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How to Force a Resync in Mailchimp for WooCommerce: Methods and Limitations

22 threads Sep 10, 2025 Plugin → Mailchimp for woocommerce

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One of the most common questions from users of the Mailchimp for WooCommerce plugin is how to manually trigger a resynchronization of store data. Whether you've added new products, changed customer information, or need to fix a sync error, knowing how to initiate this process is crucial.

Why You Might Need to Force a Resync

The plugin is designed to automatically sync new data as it is created. However, there are scenarios where the initial sync might fail, data might become out of date, or you might need to push changes made to existing products or customers. In these cases, a manual resync is necessary.

Standard Method: The Resync Button

The most straightforward way to force a full resync is through the plugin's admin interface.

  1. Navigate to Marketing > Mailchimp in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Click on the 'Sync' tab.
  3. Look for the option to 'Resync' or 'Force Resync' and click it.

This will restart the process of sending your store's product, order, and customer data to Mailchimp.

Alternative Method: URL Query String

For a more direct approach, you can append a specific query string to your admin URL. While on the Sync tab in the plugin's settings, you can add &resync=1 to the URL in your browser's address bar and press enter. This can sometimes trigger the resync process if the button is not functioning as expected.

Important Limitations and Considerations

Before initiating a resync, it's vital to understand the plugin's behavior and limitations, especially for larger stores.

1. Full Resync Only

A significant limitation is that the standard resync function is all-or-nothing. As noted in several support threads, the plugin does not currently support syncing only specific data types, such as just products or just new orders. A resync will process your entire product catalog, order history, and customer list again.

2. Performance Impact on Large Stores

If you have a store with thousands of products, orders, or customers, a full resync can take a very long time—potentially days or even weeks. This process can consume significant server resources, which may impact your site's performance for visitors.

3. Recommended Solution for Large Stores: WP CLI

For stores with large datasets, the Mailchimp for WooCommerce team strongly recommends using WordPress CLI (Command Line Interface) to handle the sync. This method is far more efficient and less resource-intensive than the default web-based sync. Instructions for setting this up can be found on the plugin's GitHub wiki.

4. The Nuclear Option: Reinstall

In some cases, such as when old, deleted products remain in your Mailchimp catalog after a resync, support responses have suggested that uninstalling and then reinstalling the plugin can be effective. This action wipes the sync history and starts a completely fresh sync from scratch. Use this as a last resort, as it will require the entire initial sync process to run again.

Troubleshooting Common Resync Issues

  • Sync is too slow: Enable WP CLI mode for a performance boost.
  • Need to stop a sync: Deactivating and uninstalling the plugin will immediately halt any ongoing synchronization.
  • Old products not deleting: A fresh reinstall of the plugin is often the suggested solution to clear persistent, deleted products from Mailchimp.
  • Draft products syncing: The plugin syncs products with a status of Draft, Published, Backorder, and Out of Stock. Products are only excluded if they are Trashed or Pending Review.

Understanding these methods and limitations will help you manage your Mailchimp integration more effectively and avoid unexpected downtime or performance issues.

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