In this article, we explain how product duplicates can occur in Pickware, how to identify them, and how to resolve them.
What are duplicates and how do they occur?
Duplicates can occur if, for example, you assign the same product number (SKU) to multiple products in Shopify or create the same product twice. This is possible because the product number in Shopify is not unique and can be used multiple times.
In Pickware, however, a product number can only be used once. Therefore, a duplicate is created for products whose product number is already in use. If, on the other hand, you create products with the same SKU in different Shopify shops, for example because you sell to B2C and B2B customers in different stores, the product is linked to both shops.
Typical triggers for duplicates are:
You delete a product only in Shopify and recreate it there with the same SKU. The old product remains in Pickware.
You delete the variants of a product and, in the same step, give the product a new SKU, for example that of a deleted variant. Delete the variants first and set the SKU only once the change has arrived in Pickware.
You duplicate a product in Shopify and save the copy immediately. Pickware picks it up on the very first save.
You import products into Shopify multiple times, for example during test imports as part of a migration, and delete them again in between. Each new import creates duplicates in Pickware.
How can I identify duplicates?
The product number of the duplicate contains the suffix -duplicate-abc. To list all duplicates, open Products → Overview, click the filter icon, and enable Only show product duplicates.
How do duplicates affect stock?
Both products have their own stock in Pickware. If stock export is active, Pickware transfers every stock change in real time to the respective linked Shopify product.
The problem here is that there is only one physical product, but two products exist in Shopify and Pickware – the original and the duplicate. When one is ordered, the stock of the other remains unchanged. If no stock is maintained for the duplicate, Pickware may transfer a stock of 0 to Shopify, which means the product can no longer be ordered.
If the old Pickware product is no longer linked to Shopify, for example because the product was deleted in Shopify and recreated, a goods receipt may end up on this old product. Its stock is not transferred to Shopify.
How can I resolve duplicates?
If the products with the identical SKU are two different products, it is enough to assign a new SKU that is not used anywhere else to one of the products. Please make the change in your Shopify Admin. It is transferred to Pickware automatically.
You can also trigger the transfer immediately by clicking More actions → Open in Pickware on the product in Shopify. After a few minutes, check whether the change has arrived, and it is best to test the procedure with one or two products first.
It is faster if the old Pickware product is no longer linked to Shopify, for example because you deleted the product in Shopify and recreated it: Change the SKU of the old Pickware product, for example to SKU_old. This frees up the SKU in Pickware again. Then click More actions → Open in Pickware on the product in Shopify.
If it is the same product that was accidentally created twice, delete one of the entries in both Pickware and Shopify. Then update the remaining product by setting a tag in Shopify.
If there are still open orders for the product deleted in Pickware, also mark these orders with a tag in Shopify. This allows the correct product in Pickware to be assigned to the order.
Important: When you delete products – whether individually via the three-dot menu or in bulk via bulk edit – all associated stock location assignments, product supplier mappings, purchase prices, stock, and stock movements are also removed. Open order items for these products can no longer be picked afterwards. In the delete dialog, Pickware shows you how many unpicked orders still contain the product.
It is not possible to maintain two products in one Shopify shop as the same product in Pickware. In this case, two different products must be created in Pickware.
The same product in multiple shops
If you sell the same product in multiple Shopify shops, Pickware links the products only via an identical SKU. Name or EAN play no role in the linking. If a product in Shopify has no SKU, Pickware assigns its own product number with the prefix SW or PW. In that case, the product is not linked to the product from the other shop.
If this has resulted in multiple Pickware products, you can merge them afterwards as follows:
Delete the surplus Pickware products. Note the warning about deleting above.
Assign the same SKU in all Shopify shops.
In each shop, click More actions → Open in Pickware on the product.
You can see which shops a Pickware product is linked to in the product details. To learn how, read How can I view and resolve product mappings in the product details?.
Clean up products with deleted Shopify mappings
If a product is deleted only in Shopify, it initially remains in Pickware. To find all affected products, open Products → Overview, click the filter icon, and enable Only show products with mappings to deleted Shopify products.
The filter shows products and variants for which all original links to a Shopify shop have been deleted. Products that still exist in at least one active or inactive Shopify shop are not listed here.
How to delete these products and what applies when there are a very large number of products is described in How do I delete products in Pickware?.