SKU Automatics for WooCommerce

A comprehensive WordPress plugin that automatically generates and manages SKUs for WooCommerce products with advanced validation, cleanup tools, variation support, and GTIN integration.

Features

SKU Generation

• Bulk SKU generation for products without SKUs
• Automatic variation SKU generation (Parent-1, Parent-2, etc.)
• Customizable SKU patterns with multiple components
• Permalink-based SKUs for human-readable identifiers
• HPOS compatible with automatic detection
• Batch processing to handle large product catalogs
• Progress tracking with visual indicators

Variation Support

• Automatic SKU generation for product variations
• Sequential numbering based on parent SKU
• Format: ParentSKU-1, ParentSKU-2, ParentSKU-3, etc.
• Respects existing variation SKUs
• Bulk generation for all variations without SKUs

Pattern Customization

• Flexible prefixes and suffixes
• Multiple pattern types (alphanumeric, numeric, alphabetic, custom)
• Product permalink integration for meaningful SKUs
• Category codes with configurable length
• Date stamps in multiple formats
• Product ID inclusion
• Custom separators (hyphens or underscores)

Validation & Quality Control

• Comprehensive SKU validation against WooCommerce standards
• Duplicate detection across all products
• Format checking for invalid characters
• Automatic fixing of problematic SKUs
• Detailed reporting of validation results

GTIN Integration

• Automatic GTIN copying when generating SKUs
• Bulk copy existing SKUs to GTIN fields
• Multi-plugin compatibility (supports 10+ barcode plugins)
• Smart field detection for existing GTIN fields

Cleanup Tools

• Remove all SKUs from products
• Smart removal of generated SKUs only
• GTIN field cleanup
• Empty SKU cleanup
• Pattern-based detection for safe removal

Debug & Analysis

• Comprehensive debugging tools
• System information reporting
• Product analysis and statistics
• HPOS detection and compatibility checking

Installation

1. Upload the woocommerce-sku-auto folder to /wp-content/plugins/
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
3. Access the plugin settings through WooCommerce > SKU Automatics

Configuration

Basic Settings

SKU Components

• SKU Prefix: Add a prefix to all generated SKUs (e.g., "PROD")
• SKU Suffix: Add a suffix to all generated SKUs (e.g., "2026")
• Separator Character: Choose between hyphen (-) or underscore (_)

Main SKU Pattern

• Use Product Permalink: Use product URL slug for readable SKUs
• Pattern Type: Alphanumeric, Numeric, Alphabetic, or Custom
• Pattern Length: 4-32 characters for random generation

Additional Components

• Include Product ID: Add the WooCommerce product ID
• Include Category: Add category code (1-5 characters)
• Include Date: Add timestamp in various formats (YYYYMMDD, YYMMDD, YYMM, YY)

Integration Options

• Copy SKU to GTIN Field: Automatically copy generated SKUs to barcode fields

SKU Pattern Examples

Traditional Random SKUs

Settings: Prefix "PROD", Suffix "2026", Separator "-"
Result: PROD-A7K9X2M8-2026

Permalink-Based SKUs

Product: "Awesome Gaming Mouse Pro"
Permalink: awesome-gaming-mouse-pro
Result: PROD-awesome-gaming-mouse-pro-2026

Category + Date SKUs

Settings: Category (2 chars), Date (YYMMDD), Product ID
Product: Electronics > Gaming Mouse (ID: 123)
Result: EL-260201-123

Variable Product with Variations

Parent Product: "T-Shirt" with SKU "TSHIRT-001"
Variations:
  - Small Red:   TSHIRT-001-1
  - Medium Red:  TSHIRT-001-2
  - Large Red:   TSHIRT-001-3
  - Small Blue:  TSHIRT-001-4
  - Medium Blue: TSHIRT-001-5

Full Combination

Settings: All components enabled
Result: PROD-EL-260201-awesome-gaming-mouse-pro-123-2026

Usage Guide

1. Generate SKUs

1. Go to WooCommerce > SKU Automatics > Generate SKUs
2. Configure your pattern in the Settings tab
3. Click "Start Generating SKUs"
4. Monitor progress with the real-time progress bar
5. Variations are automatically generated with parent SKU + number

2. Generate Variation SKUs Only

1. Navigate to the Generate SKUs tab
2. Click "Generate Variation SKUs"
3. All variations without SKUs will receive sequential numbering

3. Validate Existing SKUs

1. Navigate to the Validate SKUs tab
2. Click "Scan for Invalid SKUs"
3. Review the detailed validation report
4. Use "Fix Invalid SKUs" to automatically correct issues

4. GTIN Integration

1. Enable "Copy SKU to GTIN Field" in settings
2. Use "Copy Existing SKUs to GTIN" for bulk operations
3. Compatible with popular barcode plugins

5. Cleanup Operations

1. Access the Clean Up tab
2. Choose from four cleanup options:
   • Remove All SKUs: Complete removal
   • Remove Generated SKUs Only: Smart pattern-based removal
   • Remove All GTIN Fields: Barcode field cleanup
   • Remove Empty SKUs: Database optimization

GTIN Field Compatibility

The plugin automatically detects and works with these GTIN/barcode fields:

• WooCommerce core GTIN field (_global_unique_id) - WC 8.4+
• WP Marketing Robot (_wpm_gtin_code)
• YITH WooCommerce Barcodes (_ywbc_barcode_value)
• ThemeSense GTIN (_ts_gtin)
• WooCommerce UPC (_woo_upc)
• Generic fields (_gtin, _upc, _ean, _isbn, _barcode)

Data Safety

• Unique SKU guarantee with conflict resolution
• Validation before saving ensures WooCommerce compliance
• Comprehensive backups recommended before cleanup operations
• Reversible operations where possible

WooCommerce SKU Requirements

Generated SKUs automatically comply with WooCommerce standards:

• Unique across all products
• Only alphanumeric characters, hyphens (-), and underscores (_)
• No spaces or special characters
• Maximum 100 characters
• No leading or trailing whitespace

Troubleshooting

Debug Tools

Use the built-in debug functions to diagnose issues:

1. Debug Products: General system information
2. Debug Generation: Specific SKU generation analysis

Common Issues

• "Scanned 0 products": Check debug output for HPOS detection
• Invalid SKUs: Review pattern settings and character limits
• Permission errors: Ensure user has manage_woocommerce capability
• Variations not generating: Ensure parent product has a SKU first

System Requirements

• WordPress: 6.7 or higher
• WooCommerce: 9.0 or higher (tested up to 9.6)
• PHP: 8.2 or higher
• MySQL: 5.6 or higher

License

This plugin is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. See the LICENSE file for complete terms.

Support

For support and feature requests, please visit openwpclub.com.