SKU Generator — Create SKUs for Products & Variations (CSV)

How the generator builds a SKU

Each line of your list is split into parts: Name | Category | Attribute | Attribute…. Every part is shortened to a short code, then joined in a fixed order:

PREFIX – CATEGORY – PRODUCT – ATTRIBUTES – NUMBER

Multi-word values use their initials first: Navy Blue → NBL, Canvas Tote Bag → CTB.
Single words keep the first letter plus consonants: Large → LRG, Medium → MDM.
Sizes and volumes with digits stay as they are: 12 oz → 12OZ, XL → XL.
If two lines produce the same SKU, a -2, -3 suffix is added and you’re warned.

Example: Classic T-Shirt | Apparel | Navy Blue | Large becomes PS-APP-CTS-NBL-LRG-0001. Untick “Category code” or the number to make it shorter.

SKU best practices

Decide the order once and never change it. Consistency is what makes SKUs readable at a glance.
Put the most general attribute first (brand or category), the most specific last (size).
Don’t encode things that change — price, supplier, season — or you’ll have to rename SKUs.
Never reuse a SKU for a different product, even after the old one is discontinued.
Keep them short. They get typed, printed on small labels and read over the phone.

SKUs in WooCommerce

WooCommerce requires SKUs to be unique across all products and variations. Give each variation its own SKU (the parent can have a shorter one). The CSV from this tool uses WooCommerce’s column names (Name, SKU, Categories), so you can merge it into a product import. To print the SKUs as labels, paste them into the barcode generator‘s bulk mode.

Questions

What is a SKU?

A stock keeping unit — your own internal code for each product variant you stock. Unlike a UPC or EAN, you create SKUs yourself; they only need to be unique within your business.

What makes a good SKU?

Short (8–12 characters), unique, readable by people, and built from the most important attributes in a fixed order — for example brand-category-product-colour-size. Avoid spaces, special characters and letters that look like digits (O, I, L).

Should a SKU start with zero?

Better not. Spreadsheets often drop leading zeros, so 00123 becomes 123. Start with a letter prefix instead.

Is a SKU the same as a UPC or barcode?

No. A UPC/EAN (GTIN) is a globally unique number licensed from GS1 and used by retailers and marketplaces. A SKU is your internal code. Many products have both; you can still print your SKU as a Code 128 barcode for your own warehouse.

How do I import SKUs into WooCommerce?

Download the CSV, merge the SKU column into your product export (or fill a new one), and import it with WooCommerce → Products → Import, matching the “SKU” column. For existing products, tick “Update existing products”.