SKUs and barcodes

A SKU is your internal code for an item; a barcode is the scannable number (often a UPC or EAN) printed on it. Both make items faster to identify across stock, orders, and counts.

SKU vs. barcode

	SKU	Barcode
Purpose	Your internal identifier	Physical scan code
Set by	You	You or the manufacturer
Must be unique	Yes	Yes
Typical format	ABC-RED-S	UPC-A, EAN-13

Assign a SKU

1. Create or edit an item.
2. Enter a SKU. For products with variants, give each variant its own SKU.
3. Save.

A consistent pattern helps — for example, a product prefix plus variant codes (SHIRT-RED-S). Keep them short and human-readable.

Add a barcode

Enter the item’s barcode in the same screen. If a product already has a manufacturer barcode (UPC/EAN), use that exact number so it scans against retail labels.

Use a handheld scanner anywhere a SKU or barcode field is focused — receiving, counts, and fulfillment — to look up the right item instantly and cut keying errors.

Duplicate SKUs or barcodes cause ambiguous lookups. Fiddle expects each to be unique across your catalog, including variants.

Next steps

With SKUs in place, speed up cycle counts in understanding stock levels.