Woocommerce How To Change Sku Number

WooCommerce: How to Change Your SKU Number (Even if You’re a Beginner!)

So, you’re diving into the world of WooCommerce, selling awesome products, and things are mostly smooth sailing. But then you realize your SKU numbers are a mess, or maybe you need to update them after a product change. Don’t worry! Changing SKU numbers in WooCommerce is totally doable, even if you’re new to the platform.

Think of SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) numbers as unique identifiers for your products. They’re like social security numbers for your inventory! They help you track your products efficiently, especially when you’re dealing with variations of the same product. Imagine you’re selling t-shirts. You might have a SKU for “Blue T-Shirt, Size Medium” and another for “Red T-Shirt, Size Large.” Without those SKUs, things could get chaotic, really fast.

This guide will walk you through the process, step-by-step, with examples and reasoning, so you can confidently manage your product SKUs.

Why Would You Need to Change a WooCommerce SKU Number?

There are several reasons why you might need to change a SKU number:

Inventory Management: You might have a messy or illogical system initially and need to reorganize your SKUs for better tracking. Think of it like organizing your closet – you might need to rearrange things to find what you need quickly.
Product Updates: If you significantly alter a product (e.g., change the material of a t-shirt or upgrade a component in a gadget), you might want to update the SKU to reflect that change.
Migration from Another Platform: If you’re switching from a different e-commerce platform, your existing SKUs might not align with your WooCommerce system, requiring adjustments.
Human Error: Oops! Sometimes mistakes happen. You might have accidentally entered the wrong SKU for a product. It’s best to correct it as soon as possible.
Supplier Changes: A new supplier might use a different SKU system, prompting you to update your records for compatibility.

How to Change a SKU Number in WooCommerce

Here’s the most straightforward way to change a SKU number for a single product in WooCommerce:

1. Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard: Access your WordPress admin area (usually `yourdomain.com/wp-admin`).

2. Navigate to Products: In the left-hand menu, click on “Products” -> “All Products.”

3. Find the Product: Locate the product whose SKU you want to change. You can use the search bar or browse through the list.

4. Edit the Product: Hover over the product name and click “Edit.” This will open the product editing page.

5. Locate the “Product Data” Meta Box: You’ll find a meta box (a section) labeled “Product data.” Make sure the “General” tab is selected.

6. Change the SKU: In the “General” tab, you’ll see a field labeled “SKU.” Simply delete the existing SKU and enter the new one you want to use. Be careful to use a unique SKU. WooCommerce doesn’t generally prevent duplicate SKUs, but using duplicates will mess with your reporting and inventory management.

7. Update the Product: Click the “Update” button in the top right corner of the screen. This saves your changes.

That’s it! You’ve successfully changed the SKU number for that product.

Example: Let’s say you have a “Basic Cotton T-Shirt” originally with the SKU “BTSH-001”. You change the cotton quality and want to reflect it. You can change the SKU to “BTSH-001-UPG” to indicate the upgraded material.

Changing SKUs for Variable Products

If you’re selling variable products (e.g., t-shirts with different sizes and colors), you’ll need to update the SKUs for each variation individually.

1. Follow steps 1-4 above to access the product editing page.

2. Select the “Variations” tab: In the “Product data” meta box, click on the “Variations” tab.

3. Expand Each Variation: For each variation you want to edit, click on the small arrow next to it to expand the variation details.

4. Change the SKU for Each Variation: Within each variation’s expanded section, you’ll find a “SKU” field. Update it with the new SKU for that specific variation.

5. Save Changes: Click the “Save changes” button at the bottom of the “Variations” tab, and then click the “Update” button on the product page.

Example: Consider a “Premium Jeans” product with variations for sizes 30, 32, and 34. You would edit the SKU for each size individually.

Bulk Editing SKUs: When You Need to Change Many at Once

If you have a large inventory and need to change many SKUs, manually editing each product is incredibly time-consuming. Here are a couple of solutions:

#### 1. WooCommerce Built-in Bulk Editor (Limited)

WooCommerce offers a basic bulk editing feature. While not ideal for complex SKU changes, it can be helpful for simple adjustments.

1. Go to Products -> All Products.

2. Select Products to Edit: Check the checkboxes next to the products you want to edit.

3. Choose “Edit” from the Bulk Actions dropdown: Above the product list, find the “Bulk actions” dropdown, select “Edit,” and click “Apply.”

4. Unfortunately, you cannot edit the SKU with the built-in bulk editor directly. While you can bulk edit other attributes, SKU editing isn’t supported here. This is why the next method is often preferred.

#### 2. Export/Import with CSV (Recommended for Large-Scale Changes)

The most efficient way to bulk edit SKUs is by exporting your product data to a CSV file, editing the SKUs in a spreadsheet program (like Excel or Google Sheets), and then importing the updated CSV back into WooCommerce.

