What is a SKU?
A SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) represents a specific variant of a product. For example, for a t-shirt, each size/color combination is a distinct SKU.
Identifier format: sku_ followed by 36 alphanumeric characters.Example: sku_abc123def456ghi789jkl012mno345
Product → SKU Relationship
Product "Premium T-shirt"
├── SKU "T-shirt S White" (TSHIRT-S-WHITE)
├── SKU "T-shirt M White" (TSHIRT-M-WHITE)
├── SKU "T-shirt L White" (TSHIRT-L-WHITE)
├── SKU "T-shirt S Black" (TSHIRT-S-BLACK)
├── SKU "T-shirt M Black" (TSHIRT-M-BLACK)
└── SKU "T-shirt L Black" (TSHIRT-L-BLACK)
A product can have multiple SKUs, and each SKU can have multiple prices (different currencies, monthly/yearly subscriptions, etc.).
SKU Attributes
Main Attributes
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|
id | string | Unique SKU identifier |
productId | string | Reference to parent product |
skuCode | string | Unique SKU code (e.g., “TSHIRT-S-WHITE”) |
name | string | Variant name |
attributes | object | Variant attributes (size, color, etc.) |
Inventory Management
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|
stockTracking | boolean | Stock management enabled |
stockQuantity | number | null | Stock quantity (null if not tracked) |
Create a SKU
Simple SKU
curl -X POST https://api.yabetoo.com/v1/products/prod_abc123/skus \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"skuCode": "TSHIRT-M-WHITE",
"name": "T-shirt M White",
"attributes": {
"size": "M",
"color": "white"
},
"stockTracking": true,
"stockQuantity": 100
}'
SKU without Stock Management
For digital products or services, disable stock tracking:
curl -X POST https://api.yabetoo.com/v1/products/prod_abc123/skus \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"skuCode": "COURSE-PRO",
"name": "Pro Course",
"attributes": {
"access": "lifetime"
},
"stockTracking": false
}'
API Response
{
"id": "sku_xyz789abc123def456",
"object": "sku",
"productId": "prod_abc123def456ghi789",
"skuCode": "TSHIRT-M-WHITE",
"name": "T-shirt M White",
"attributes": {
"size": "M",
"color": "white"
},
"stockTracking": true,
"stockQuantity": 100,
"createdAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
"updatedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
}
Inventory Management
When stockTracking is enabled, the system automatically manages stock:
- Pre-purchase verification: Availability is checked before validating an order
- Automatic update: Stock is decremented upon purchase
- Automatic restoration: On cancellation or payment failure, stock is restored
For digital products or services, disable stockTracking to allow unlimited sales.
Custom Attributes
The attributes field is a flexible JSON object that can contain any combination of attributes:
Clothing
Electronics
Subscription
{
"size": "L",
"color": "blue",
"material": "cotton"
}
{
"storage": "256GB",
"color": "space-gray",
"warranty": "2-years"
}
{
"plan": "pro",
"seats": 10,
"features": ["api", "support", "analytics"]
}
SKU Code
The skuCode is a unique, human-readable identifier for internal management:
Recommended naming conventions
| Pattern | Example | Description |
|---|
PRODUCT-SIZE-COLOR | TSHIRT-M-WHITE | Standard for clothing |
PRODUCT-OPTION1-OPTION2 | PHONE-256GB-BLACK | Electronics |
CATEGORY-REF | BOOK-978123456 | Books with ISBN |
SERVICE-PLAN | SAAS-PRO-MONTHLY | Services/subscriptions |
- Use alphanumeric characters and hyphens only
- Keep codes short but descriptive
- Avoid spaces and special characters
- Be consistent in your naming convention
Common Operations
List SKUs for a product
curl https://api.yabetoo.com/v1/products/prod_abc123/skus \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..."
Update a SKU
curl -X PATCH https://api.yabetoo.com/v1/skus/sku_xyz789 \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"stockQuantity": 150,
"name": "T-shirt M White - Limited Edition"
}'
Update stock
curl -X PATCH https://api.yabetoo.com/v1/skus/sku_xyz789/stock \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"stockQuantity": 200
}'
SKU → Price Relationship
Each SKU can have multiple prices for different pricing strategies:
SKU "Pro Course"
├── Price €99 (one-time payment)
├── Price €19/month (monthly subscription)
├── Price €199/year (yearly subscription)
└── Price 65,000 XOF (one-time payment Africa)
Complete Examples
E-commerce clothing
SaaS
Online course
{
"product": {
"name": "Slim Jeans",
"type": "physical",
"hasSkus": true
},
"skus": [
{
"skuCode": "JEANS-SLIM-28-BLUE",
"name": "Slim Jeans 28 Blue",
"attributes": { "waist": "28", "color": "blue" },
"stockTracking": true,
"stockQuantity": 25
},
{
"skuCode": "JEANS-SLIM-30-BLUE",
"name": "Slim Jeans 30 Blue",
"attributes": { "waist": "30", "color": "blue" },
"stockTracking": true,
"stockQuantity": 40
},
{
"skuCode": "JEANS-SLIM-32-BLACK",
"name": "Slim Jeans 32 Black",
"attributes": { "waist": "32", "color": "black" },
"stockTracking": true,
"stockQuantity": 15
}
]
}
{
"product": {
"name": "Cloud App",
"type": "service",
"subscriptionEligible": true,
"hasSkus": true
},
"skus": [
{
"skuCode": "CLOUD-STARTER",
"name": "Starter Plan",
"attributes": {
"storage": "10GB",
"users": 3,
"support": "email"
},
"stockTracking": false
},
{
"skuCode": "CLOUD-PRO",
"name": "Pro Plan",
"attributes": {
"storage": "100GB",
"users": 10,
"support": "priority"
},
"stockTracking": false
},
{
"skuCode": "CLOUD-ENTERPRISE",
"name": "Enterprise Plan",
"attributes": {
"storage": "unlimited",
"users": "unlimited",
"support": "dedicated"
},
"stockTracking": false
}
]
}
{
"product": {
"name": "Digital Marketing Masterclass",
"type": "digital",
"hasSkus": true
},
"skus": [
{
"skuCode": "MASTERCLASS-BASIC",
"name": "Basic Access",
"attributes": {
"access": "6-months",
"bonus": false
},
"stockTracking": false
},
{
"skuCode": "MASTERCLASS-PREMIUM",
"name": "Premium Access",
"attributes": {
"access": "lifetime",
"bonus": true,
"coaching": "2-sessions"
},
"stockTracking": false
}
]
}
Next Steps
Configure prices
Define pricing for each SKU
Create promotions
Apply discounts to your SKUs
