Understanding Barcode and SKU Requirements | Portless Help Center
Understanding Barcode and SKU Requirements
April 9, 2026
To ensure your products move quickly and accurately through our fulfillment centers, Portless requires specific barcode and SKU configurations for every item you sell. Following these guidelines prevents processing delays and ensures your inventory levels remain accurate across all platforms.
Things to keep in mind
Ensure every product has a SKU on your Shopify or e-commerce platform.
Missing or invalid SKUs prevent Pipe17 from mapping the product to the WMS, which causes orders to fail or face delays.
Orders without valid identifiers at the variant level will require manual mapping and intervention. Manual intervention increases the risk of shipping errors and slows down the overall fulfillment process.
Inventory will not sync properly across systems if SKU requirements are not met.
Accepted barcode standards
Our scanners support a wide range of industry-standard barcodes for inbounding. You must ensure your products feature one of the following formats to ensure our system can read them upon arrival:
Code 128: A high-density barcode format used for alphanumeric or numeric-only datasets.
Code 39: A common barcode type that can include letters and numbers.
Code 93: A compact barcode similar to Code 39 but with higher data density.
QR Code: A two-dimensional square barcode that stores information both horizontally and vertically.
Essential SKU requirements
All products fulfilled by Portless require a SKU assigned at the variant level. This means every individual size and color combination must have its own identifier. This SKU serves as the primary connection between Shopify, Pipe17, and our WMS.
To maintain a healthy supply chain, you must follow these rules:
- Define SKUs in Shopify at the variant level for every product.
- Create a unique SKU for every individual variant; do not reuse codes.
- Assign all SKUs before you take any orders or ship inventory to Portless.
- Keep your SKUs permanent once we receive your inventory at the warehouse.