before experimenting with pre-release features like Blueprints.

Looking toward the future

Based on my exploration, I anticipate Blueprints will eventually expand to include:

  • Blueprint management API: For headless and programmatic control
  • Scheduled configuration backups: Automated export on a set schedule
  • Selective imports: Apply only specific portions of a Blueprint
  • Expanded migration tools: Possibly including content in future versions

Final thoughts

From my early access testing, WooCommerce Blueprints represents a transformative approach to store setup and configuration management. By converting complex configurations into portable, shareable files, it addresses longstanding pain points in the WooCommerce ecosystem.

As this feature matures toward official release, I expect it will fundamentally change how developers, agencies, and store owners approach store setup and management, and I am so excited to see this feature come to life!

Update 2025-05-02

Brian Coords highlighted some interesting points about Blueprints in a recent tweet: