A SKU naming convention checklist should produce one unique, stable internal code for every sellable product variant. Keep the pattern short enough for staff to read, consistent enough for sorting and imports, and independent from prices or temporary promotions. Test the format in the store, point of sale, warehouse, labels, reports, and product feeds before assigning it across the catalog.
Separate SKU, barcode, and product title
A stock keeping unit is the store's internal identifier. A barcode or GTIN is a separate standardized identifier, and a product title is customer-facing descriptive text. Do not place a barcode into an SKU field merely because both identify an item, and do not assume a supplier part number will remain unique inside the store's own catalog.
Shopify's SKU inventory guidance describes SKUs as internal codes used for inventory and sales reporting and distinguishes them from barcodes. It also says that each product variant should have its own unique SKU and warns that duplicates can affect inventory tracking and integrations.
Choose the attributes that staff actually use
List the characteristics needed to distinguish variants during receiving, picking, packing, returns, and support. A small apparel store might use a base style, color, and size. A parts store might use category, model family, and a sequential item number. Avoid putting every marketing attribute into the code.
Write the pattern before creating values. For example, a documented pattern could be category, family, variant, sequence. Define allowed characters, separators, capitalization, maximum length, and how missing attributes are represented. Avoid characters that are easy to confuse, such as the digit zero and capital O, if staff frequently read codes aloud.
Make each sellable variant unique and stable
Assign a separate code to each size, color, material, pack quantity, or other option that has its own inventory. Never distinguish two items only by letter case. Do not recycle a retired code for a different product.
Google Merchant Center's product ID specification requires a unique, stable ID for each product and advises against changing or reusing it. Google recommends SKUs as product IDs where possible and shows separate IDs for variants. Even if the store does not use Merchant Center today, stability reduces confusion when products later move between systems.
Avoid including price, discount, supplier location, or year unless it is a permanent identity attribute. Those values can change while the product remains the same. If the business needs a warehouse location, keep it in a dedicated location field rather than rewriting the identity code whenever stock moves.
Check the proposed pattern against real catalog cases
Create sample values for:
- a simple product with no options
- a product with several sizes and colors
- a bundle or multipack
- a custom or made-to-order item
- a discontinued item that may return
- two products with similar names
- a supplier change without a product identity change
Sort the samples, read them aloud, scan or type them into each system, and export them to CSV. Confirm that spreadsheets do not strip leading zeros or convert long numeric codes into scientific notation. An alphanumeric pattern can reduce those spreadsheet surprises, but it still needs import testing.
Plan migration without changing everything at once
Export the current catalog and keep an untouched backup. Find blank, duplicate, malformed, and reused values. Create a mapping from old to new codes, including product and variant identifiers from the commerce platform. Update a small representative group first.
Test inventory counts, purchase orders, labels, fulfillment, returns, reporting, marketplace feeds, and integrations. If the old codes appear in accounting records or customer service history, preserve the mapping so earlier transactions remain understandable.
Document ownership and future assignment
- Name the person or system allowed to create new SKUs.
- Keep the pattern and examples in a shared operations document.
- Reserve values atomically so two people cannot issue the same code.
- Add a duplicate check before import or publication.
- Record retired codes and prohibit reassignment.
- Review exceptions before allowing a second naming pattern.
A good convention is boring in the best way. Staff can identify the item, systems receive a stable key, variants remain distinct, and future catalog changes do not require rewriting historical identity.
Sources
- Using SKUs to manage your inventory — Shopify Help Center
- ID attribute specification — Google Merchant Center Help