· DataEase · Tutorials  · 2 min read

Add SKU to Shopify Products

Adding SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) to many products at once can be tedious if done manually. DataEase makes it easy: export your product variants, edit the variantSKU field in Excel or CSV, and import them back to Shopify—all in just a few steps.

🎯 Goal

Add SKUs to many products at once (variant level) by editing the variantSKU field in CSV/Excel and importing with DataEase.

📋 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Export Products with Variants

In DataEase, go to New Export → Products. Include at minimum:

  • id
  • handle
  • variantId
  • variantTitle or Option values
  • variantSKU (optional: title, barcode)

This will give you a file with all your product variants ready for editing.

2. Prepare SKUs in Excel/Sheets

Open the exported file in Excel or Google Sheets. For each row you want to update:

  1. Set variantCommand = UPDATE
  2. Enter the new value in variantSKU

Tip: You can generate SKUs with formulas. For example:

=UPPER(CONCAT(VENDOR,"-",LEFT(HANDLE,8),"-",OPTION1CODE))

This creates SKUs like VENDOR-PROD-RED-M automatically.

When done, save the file as .xlsx or .csv.

3. Import & Validate

  1. In DataEase, start New Import
  2. Upload your edited file
  3. Map columns:
    • Variant ID → variant
    • SKU → variantSKU
    • Command → variantCommand
  4. Run Validation

Review the Validation Status column and fix any issues (e.g., duplicates in your file, overly long values).

4. Run the Import

After validation passes, click Run Import to apply your SKUs to Shopify.

Once complete, download the result file and spot-check products in the Shopify admin to confirm everything looks correct.

📝 Important Notes

  • SKU is a variant attribute — each product variant has its own SKU
  • Prefer matching by variantId — use SKU only for subsequent edits once your SKUs exist and are unique
  • Keep SKUs consistent and readable (e.g., VENDOR-PROD-RED-M). Avoid spaces; use letters, numbers, hyphens/underscores
  • Clearing a SKU: set variantSKU to empty ("") with variantCommand=UPDATE
  • Changing existing SKUs can affect apps, fulfillment, and ERPs—coordinate with downstream systems

💡 Minimal CSV Examples

Add SKUs by Variant ID:

variantId,variantCommand,variantSKU
gid://shopify/ProductVariant/111,UPDATE,TSHIRT-RED-M
gid://shopify/ProductVariant/112,UPDATE,TSHIRT-RED-L

Add SKUs where empty (same pattern):

variantId,variantCommand,variantSKU
gid://shopify/ProductVariant/999,UPDATE,BEANIE-BLK-OS

🎉 That’s it!

Your SKUs are now added in bulk.
If you run into any issues or have questions, feel free to contact our support team.

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