Import & Export all categories using csv file (without extension)

If you want to import all categories and products to your website,
just follow the following instructions.

1. Create all categories and create one product in your website,
2. After this, export that data and keep that with you.
3. Now arrange the data which you want to import, that total have to be arrange in the format of your exported data.

4. After arranged you can easily import the data into your website which you want to import newly in usual manner.

5. Then go to system-->import/Export-->Data flows-->Follow that rules...

Not using any extensions is limiting you, but you could use Import/Export with products because missing categories will be created when you import products. Afterwards, delete the created products.

Depending on your number of products and categories, it might be easier to create a single dummy product, assign it to all categories and then export only this product.

Note: This will not export any settings of the categories, so it's a workaround, not a full solution.

I had this very same issue when I started to convert/migrate and old Zencart to Magento. I wrote a little script that kept the originl id's and sorted them back into Magento.

You my want to have a look at this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34213371/csv-import-export-problems-in-magento/34267981#34267981

This script is for Magento only, it exports and imports categories while keeping their ID´s intact. Which is good when moving between Magento installations sometimes.