How can I set my own custom SKU numbers?

A stock-keeping unit (SKU) is a unique code used to identify a product or product variant in a system. In Printify, SKUs help link your store products to Printify and make it easier to manage and track them.

While the Print on Demand (POD) business model doesn’t require inventory tracking, using a clear and consistent SKU system can help you quickly find specific product variants and identify which products perform best in your store.

How to enable custom SKUs

To use custom SKUs, the feature must first be enabled for your account. To request activation, contact the Support Team, and they’ll enable the feature for you.

How to set up a custom SKU

Once the feature is enabled:

1. Open the product details by clicking the product card.

2. Scroll down to the Pricing section.

3. Click the SKU field to edit it.

4. Enter a custom SKU for each variant.

5. Under Sync product details, select Colors, Sizes, Prices, and SKUs. You can leave other options unchecked.

6. Click Publish to save your changes.

Best practices for custom SKUs

Edit the product SKUs from the Printify side

We recommend setting up and editing custom SKUs directly in Printify and republishing the product. This ensures the same SKU appears in both Printify and your store and helps prevent manual errors.

Make your SKUs easy to understand

Create SKUs using clear, identifiable product details, ordered by importance. Common elements include:

• Color

• Size

• Product type

• Collection

• Design

Example:
For a 2026 Summer Collection Ice Cream Tee in Yellow, size Large, a clear SKU could be:

S26T_ICE_Y_L

Where:

• S26T = Summer Collection 2026 Tee

• ICE = Ice Cream design

• Y and L = color and size

What to avoid when creating SKUs

• Don’t use letters that look like numbers (for example, “O” and “0”).

• Avoid capital “I” and lowercase “l”, which can be easily confused.

• Spaces aren’t supported in custom SKUs—use hyphens (-) or underscores (_) instead.