SKU Generator – Build Consistent SKUs for Every Variant

A free SKU generator for products and variants

A good SKU (stock keeping unit) tells you what an item is at a glance — APP-TEE-BLK-M is the black, medium T-shirt in apparel — and stays unique across every variant. This SKU generator builds those codes for you from a pattern you control: list your products and categories, add attributes such as colour and size, choose the order of the parts, and it creates every combination, flags duplicates and problem characters, and exports a bulk CSV.

It suits new shops setting up a catalogue, sellers moving to a new platform and anyone cleaning up inconsistent codes. Codes can be fixed by hand (Bags=BAG) or made automatically from the names. A matching spreadsheet formula and a Code 128 barcode for any SKU are one click away.

How to use the SKU Generator

1. Edit the SKU pattern. Tap tokens such as {CAT}, {NAME}, {COLOUR}, {SIZE}, {BRAND} or {SEQ} to insert them; type dashes or fixed letters between them.
2. List products one per line as “product name, category”. Add =CODE after a name to fix its code.
3. List attributes one per line as “Size: S, M, L”. Every product gets every combination of values.
4. Set the options: automatic code length, sequence start and digits, upper case and the length warning.
5. Check the table for flagged rows, then download the CSV, copy the SKUs, or show a barcode for any row.

SKU Generator features

SKU naming rules that save trouble later

• Start with the broadest attribute (category or brand) and end with the most specific (size), so codes sort in a useful order.
• Use only letters, numbers and dashes. Spaces, slashes and symbols break some barcode fonts, URLs and import tools.
• Do not start a SKU with 0: spreadsheets often drop leading zeros and turn 0012 into 12.
• Avoid letters that look like digits (O and 0, I and 1) in parts people read aloud or type by hand.
• Keep codes short — 8 to 16 characters is common — and never reuse a retired SKU for a different product.
• Do not put price, supplier or other changing facts in a SKU; keep those in your catalogue.

SKU, UPC, EAN and GTIN

The barcode button draws a Code 128 barcode, which encodes letters and digits and suits shelf labels and bin tags inside your business. For retail barcodes you need GS1 numbers; you can draw those with the barcode generator. Plan reorders with the reorder point calculator and edit the exported list in the CSV editor.

How automatic codes are made

Values that are already short (S, XL, 32) are kept. A single word becomes its first letter plus the following consonants (Navy → NVY, Apparel → APP). Several words become their initials, topped up from the last word if needed (Slim Fit Jeans → SFJ). Fix any code you do not like with Name=CODE. Barcodes are drawn with JsBarcode 3.11.6 (MIT licence), loaded only when you press a barcode button.