Steps:

1. Install a CSV Import/Export Plugin: WooCommerce comes with a basic CSV importer/exporter. Go to WooCommerce -> Settings -> Advanced -> CSV Import/Export. If you need more features, you can find various plugins in the WordPress plugin directory (search for “WooCommerce CSV Import Export”). Several free and paid options are available.

2. Export Your Products: Use the CSV importer/exporter to export your product data. Ensure you include the “ID” and “SKU” fields in your export. The ID is crucial to avoid creating duplicate products when importing.

3. Open the CSV File: Open the exported CSV file in a spreadsheet program.

4. Edit the SKUs: Locate the “SKU” column and make the necessary changes to your SKU numbers. Important: Do not change Explore this article on How To Show All Products In Shop Page In Woocommerce the “ID” column. This column links the changes to the correct product.

5. Save the CSV File: Save the edited file as a CSV file (UTF-8 encoded is recommended).

6. Import the CSV File: Use the CSV importer/exporter to import the updated CSV file back into WooCommerce. During the import process, you’ll typically be able to map the columns in your CSV file to the corresponding fields in WooCommerce. Make sure to map the “ID” and “SKU” columns correctly.

7. Verify the Changes: After the import is complete, check a few of your products to ensure the SKUs have been updated correctly.

Example: Imagine you need to add a prefix “NW-” to all your SKUs. You would export the CSV, add the prefix to the SKU column in your spreadsheet (e.g., using a formula like `=CONCAT(“NW-“, B2)`, where B2 contains the original SKU), and then import the updated CSV.

Important Considerations When Using CSV Import/Export:

Backups: Always back up your database before performing bulk updates. This ensures you can revert to the previous state if something goes wrong.
Testing: Test the import/export process with a small number of products first to ensure everything is working correctly.
CSV Encoding: Ensure your CSV file is saved with the correct encoding (UTF-8 is generally recommended) to avoid character issues.
Image Paths: If your CSV file includes image paths, make sure the paths are correct and accessible.
ID Field: The “ID” field is crucial for updating existing products. Do not modify this field. If you remove it you will duplicate your products.

Code Snippet (Advanced – Use with Caution!)

For very specific and automated scenarios, you *could* use code snippets (placed in your `functions.php` file or a custom plugin) to modify SKUs programmatically. However, this requires coding knowledge and should be approached with caution.

 /** Example: Automatically adds a prefix to all SKUs
 Warning: Modify with extreme caution and test thoroughly!
 */ add_action( 'woocommerce_update_product', 'prefix_all_skus' );

function prefix_all_skus( $product_id ) {

$product = wc_get_product( $product_id );

if ( $product ) {

$sku = $product->get_sku();

if ( ! empty( $sku ) && strpos( $sku, ‘PREFIX-‘ ) === false ) {

$new_sku = ‘PREFIX-‘ . $sku;

update_post_meta( $product_id, ‘_sku’, $new_sku ); // Updates SKU in database

$product->set_sku($new_sku); // Updates the product instance to reflect changes

$product->save();

error_log( “SKU updated for Product ID: ” . $product_id . ” to new SKU: ” . $new_sku); //log for debug

}

Important Notes about the Code Snippet:

Backup First! Always back up your database *before* adding any code to your `functions.php` file.
Testing: Test this code thoroughly on a staging environment before implementing it on your live site.
Error Handling: The code includes basic error logging to help you identify issues. Check your server’s error logs if you encounter problems.
Specificity: This is a general example. You’ll likely need to modify it to suit your specific needs.
Alternative Hooks: Discover insights on How To Make Woocommerce Items Coming Soon WordPress The `woocommerce_update_product` hook is triggered every time a product is updated. Consider using more specific hooks if you only want to modify SKUs under certain circumstances.
Avoid on Large Product Lists: Doing a batch operation using `woocommerce_update_product` can be too costly if you have a large number of products. Consider using a CLI command with WP-CLI if you have to do this operation

Key Takeaways

SKUs are essential for inventory management. Treat them with care and consistency.
Choose a SKU system that makes sense for your business. Consider incorporating product categories, variations, or other relevant information into your SKUs.
Use the CSV import/export method for bulk changes. It’s the most efficient and reliable way to update many SKUs at once.
Always back up your database before making major changes. This is crucial for protecting your data.
Test your changes on a staging environment before implementing them on your live site. This helps you avoid unexpected issues.

Changing SKU numbers in WooCommerce doesn’t have to be intimidating. By following these steps and understanding the reasoning behind them, you can confidently manage your product inventory and keep your store running smoothly! Good luck!