WooCommerce XML-RPC [Deprecated] - Assign SKUs to Product Variations

PackageBee Support

October 01, 2023 11:47

For WooCommerce product variations (such as size or color), it's critical that each variation has a unique SKU.

By default, WooCommerce assigns no unique SKU to a product variation, therefore you must assign these SKUs manually to ensure proper fulfillment.

If you will be using product variations, leave the parent (Product) SKU blank and configure a SKU for the child (Variation) only. WooCommrce sends the SKU as Product SKU + Variation SKU, so if the parent SKU is blank, only the variation SKU is pulled.

For example, if the Product SKU is "ABC" and the variation SKU is "DEF123", WooCommerce will send this as "ABCDEF123".
If you want the SKU to appear as "DEF123" only, then leave the Product SKU blank, and set the variation SKU as "DEF123".

Assign unique SKUs to product variations

In your Woo store, go to the Products page.
Locate a product that has variations.

Select the product.

Scroll all the way to the bottom, and select the Variations tab.

In this example Variations tab, you see three variations associated with the parent product. If you open/expand any variation, you see the SKU - by default, the same SKU as the parent.
Assign a unique SKU to the variation. For example, if the parent product SKU is SHIRT, assign the variation SKU as RED, BLUE, LONGSLEEVED, etc.
Repeat this process for all product variations.

If you would prefer not to assign unique SKUs to your product variations in WooCommerce, a custom rule can be created to automate unique assignment. To inquire about custom rules for product variation SKUs, email PackageBee support at support@packagebee.com.

Next: Gather Shipping Methods