Why should SKUs be unique?

SKUs should be unique so each product or variant can be identified accurately within a store.

Unique SKUs help merchants:

• Track inventory accurately
• Distinguish between similar products and variants
• Process orders and fulfillments efficiently
• Integrate Shopify with ERP, inventory, and accounting systems
• Search for products quickly
• Reduce errors caused by duplicate identifiers

For example, a black T-shirt in size M could have the SKU TSH-BLK-M, while the same shirt in size L could use TSH-BLK-L.

Shopify doesn’t require every SKU to be unique, but using unique SKUs is strongly recommended for reliable inventory and operational management.