WP Bulk Replace Pro: demonstration video transcript

[0:00] Welcome to WP Bulk Replace Pro. Whether you're thinking about upgrading from the free version or you're discovering WP Bulk Replace for the first time, I'd like to show you what Pro adds, and why we built it. The free plugin already makes updating WordPress files much easier.

[0:17] Instead of opening records one by one, you bring in a batch, review the proposed matches, and replace the files together. It works with posts, pages, and custom post types through the custom field that holds each file. But we saw two ways to take that workflow further: help people avoid making the same matching decisions over and over, and support more specialized file arrangements in plugins like Advanced Custom Fields and WooCommerce.

[0:44] Files might come from colleagues, other departments, clients, or suppliers, and their naming conventions don't always match the way a website is organized. Once you've sorted out a confusing filename, wouldn't it be useful if you didn't have to sort it out again next month?

[1:00] Let me show you how that works.

[1:03] Here's a batch of updated documents. Most of the proposed matches look right, but this quick-start guide for the QT-30 temperature transmitter has been associated with another instrument, the QU-90. We know where the guide belongs, so I'll choose the QT-30 Temperature Transmitter and save the correction.

[1:22] That's the sort of judgment you make when reviewing any batch before replacement. With Pro, that decision doesn't have to end here. If the file comes back later and automatic matching can't confidently identify it, Pro can consult the correction we've already saved.

[1:37] I'm opening a different batch, representing a later update. There's the same guide again. Let's run matching and see what happens. There it is: Pro has matched it to the correct QT-30 product, and the result tells us it came from our earlier correction. We haven't searched the product list or repeated the decision.

[1:56] We made it once, and now it helps with this update too. You still review your matches, of course, but you don't have to start from scratch every time familiar documents return.

[2:07] Now, sometimes a file needs review not because we've made the wrong choice, but because its filename contains terminology the matching process doesn't recognize. Here's a pressure transmitter manual named with the abbreviation XMTR. That's familiar shorthand to the people who work with this equipment, but the document is sitting in Needs Review.

[2:28] Rather than fix just this one match manually, I'll open Pro's settings and add a custom vocabulary rule telling it that XMTR stands for transmitter. Let's return to the batch and refresh matching. See the same filename? It's moved from Needs Review to Matched.

[2:44] We didn't rename the file or change our product records; we gave Pro another way to understand the naming convention. And the next time that abbreviation appears, the vocabulary rule is already available.

[2:56] So far I've shown you how Pro helps with recurring matching decisions. But the other reason to upgrade is that some WordPress plugins manage files differently from ordinary custom fields. Free supports custom post types and fields that hold file links. Advanced Custom Fields, or ACF, can store a reference to an item in the WordPress media library instead.

[3:19] WooCommerce manages downloadable files inside its product settings, alongside the rules governing customer access. These relationships need dedicated handling. Think of course documents maintained by a university department, specifications attached to structured product records, or the files people download after buying something online.

[3:40] Let's look at how Pro handles ACF and WooCommerce in practice.

[3:45] On our demo site, technical documents are organized with Advanced Custom Fields, including a file field labeled Spec sheet. When updated specification sheets arrive, we don't want to open each product record and change that field manually. Pro lets us choose the ACF file field by the label editors already recognize.

[4:05] I'll select Spec sheet, run matching, and review these three documents. Once we're satisfied with the matches, we can replace them together. All three replacements are now marked done, and the backups are retained in case we need to roll back. Because these files are replaced in place, the existing ACF references continue to point to them.

[4:25] We get a controlled bulk update without editing each record separately.

[4:30] WooCommerce needs a different kind of care. A downloadable file is tied to a product and to the access customers have after purchase, so we don't want an update to break that relationship. Pro works with the product's existing download entry, preserving access for people who already bought it.

[4:48] Here, the filename starts with the SKU QF-210, followed by a separator. Pro can identify the corresponding product from that SKU, and we can review the match before replacing anything. Now look at these two products. They both have the SKU QK-7. WooCommerce normally prevents duplicate SKUs, but they can appear after an import or other data changes.

[5:13] Since there are two possible destinations, automatically choosing one would be a guess. Pro leaves the file for review and explains the conflict instead. That way, we decide which product is correct before updating a customer download.

[5:28] And there's one more benefit to upgrading that I think is worth mentioning: support. For the free plugin, we provide general help and guidance in the public community support space. Pro customers also have dedicated support, right from your account, for targeted issue resolution.

[5:45] So if you run into an issue, or have a question about a particular workflow, you have a direct way to reach us. When you're maintaining a website that other people depend on, knowing that help is available can make a real difference.

[6:00] That's the idea behind WP Bulk Replace Pro. You keep the bulk replacement workflow from Free, while Pro helps carry earlier corrections into future batches, recognize your team's terminology, and handle files managed through ACF and WooCommerce. Whether you're maintaining documents for a department, an organization's website, or an online store, the goal is to spend less time untangling familiar matching problems while staying in control of the updates. Pro is also designed to work with optional add-ons for specialized setups. They are licensed separately from Pro, and we'll cover them in their own videos. Everything you've seen here is part of Pro itself.

[6:41] If that sounds useful for your site, explore WP Bulk Replace Pro at wpbulkreplace.com.