duplicate SKU in Shopify Product CSV
What this means
Duplicate SKU values can create duplicate variant rows, confuse inventory lookup, and make later product maintenance harder.
Why it matters before Shopify import
Shopify may still accept some files, but repeated SKUs usually mean the CSV needs a manual review before import. A duplicated SKU can make it harder to identify which variant should be updated later.
How to fix it in the CSV
Look for two or more variant rows that use the same Variant SKU. If they describe the same variant, remove the duplicate row. If they are different variants, give each variant a unique SKU.
Example
| Handle | Option1 Value | Variant SKU |
|---|---|---|
| linen-shirt | Small | LINEN-001 |
| linen-shirt | Medium | LINEN-001 |
In this example, the second row should usually get a different SKU, such as LINEN-002.