Overview
ShipBlink's Bundle SKU Translation feature allows you to map products that are sold under different names or SKUs on your storefront to their underlying inventory SKUs. This is particularly useful when:
- Multiple products share the same physical inventory
- You sell individual items that are actually fulfilled from bundle packs
- Different product listings represent the same physical item
- You need to translate retail SKUs to warehouse/inventory SKUs
How It Works
When an order comes in, ShipBlink reads the bundle_child_skus metafield from your Shopify product variants or products. This metafield tells ShipBlink which actual inventory items (and quantities) should be used for fulfillment, even if the customer ordered a different SKU. Do note that ShipBlink only reads Child SKU information, and cannot modify it's inventory - the inventory management, if enabled happens against the original ordered SKU.
Example Use Case:
- Customer orders: "Premium Gift Box" (SKU: GIFTBOX-001)
- Actual fulfillment: 2x "Plush Toy" (SKU: TOY-001) + 1x "Greeting Card" (SKU: CARD-001)
- ShipBlink automatically translates the order to ship the correct inventory items
Setting Up Bundle SKU Translation
Step 1: Set the Shopify Resource for ShipBlink to read Metafields from (Product-level or Variant-level)
- Log in to your ShipBlink account
- Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Shopify Integration Settings
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Option A: If you want to set Bundle Child SKUs on Product-level, use the link "Edit Product Metafields"(in screenshot)
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Option B: If you want to set Bundle Child SKUs on Product Variant-level, use the link "Edit Variant Metafields"(in screenshot)
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Option A: If you want to set Bundle Child SKUs on Product-level, use the link "Edit Product Metafields"(in screenshot)
- After following 2.1 or 2.2 based on your preference, a Bulk Editor would open like this:
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Enter your bundle composition using this format:
CHILD-SKU-1||QUANTITY-1,CHILD-SKU-2||QUANTITY-2
Examples based on use-cases
-
Bundle Packs (One sold SKU converts into multiple Child SKUs with varied quantities.
TOY-001||2,CARD-001||1,BOX-001||1
This means the bundle consists of:
- 2 units of TOY-001
- 1 unit of CARD-001
- 1 unit of BOX-001
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SKU Translation (a SKU sold isn't the same as the SKU in inventory)
TOY-008||1
This means the bundle consists of:
- 1 unit of TOY-001
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Any unfulfilled orders that were updated or created after the SKU translation was defined would start following this SKU translation pattern.
Step 2: (Optional) Managing Bundle Child SKUs at scale
This is step is relevant to you if you have tens or hundreds of SKUs that need to unbundled.
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Option A: Manage Bundle Child SKU within the Shopify Admin Product catalog
Shopify allows you to access metafields via the Shopify Admin, as if these were native Shopify Admin fields. Below is a walkthrough about how to setup Shopify to access Metafields directly from your Admin Product/Variant catalog
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Option B: Bulk Upload via CSV
For updating multiple products at once, we recommend using a third-party app from the Shopify App Store. Here's an example CSV format:sku,bundle_child_skus GIFTBOX-001,"TOY-001||2,CARD-001||1" GIFTBOX-002,"TOY-002||1,CARD-001||2,BOX-001||1" STARTER-KIT,"ITEM-A||3,ITEM-B||1"
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Option C: Use a script to update Shopify Products or Variants with Bundle Child SKU metafields.
For merchants with many products requiring bundle translation, you can use Shopify's API to bulk upload metafields. The metafield configuration should be:
{ 'namespace': 'global', 'key': 'bundle_child_skus', 'type': 'single_line_text_field', 'value': 'SKU1||QTY1,SKU2||QTY2' }Note: API scripts require Shopify app development knowledge. Contact ShipBlink support if you need assistance with bulk uploads.
Bundle SKU Format
The bundle_child_skus metafield uses a specific format to define bundle composition:
SKU1||QUANTITY1,SKU2||QUANTITY2,SKU3||QUANTITY3
Format Rules:
- Use
||(double pipe) to separate SKU from quantity - Use
,(comma) to separate different child items - SKUs must match exactly with your inventory SKUs in ShipBlink
- Quantities must be whole numbers (integers)
- No spaces unless the SKU itself contains spaces
Valid Examples:
Simple bundle: WIDGET-A||1 Multiple items: WIDGET-A||2,WIDGET-B||1 Complex bundle: ITEM-001||3,ITEM-002||2,ITEM-003||1,ITEM-004||5
Common Use Cases
1. Inventory Consolidation
Scenario: You sell items individually and in packs, but only stock the packs.
Product: Single Widget (WIDGET-SINGLE) Bundle Translation: WIDGET-INDIV||1 (where WIDGET-INDIV is your actual loose inventory)
2. Gift Sets and Bundles
Scenario: Pre-configured gift sets that pull from individual inventory.
Product: Holiday Gift Set (HOLIDAY-SET-2024) Bundle Translation: MUG-001||1,COASTER-SET||1,GIFT-CARD||1
3. Retail vs. Warehouse SKU Translation
Scenario: Customer-facing SKUs differ from warehouse SKUs.
Product: Premium Leather Wallet - Black (PLW-BLK-RETAIL) Bundle Translation: WH-WALLET-001-BLK||1
4. Multi-Pack Translation
Scenario: Selling a 6-pack that's actually fulfilled from individual units.
Product: Energy Drink 6-Pack (ENERGY-6PK) Bundle Translation: ENERGY-SINGLE||6
Testing Your Configuration
After setup, test the bundle translation:
- Create a test order in Shopify with a product that has bundle translation configured
- Sync the order to ShipBlink
- Open the order in ShipBlink and verify:
- The order items show the translated child SKUs
- Quantities are correct
- Dimensions and weights are calculated based on child items
Troubleshooting
Bundle Translation Not Working
Check:
- Metafield namespace/key is exactly
global.bundle_child_skus - Bundle SKU Translation is enabled in ShipBlink settings
- Format uses
||(double pipe) and,(comma) correctly - Child SKUs exist in your ShipBlink inventory
- No extra spaces in the metafield value
Incorrect Quantities
Verify:
- Quantity values are integers, >0 (natural numbers)
- Format is
SKU||QUANTITY(notQUANTITY||SKU) - No decimal points
Orders Not Syncing
Ensure:
- Shopify integration is active and connected
- Product variants have the metafield populated
- Child SKUs match your ShipBlink product database exactly (case-sensitive)
Best Practices
- Consistent Naming: Use a clear SKU naming convention for both parent and child SKUs
- Documentation: Keep a spreadsheet mapping retail SKUs to inventory SKUs
- Regular Audits: Periodically verify bundle translations are current
- Test Before Launch: Always test with sample orders before going live
- Inventory Sync: Ensure child SKUs are properly set up in Shopify
Need Help?
- Email Support: support@shipblink.com
- Live Chat: Available in your ShipBlink dashboard
- Documentation: https://help.shipblink.com
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