# How to Get SKUs for Your WooCommerce Store: A Beginner’s Guide
So you’ve launched your Learn more about How Many Hours To Woocommerce Website awesome WooCommerce store, filled it with fantastic products, but you’re stuck. You need SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), but aren’t sure how to get them. Don’t worry, this guide will walk you through it step-by-step. Even if you’re a complete newbie, you’ll be generating SKUs like a pro in no time.
What is a SKU and Why Do I Need One?
A SKU is a unique identifier for each product in your inventory. Think of it as a product’s secret code. It’s how your store, your inventory management system, and even your shipping providers track individual items.
Why are they important?
- Inventory Management: Accurate tracking of stock levels prevents overselling and ensures you always know what you have.
- Order Fulfillment: SKUs speed up the picking and packing process, minimizing errors.
- Reporting & Analysis: Analyzing sales data becomes much easier when you have unique identifiers for each product.
- Integration with other systems: Many accounting and shipping platforms require SKUs for seamless data exchange.
- Keep it concise: Aim for a system that is short, memorable, and easy to type.
- Use a logical system: Consider incorporating elements like product category, color, or size. For example:
- LAV-LF-LG (Lavender Fields, Large)
- CIT-BS-SM (Citrus Burst, Learn more about How To Delete Woocommerce And Export Everything Small)
- Ensure uniqueness: Double-check that each SKU is unique to avoid confusion.
- Advanced Custom Fields: While not exclusively for SKUs, this plugin allows you to create custom fields for more sophisticated SKU generation based on your own logic.
- Product Attribute SKU Generator: This plugin automatically generates SKUs based on product attributes, making the process significantly faster.
Imagine you sell handmade candles. You have a “Lavender Fields” candle and a “Citrus Burst” candle. Both are candles, but they’re different products. Each needs its own SKU to distinguish it from the other.
Methods to Generate SKUs in WooCommerce
There are several ways to generate SKUs in WooCommerce, ranging from manual entry to using plugins. Let’s explore the most common methods:
1. Manual SKU Creation (Simple & Free)
This is the simplest approach, perfect for smaller stores with a limited number of products. You create unique alphanumeric codes yourself.
How to do it:
Where to enter SKUs in WooCommerce:
1. Go to Products → All products.
2. Edit the product you want to add a SKU to.
3. In the Product Data tab, under the Inventory section, you’ll find the SKU field.
2. Using WooCommerce Plugins (Automated & Feature-Rich)
For larger inventories or more complex needs, a plugin can automate SKU generation and add advanced features. Many plugins offer options to automatically generate SKUs based on product attributes or custom rules.
Some popular plugins include:
3. Using a Spreadsheet and Importing (Best for Bulk Uploads)
If you have a large number of products, creating a spreadsheet with your product information, including the SKUs, and importing it into WooCommerce is the most efficient method.
Steps:
1. Create a CSV or XLSX file with columns for all your product details, including a column for SKU.
2. Generate your SKUs using a formula in your spreadsheet if you want a systematic approach.
3. Import the file into WooCommerce using the Tools → Import feature. (Make sure to select the correct CSV/XLSX file and map the columns correctly).
Example using PHP (Advanced Users)
For developers, you can customize SKU generation using WooCommerce’s API and PHP. This example demonstrates a simple SKU generator:
<?php function generate_unique_sku() { $sku = uniqid('SKU-'); // Generates a unique ID prefixed with 'SKU-' // Add your own logic here to further customize the SKU if needed return $sku; }
// Example usage within a custom WooCommerce function
add_action( ‘woocommerce_process_product_meta’, ‘add_sku_to_product’, 10, 2 );
function add_sku_to_product( $post_id, $post ) {
if ( ! isset( $_POST[‘sku’] ) ) {
$sku = generate_unique_sku();
update_post_meta( $post_id, ‘_sku’, $sku );
}
}
Note: This code requires basic PHP and WooCommerce API knowledge.
Conclusion
Choosing the right method for generating SKUs depends on your store’s size and your comfort level with technology. For small stores, manual entry might suffice. Larger stores will benefit from plugins or spreadsheet imports. Remember, consistent and accurate SKUs are crucial for efficient inventory management and smooth operations. So, pick your method and start organizing your products today!
