What is SKU in business and ecommerce
In ecommerce, the SKU is the field that ties one listed variant to the stock you hold, and Amazon.in, Flipkart and Meesho each ask for it. On Amazon.in, the bulk inventory file has a SKU column next to Title and Product ID. When a kurti comes in sizes, each child row carries a Parent SKU, and Amazon says the child SKU must be unique to each child (Amazon.in seller blog, variations by template, retrieved 4 Oct 2026).
Flipkart works the same way from the other end: its Listing API “creates new listings against the specified SKUs”, so each Flipkart listing is tied to one of your SKUs (Flipkart listing API docs, retrieved 4 Oct 2026). On Meesho the SKU ID is checked at quality control. Two of the six QC errors Meesho names are about it: “Duplicate SKU ID and Product ID Error” and “SKU ID error” (Meesho learning hub, retrieved 4 Oct 2026). Our guide to a Meesho catalog rejected for a SKU ID error walks through the fix.
Off the marketplace, the same code goes on the shelf, the packing slip and the label, so anyone can pick the right size without opening the bag; that is why it should be readable, not random. The other listing fields are covered in our tools for marketplace sellers.
SKU example: sample SKU numbers for a kurti
Build each SKU as category-colour-size-number: KRT-RED-S-001 is a kurti, red, size S, item 1. That is the StitchMagic SKU rule (read 22 Oct 2026), and it produced the 8 SKUs in the table at the top of this page for one kurti in 2 colours and 4 sizes.
| Part | Codes in our rule | In KRT-RED-S-001 |
|---|---|---|
| Shop prefix (optional) | Letters or digits, up to 6 characters | none |
| Category | KRT, SAR, SUT, LEH, DUP, JWL, BLZ, TOP | KRT |
| Colour | RED, BLU, GRN, BLK, WHT, PNK, YLW, MRN, NVY, BEI | RED |
| Size | S, M, L, XL, XXL, FREE | S |
| Running number | Shown as 3 digits (001); your start number can be 1 to 9999 | 001 |
Source: StitchMagic SKU rule (category, colour and size lists), read 22 Oct 2026.
How long should it be? Amazon says SKUs are usually made up of 8 to 10 letters and numbers (Amazon SKU guide, 20 May 2025, checked 22 Oct 2026). Ours run to 13 or 14 characters with the dashes (KRT-RED-S-001, KRT-BLU-XL-008), and we keep them: Amazon describes a typical length there, it does not set a limit, and the dashes are what let a packer read the size at a glance.
For a SKU label, print each code as a Code 128 barcode, which takes letters and numbers at any length, in the bulk barcode generator (StitchMagic tool, read 4 Oct 2026). Keep the size codes the same as on your size chart.
SKU code vs barcode, GTIN, UPC and ASIN
A SKU is your own internal code; a GTIN is a standard number issued under a GS1 India company prefix and unique worldwide; a barcode is only the printed symbol, and it can carry either one. GS1 India puts it plainly: “Unlike GTINs, SKUs are not standardised and vary from company to company”, and to issue GTINs a company needs a company prefix from GS1 India (GS1 India, 26 Apr 2024, checked 22 Oct 2026). Amazon adds two more: a UPC stays with a product whoever sells it, and an ASIN is 10 letters and numbers Amazon assigns.
| Code | Who issues it | Unique across | Example use |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKU | You, the seller | Your own shop | Picking the right size for an order |
| GTIN | Your company, under a GS1 India prefix | Worldwide | Retail product identification |
| UPC | A standard number tied to the product | Every seller of that product | Same product, many sellers |
| Barcode | Not a number: the printed symbol | Whatever it encodes | Printing a SKU (Code 128) or a GTIN (EAN-13) |
| ASIN | Amazon | Amazon's catalog | The Amazon product page |
Sources: Amazon SKU guide (20 May 2025) and GS1 India GTIN article (26 Apr 2024), checked 22 Oct 2026.
A kurti seller needs SKUs before the first listing goes up, since the inventory file and catalog ask for them; a GTIN needs a GS1 India company prefix first. The HSN code is a different number again: it classifies the product for GST, not your stock.
Where to find SKU number or SKU ID
Your SKU is wherever you first typed it, because the SKU is a code you set yourself (Amazon SKU guide; GS1 India, checked 22 Oct 2026). Look in these places:
- Amazon.in: the SKU column of your inventory file or category template; child rows also show the Parent SKU (Amazon.in seller blog, retrieved 4 Oct 2026).
- Flipkart: the SKU each listing was created against in your seller account (Flipkart listing API docs, retrieved 4 Oct 2026).
- Meesho: the SKU ID you entered in the catalog; check it in your Supplier Panel. If you uploaded in bulk, it is in your template file too; see Meesho bulk listing.
- On the product: the code printed on your own label or tag, if you label stock with the category-colour-size rule above.
If the code on your label and the code in the listing differ, change the label so the two match; the listing is the copy the marketplace holds.
Common SKU mistakes
The costly mistake is giving two variants the same SKU, because the marketplace then cannot tell your sizes apart. The first two rows come from Meesho's QC lesson and Amazon.in's variation guide (retrieved 4 Oct 2026); the third is our own advice.
| Mistake | What it breaks | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Same SKU on two sizes | Meesho QC: “Duplicate SKU ID and Product ID Error” | One SKU per size and colour |
| Child SKU repeated on Amazon | Amazon.in's rule: each child row's SKU must be unique | New running number for each child row |
| Random codes you cannot read back | Your own packing: the size cannot be read from the code | Category-colour-size-number |
Sources: Meesho learning hub QC errors lesson and Amazon.in seller blog, retrieved 4 Oct 2026.
Settle the pattern before the first upload; when you add a colour later, continue the running number instead of restarting at 001.
Listing these SKUs on Meesho?
ListMagic, our AI listing agent, fills the Meesho catalog form for you: title, category, attributes, images and price. Free plan to start; Seller Pass ₹99 a month (StitchMagic pricing, checked 16 Oct 2026).
Try ListMagicSKU meaning in Hindi
SKU ka full form hai stock keeping unit: yeh aapka apna code hai jo har product variant ko alag pehchaan deta hai. Har size aur har colour ka alag SKU banta hai, isliye ek kurti agar 2 colour aur 4 size mein hai to 8 SKU banenge, jaise KRT-RED-S-001 se KRT-BLU-XL-008 tak. Meesho ya Amazon par listing karte waqt yahi code SKU field mein bharein, aur label par bhi wahi chhapein.