Proper SKU management is essential to ensure your products are accurately synced between your sales channels and the ShipTop Client Portal. This guide explains how to update SKUs and outlines key considerations before making changes.
How SKUs Work in ShipTop
When products are imported into the Client Portal, each item must have a unique SKU.
If a product is missing an SKU, ShipTop may generate one automatically based on the product name (depending on the integration).
Some sales channels (such as TikTok Shop) require SKUs to be created directly in the store before products can be imported.
Ways to Update Product SKUs
You can update SKUs in two ways:
From Your Store Platform
Update the SKU directly in your connected store (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.). ShipTop will sync the updated SKU automatically based on your integration settings.
Through the ShipTop Client Portal
You can manually update the SKU from the product details page within the Client Portal.
How to Update an SKU in the Client Portal
SKU updates must be completed one product at a time.
Follow these steps:
Navigate to the specific Product page for the item you want to update
Scroll to the Actions section
Click Change SKU
Enter the new SKU
Click Update to save your changes
Important Note on Bulk SKU Updates
SKUs cannot be updated in bulk using CSV uploads.
The SKU acts as the unique identifier for each product
If you upload a CSV with a new SKU, the system will create a new product instead of updating the existing one
For stores like Shopify, it is often easier to update SKUs directly in your store and allow ShipTop to sync the changes automatically.
Important Considerations
Unique SKUs - Each SKU must be unique. If the new SKU already exists in the Client Portal, the update will not be saved.
No Extra Spaces - Ensure there are no leading or trailing spaces in the SKU. Even small formatting issues can cause syncing errors or duplicate products.
Multi-Warehouse Accounts - If your account includes multiple warehouses, SKU updates will automatically apply across all locations where the product exists.
Sales Channel Syncing - If you update a SKU in your connected store, ShipTop will detect the change and update it in the Client Portal accordingly.
Shared SKUs Across Multiple Stores - If the same SKU exists across multiple store integrations, updating it in one store does not automatically update it in others. You may need to manually update each platform or adjust your integration settings. If unsure, contact your Customer Success Manager or ShipTop Support for guidance.