{"id":8693,"date":"2018-06-26T07:57:56","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T07:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mageworx.com\/?p=8693"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:50:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:50:16","slug":"how-to-customize-product-custom-options-sku-within-an-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/how-to-customize-product-custom-options-sku","title":{"rendered":"How to Customize Product Custom Options SKU within an Order"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- SEO Ultimate (http:\/\/www.seodesignsolutions.com\/wordpress-seo\/) - Code Inserter module -->\n<!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->\r\n<noscript><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.googletagmanager.com\/ns.html?id=GTM-5DTCW7B8\"\r\nheight=\"0\" width=\"0\" style=\"display:none;visibility:hidden\"><\/iframe><\/noscript>\r\n<!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->\n<!-- \/SEO Ultimate -->\n\n<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><p>Output <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/s\/stock-keeping-unit-sku.asp\">SKU<\/a> customization is critical to keep the store\u2019s inventory updated and managed correctly. In this article, we\u2019ll tell you how to bypass Magento limitations, which cause the creation of long-tail SKUs and can adversely impact sales data analysis, inventory tracking, and more. Let\u2019s have an insight.<\/p>\n<h2>What stumbling rock lies in the standard SKU configuration?<\/h2>\n<p>By default, Magento \u2013 both versions \u2013 allows you to add the selected custom options SKUs to the one of the main products. Let\u2019s consider the following example to have a clear picture.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s assume:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u2022 a product\u2019s SKU is <strong>mainSKU,<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022 its first option\u2019s SKU is <strong>option1SKU<\/strong>,<br \/>\n\u2022 its second option\u2019s SKU is <strong>option2SKU<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If a customer purchases this product with both options selected, the main product&#8217;s SKU will be as follows:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>mainSKU-option1SKU-option2SKU<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As you can see, all the selected options\u2019 SKUs have been added to the main one.<br \/>\nWhat\u2019s the big deal? Eventually, the system won\u2019t be able to track any inventory data on such a product correctly if you upload it to the inventory system.<br \/>\nTo help you bridge this gap in the Magento functionality, we, at MageWorx, have come with a solution \u2013 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/magento-2-advanced-product-options-suite.html\">Advanced Product Options<\/a> extension available for both Magento 1 and Magento 2, which has the SKU policy feature.<\/p>\n<h2>What Business Value Can the SKU Policy Functionality Bring to Your Business?<\/h2>\n<p>Proper setup and configuration of the Sales Kits and Bundles are critical in Magento. The extension offers the following pool of opportunities:<br \/>\n\u2022 maintain and manage custom options with SKU in a most efficient manner. In other words, you\u2019ll be able to avoid situations, when orders are not found by 3<sup>rd<\/sup> party systems because of the created long-tail SKUs.<br \/>\n\u2022 as a result, keep the orders and inventory under check.<\/p>\n<h2>Magento 2<\/h2>\n<p>To see the extension\u2019s functionality in action, click <a href=\"http:\/\/product-options.m2.ext.mageworx.com\/admin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a> to open the admin demo of the module, then go to <em>Stores \u2013 Configuration &#8211; MAGEWORX &#8211; Option SKU Policy<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8703\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_1_1-1200x678.jpg\" alt=\"SKU Policy Configuration - Backend for Magento 2\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_1_1-1200x678.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_1_1-600x339.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_1_1-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_1_1.jpg 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><br \/>\nAs you can see, the module offers you the following configuration options: standard, disabled, replacement, independent, and grouped.<br \/>\nThe <em>standard<\/em> SKU lets retaining the default Magento SKU functionality.<\/p>\n<p>You can also have the SKU policy entirely <strong><em>disabled<\/em><\/strong>. Why and when could you possibly need it? There can be a multitude of scenarios for that. One of them is the absence of the necessity to track certain middle options. For instance, like in this example:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8708\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-Disabled-1200x678.png\" alt=\"SKU Disabled -Magento 2\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-Disabled-1200x678.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-Disabled-600x339.png 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-Disabled-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-Disabled.png 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8709\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Disabled-2-1200x678.png\" alt=\"SKU Disabled - Order View in Magento 2\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Disabled-2-1200x678.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Disabled-2-600x339.png 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Disabled-2-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Disabled-2.png 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As you can see from the above example, the hard-drive type is a middle option used for convenient product options presentation with no need to keep track off.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s consider <em>replacement, independent<\/em> and <em>grouped<\/em> modes in more detail.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Replacement Mode<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This mode automatically replaces the main product\u2019s SKU with the one of an ordered option.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8698\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_4-1200x678.jpg\" alt=\"Replacement SKU policy for product options - Magento 2 product options extension\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_4-1200x678.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_4-600x339.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_4-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_4.jpg 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Independent Mode<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here, custom options are transformed into separate order items, i.e. custom options are assigned option-specific SKUs. Moreover, the main product is kept within the order.<\/p>\n<h3><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8700\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_3-1200x678.jpg\" alt=\"Independant SKU policy for product options - Magento 2 product options extension\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_3-1200x678.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_3-600x339.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_3-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_3.jpg 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>That&#8217;s how the SKU under the independent mode will look within the order:<\/p>\n<h3><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8704\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6-1200x678.jpg\" alt=\"Independent mode - SKU Policy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6-1200x678.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6-600x339.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6.jpg 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As you can see, all the custom product options are listed within the order as separate items with their own unique SKUs.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Grouped Mode<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>With this mode enabled, custom options get transformed into separate items within an order and replace&nbsp;the product with its custom options.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8702\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-5-1200x678.jpg\" alt=\"Grouped Mode SKU - Advanced Product Options Extension\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-5-1200x678.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-5-600x339.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-5-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/SKU-5.jpg 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s how the SKU under the grouped mode will look within the order:<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8705\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6_1-1200x678.jpg\" alt=\"Grouped Mode - SKU Policy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6_1-1200x678.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6_1-600x339.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6_1-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sku_6_1.jpg 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>When opposed to the Independent mode, product custom options are still listed as separate items but changes the SKU of the main product.<\/p>\n<h2>Magento 1<\/h2>\n<p>The offered modes (replacement, grouped, independent) and the configuration logic for the Advanced Product Options extension for Magento 1 are much alike. Please, consult the extension\u2019s user guide for more details.<\/p>\n<h2>Wrap Up<\/h2>\n<p>SKU is critical for efficient inventory tracking and management. That\u2019s why its correct setup is crucial for a Magento-based business.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Do you have any questions concerning the SKU Policy and\/or its functionality? Feel free to leave a comment below, or contact us at support@mageworx.com<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/kate-volchock\/demo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15060 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/live-demo.png\" alt=\"Book a Live Demo with Mageworx\" width=\"690\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/live-demo.png 690w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/live-demo-600x226.png 600w, https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/live-demo-250x94.png 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Output SKU customization is critical to keep the store\u2019s inventory updated and managed correctly. In this article, we\u2019ll tell you how to bypass Magento limitations, which cause the creation of long-tail SKUs and can adversely impact sales data analysis, inventory tracking, and more. Let\u2019s have an insight. What stumbling rock lies in the standard SKU [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":14732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[255,426],"tags":[379,378],"class_list":{"0":"post-8693","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-magento-2","8":"category-extensions-tips-and-tricks","9":"tag-apo","10":"tag-sku"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8693"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16998,"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8693\/revisions\/16998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mageworx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}