Free SKU Generator

A SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is an alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies a product in your inventory. Unlike barcodes (EAN/UPC), SKUs are internal codes that you define yourself. They typically encode product attributes like category, brand, color, and size so any product is easy to identify.

Consistent SKUs improve inventory accuracy, make warehouse operations faster, reduce picking errors, and enable better reporting. When your team can read a SKU and instantly understand the product it represents, day-to-day operations become much more efficient.

Keep SKUs short (8-12 characters), use only uppercase letters and numbers, avoid special characters except dashes or underscores as separators, start with a category or brand prefix, and never reuse SKUs for different products. Also avoid starting with zero, as some systems may strip it.

Barcodes (EAN, UPC, GTIN) are globally unique identifiers managed by GS1 and used across the entire supply chain. SKUs are internal codes created by individual businesses for their own inventory management. A product has one universal barcode but may have different SKUs at different retailers.

Most experts recommend 8-12 characters. Shorter SKUs are easier to read and type, while longer SKUs can encode more information. The key is finding the right balance for your business. Aim for 2-3 characters per segment to keep the total length manageable.

Each unique variant, for example a red T-shirt in size M, should have its own SKU. Use dedicated segments for variant attributes like color codes (RD, BL, BK) and size codes (S, M, L, XL). This makes inventory tracking at the variant level straightforward.

Yes, and you should. Using a single SKU system across your website, marketplaces, and physical stores ensures consistent inventory tracking. If each channel uses different identifiers, map them back to your master SKU in your product information management system.

A product ID is typically a system-generated number, like a database ID, with no inherent meaning. A SKU is a human-readable code designed to convey product information at a glance, such as category, brand, and variant. Products often have both: an ID for system use and a SKU for human use.

Start by defining your SKU structure: choose a prefix for the product line, assign category codes, and decide on variant encoding. Use this generator to set up your pattern, then expand all variants to generate the complete list. Export to CSV and import into your inventory or PIM system.

For seasonal products like fashion collections, including a year or season code, for example 24SS for Spring/Summer 2024, helps with inventory rotation and clearance planning. For evergreen products it is usually unnecessary and just adds length to the SKU.