What is sku in shopify?

In Shopify, SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is a unique identifier assigned to each variant of a product in your store inventory. Each product variant may have a different SKU, especially if they have different attributes like size, color, or material.

Here are some key points to understand about SKUs in Shopify:

1. Purpose: SKUs help merchants and store owners to easily manage and track their inventory. They provide a standardized way to identify and differentiate between different products and variants.

2. Uniqueness: Each SKU must be unique within your store. It is recommended to assign distinct SKUs to avoid confusion or mix-ups.

3. Structure: SKUs can be alphanumeric and can follow any format you prefer. Common formats include letters, numbers, and special characters. You can create SKUs based on your own internal system or use automated methods like combining product attributes or auto-generating sequential codes.

4. Display: SKUs are generally not visible to customers on the storefront by default. However, you can choose to display them by modifying your theme's code or by using apps or plugins specifically designed for that purpose.

5. Tracking: SKUs can be useful for inventory management as they allow you to track the quantity of each variant and quickly locate specific products within your inventory.

6. Bulk Upload: When adding or updating products in bulk, you can include SKUs in a CSV file to match them with existing products or create new ones. This simplifies the inventory management process.

7. Reports and Analytics: Shopify provides reports and analytics tools that can use SKUs to track sales, inventory levels, and performance for individual products or variants.

Keeping accurate and consistent SKUs is essential for a well-organized inventory management system in your Shopify store. It enables better control over stock, facilitates order processing, and optimizes the overall operation of your business.