Set up your SKU prefix

Set the short code every SKU is built from, in Settings on the SKU tab. It is a one-time, admin-only step and a prerequisite for adding parts.

Your SKU prefix in one minute

Your SKU prefix is the short code at the front of every SKU GridX Connect creates for you — the BAP in BAP-00001. You choose it once, and from then on each new part is given the next number in the sequence automatically. You never type a SKU yourself.

Setting a prefix is a hard prerequisite for adding parts. Until a prefix is saved, GridX Connect has nothing to build a SKU from, so the Process SKU button on the Add Part page will not run. Set the prefix first, and everything downstream — adding parts, publishing — works normally.

The one decision to get right is that the prefix cannot be changed once you have started generating SKUs. Choose something short and recognisable that you are content to see on every listing.

> [!NOTE] > The SKU prefix lives in Settings, on the SKU tab. It is a company-admin setting — staff members do not see the SKU tab at all.

Before you start

  • You are signed in as a company admin. The SKU tab appears only for admins; staff see Profile, Preferences and Billing only.
  • You have decided on a prefix of 2 to 5 characters, using only uppercase letters (A–Z) and numbers (0–9).

Steps

  1. Open Settings and select the SKU tab. You will see the Configure SKU Prefix card.
  2. Choose a prefix. Either pick one of the Suggested Prefixes, or type your own in the field labelled Or enter a custom prefix (2-5 characters). The box accepts only uppercase letters and numbers, up to five characters, and forces them to uppercase as you type.
  3. Check the preview. The box labelled Your SKUs will look like: shows your prefix followed by -00001 (for example, BAP-00001). Before you type anything it reads PREFIX-00001.
  4. In the bar that appears at the bottom, click Save SKU Prefix. It reads Saving… while it works. (Clear discards your choice if you change your mind.)
  5. When you see SKU prefix configured successfully!, the prefix is set. The card changes to SKU Prefix (Locked) with a Locked badge, and every part you add from then on uses it.

If you are still setting your account up, GridX Connect may prompt you with a Configure SKU Prefix window during onboarding, offering suggestions Based on your company name:. You can save your prefix there, or choose Skip for now and set it later in Settings. The rules are the same either way.

What your SKU looks like

Every SKU has the same three parts:

| Part | Example | Who sets it | |---|---|---| | Prefix | BAP | You (2–5 characters, A–Z and 0–9) | | Separator | - | GridX Connect | | Number | 00001 | GridX Connect, counting up with each part |

Once the prefix is saved, the card shows it in full along with a Sample: line using your first real SKU, so you can see exactly how your codes will read.

Why the prefix is required first

Process SKU on the Add Part page builds each SKU from your prefix. With no prefix on file there is nothing to build from, so adding a part is blocked. If you open Add Part before setting a prefix and click Process SKU, GridX Connect stops you with Please configure your SKU prefix in Settings before processing SKUs. Set the prefix, return to Add Part, and Process SKU runs as normal.

The prefix is shared by every product on your account, which is what keeps your SKUs consistent. As the locked card puts it: SKU prefix is locked to maintain consistency across your inventory. All products will use this prefix.

Choosing a prefix you can live with

Because it cannot be changed later, pick a prefix you will still recognise months from now — many sellers use an abbreviation of their business name, such as BAP, AUTO or GULF. The setup card warns you of this before you save, under the heading Important: Cannot be changed later with the note Once you start generating SKUs, this prefix cannot be modified.

> [!WARNING] > Once you start generating SKUs the prefix locks, and there is no control to edit it afterwards. Decide carefully before you click Save SKU Prefix.

If something goes wrong

| On-screen text | Why it appears | What to do | |---|---|---| | Please select or enter a SKU prefix | You clicked Save SKU Prefix without choosing one. | Pick a suggestion or type a custom prefix, then save. | | SKU prefix must be at least 2 characters | Your prefix is only one character. | Enter 2 to 5 characters. | | Only uppercase letters (A-Z) and numbers (0-9) allowed | You tried to enter a space or symbol. | Use only A–Z and 0–9. The box already forces uppercase. | | Please configure your SKU prefix in Settings before processing SKUs. | You tried Process SKU on Add Part with no prefix set. | Open Settings › SKU, save a prefix, then return to Add Part. | | Failed to save SKU prefix | The save did not reach GridX Connect. | Check your connection and click Save SKU Prefix again. | | You cannot see the SKU tab | You are signed in as staff, not a company admin. | Ask a company admin to set the prefix for your account. |