An automotive parts seller created multiple product listings for the same part (each targeting different car models in the title to boost conversions) but assigned them identical SKUs, expecting Shopify to automatically sync inventory across listings. This doesn’t work natively — Shopify tracks inventory per variant, not per SKU, so duplicate SKUs trigger warnings and inventory remains separate.
Proposed solutions:
Third-party apps that sync inventory by SKU:
Material Manager: Links variants to shared “raw material” inventory pools
Easify Inventory Sync: Scans for duplicate SKUs, creates inventory groups, and auto-updates stock
Variants Shared Inventory: Links products/variants by SKU for automatic syncing
SKU Stock Sync: Auto-detects duplicate SKUs, syncs per location, includes audit logs (developer offered 60-day trial)
Manual workarounds: Bulk editor or CSV import/export to update quantities across listings (labor-intensive, not real-time)
The discussion remains open with multiple app recommendations but no confirmed solution implemented by the original poster.
Summarized with AI on October 26.
AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
So I run an automotive website, I have a part that fits a couple dozen cars. The issue is, if I make one listing showing everything it fits, it doesn’t sell as well. So I have it broken down into multiple listings so the listing title can state it fits a certain car. Leading to more sales as they see in the title it fits their car.
They all share the same SKU on the back end, but if I put product A has 100 units in stock, it doesn’t transfer over to all the other listings with the same SKU. Is there a way to have inventory tracked by SKU and not product?
Example:
Product 1: Item for cars XYZ
SKU: ITEM1
Product 2: Item for cars ZBC
SKU: ITEM1
I’d like them to share the same inventory, as it’s the same product.
Material Manager is able to do this. It allows you to enter an inventory of raw materials and then link them to different variants. When a linked variant is sold it draws down the raw material inventory and then updates the inventory of all other linked variants.
You would enter a raw material for each car part, then link each variant that requires it to it. To speed things up there is also a copy feature. So could just link one of your products to it then in the copy section of the app set that product as the source and select all the target products you want to copy it to.
Easify Inventory Sync makes managing your inventory effortless. With the app’s Inventory Group feature, you can scan your entire store for products sharing the same SKUs and automatically create Inventory Groups and set a shared inventory for these groups with bulk editing or via CSV file. When a product in a group is purchased, the inventory across all related products updates automatically, keeping your stock levels accurate and up-to-date .
Shopify tracks inventory by SKU automatically. If the same SKU is used for different products, Shopify should adjust the inventory for all listings associated with that SKU. However, it seems like your listings are not behaving this way, possibly due to how the product variants are set up or the way the inventory is being managed in the backend.
Here’s what you can check:
Go to your Shopify Admin and check the Inventory section under each product.
Ensure that all products using the same SKU are linked to the same inventory (i.e., they share the same SKU and are not treated as separate items).
If you’re using variants (like different car models), ensure the inventory tracking for each variant is set correctly.
yea that doesn’t work for me. I just tested it by creating a new test product, and giving it a SKU and inventory. Then I cloned that product, and gave it the same sku. Shopify tells me that the sku is already in use. I then update the inventory of one of the products and refresh the page of the other afterwards and the inventory doesn’t change.
The products are set the to the same location, and as they’re clones of each other the only difference in the product pages was the title.
You can also use a Bulk Editor to sync inventory. If your products are listed with the same SKU but show separate inventory counts, use Shopify’s bulk editor to adjust the inventory for all listings at once. You can also export your product list as a CSV, update the inventory quantities for the same SKU in bulk, and then import the CSV back into Shopify.
Thanks for explaining your setup. This is a common situation for merchants selling universal parts across multiple listings.
To solve this, you’ll want an inventory sync app that supports shared inventory across variants or products with the same SKU. One great solution I’d recommend is a Shopify variants shared inventory app.
This app lets you link multiple products or variants by SKU, so when one sells, it automatically updates the inventory across all listings that share that SKU. Perfect for your use case where one part fits multiple cars but is sold through separate listings.
Short answer: Shopify tracks inventory per variant, not per SKU, so duplicate products won’t share stock natively. You’ve got two routes:
build/maintain a script against the Inventory Levels API, or
use an app that syncs quantities across products with the same SKU.
For your example (ITEM1 on Product 1 & 2), you want a SKU-based pool so any change on one listing updates the others (and per-location if you use multiple locations).
If you prefer an app: I built SKU Stock Sync specifically for this use-case.
Uses your existing SKUs, no mapping or grouping.
Per-location syncing.
Safe schedule plus a “Sync now” button for immediate updates.
Before/after logs, warnings, and errors so you can audit what changed.
How it works (30 seconds):
Install → the app auto-detects duplicate SKUs.
The scheduler starts syncing automatically, no configuration needed.
If you need something sooner, use “Sync now” on queued items to pull them forward.
Full disclosure: I’m the developer. If you want to try it, here’s the listing:
Happy to comp your plan for 60 days, DM me your store URL and I’ll set it up.
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