How to Get Product SKU in WooCommerce: A Beginner-Friendly Guide
The SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is a unique identifier for each product in your WooCommerce store. Think of it like a product’s fingerprint. It’s crucial for inventory management, order fulfillment, and even reporting. But how do you actually *get* the product SKU in WooCommerce? Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think! This guide will walk you through several methods, perfect for beginners.
What is a Product SKU and Why is it Important?
Imagine you’re running a busy online clothing store. You sell similar-looking t-shirts in different sizes and colors. Without SKUs, differentiating between them during order processing would be a nightmare!
- SKUs are unique: Each product variation gets its own SKU.
- SKUs are internal: You define your own SKU structure.
- SKUs are for you: They help *you* manage your inventory efficiently.
- Clothing Store: T-Shirt-Blue-Small, T-Shirt-Red-Medium
- Electronics Store: Laptop-Dell-XPS13, Laptop-Apple-MacbookAir
- Bookstore: Book-Fiction-SciFi-AsimovFoundation
- Easily identify products: No more guessing which blue t-shirt the customer ordered.
- Track inventory levels: Know exactly how many of each product you have in stock.
- Streamline order fulfillment: Pick the correct items for each order quickly and accurately.
- Improve reporting and analytics: See which products are selling well and which are not.
- Which columns should be exported? Select “All columns”.
- Which product types should be exported? Select “All product types”.
- Which categories should be exported? Select “All categories”.
- Do you want to export custom meta? Select “Yes”.
- Do you want to export hidden meta? Select “No”.
Think of real-life examples:
Using SKUs helps you:
Method 1: Finding the SKU in the WooCommerce Admin Panel
This is the most straightforward method and works directly within your WordPress dashboard.
1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel. This is usually yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
2. Navigate to Products > All Products. This will display a list of all the products in your WooCommerce store.
3. Find the Product: Locate the product you want to get the SKU for. You can use the search bar to quickly find it.
4. Hover and Edit: Hover your mouse over the product Learn more about How To Setup Recurring Payments Woocommerce WordPress title. You’ll see an “Edit” link. Click on it.
5. Product Learn more about How To Import Orders Woocommerce Data Section: Scroll down to the “Product data” section. This section has several tabs.
6. Inventory Tab: Click on the “Inventory” tab.
7. Find the SKU Field: You’ll see a field labeled “SKU”. The product’s SKU will be displayed in this field. This is it! You’ve found the product SKU!
Method 2: Using a WooCommerce Product Export
Sometimes, you need to get the SKUs for *all* your products at once. Exporting your product data is the fastest way to do this.
1. Go to WooCommerce > Products > All Products (same as Method 1).
2. Click on the “Export” button. This button might be located at the top of the product list.
3. Configure the Export:
4. Generate CSV: Click the “Generate CSV” button. This will download a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file to your computer.
5. Open the CSV File: Open the downloaded CSV file in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice Calc.
6. Locate the SKU Column: Look for the column labeled “SKU”. All your product SKUs will be listed in this column.
Why use this method? It’s perfect for bulk operations, updating product information, or backing up your product catalog.
Method 3: Using Code (For Developers)
If you’re comfortable with PHP and want to display the SKU programmatically (e.g., on the product page), you can use this method. Be cautious when editing your theme’s files. It’s always recommended to back up your website before making any changes.
Here’s the code snippet:
<?php global $product;
if ( $product ) {
$sku = $product->get_sku();
if ( $sku ) {
echo ‘SKU: ‘ . esc_html( $sku );
} else {
echo ‘SKU: Not Available’;
}
}
?>
Where to add the code:
- Child Theme: The best practice is to add this code to your child theme’s `functions.php` file or a custom template file. A child theme protects your customizations when the main theme is updated.
- WooCommerce Template Files: You can also add this code directly to WooCommerce template files (e.g., `single-product/meta.php`), but this is generally discouraged because your changes will be overwritten when WooCommerce is updated.
Explanation:
- `global $product;`: This line makes the `$product` object available, which contains information about the current product.
- `$product->get_sku();`: This function retrieves the product’s SKU.
- `esc_html( $sku );`: This function escapes the SKU to prevent potential security vulnerabilities.
Important Considerations:
- Backup First: Always back up your website before modifying any code.
- Child Theme: Use a child theme to avoid losing your changes during theme updates.
- Debugging: If you encounter any errors, check your PHP error logs for clues.
Conclusion
Getting the product SKU in WooCommerce is essential for efficient store management. Whether you’re a beginner or a developer, there’s a method that suits your needs. From the simple admin panel lookup to the powerful product export and programmatic access, you now have the tools to find and utilize your product SKUs effectively. Remember to choose the method that best fits your technical skills and the specific task you’re trying to accomplish. Good luck!
