Can product IDs have a letter? How to distinguish same product with slight difference?

[alwayspaws]

I have products that are almost the same but a slight difference. The slightly different ones only come in certain sizes, unlike the rest of the product. I want to keep the designs together.

For example, one dog dress product ID is 100. It comes in 13 colors and 7 sizes. In addition, it comes with a different colored hem (5 different styles) that only come in 4 sizes. Black dress with red hem instead of all black, for instance, is one example. See screenshot, please.

How to keep them together on the same page? If the regular colors are item #100, will it work if I use #item 100A or 100-A?

What can I use please? I have dozens of these dog dresses like this. The screenshot is an example from my test site. Note: The images won't be in that order on the live site. Size charts, American flag and measuring dogs will be at the end of the dress images.

Thank you! Stephanie!

[roband7]

If you have two product attributes, color and size.

Then you only need to have one product, what you call product ID 100.

Then under product ID 100 you: Upload all the images for all colors Register combinations for the color/size pairs you need. Assign the relevant colored images to each combination.

[Havouza]

And then give each combination a unique ref nr so you can easy see which one the customer want

[roband7]

@Havouza said in Can product IDs have a letter? How to distinguish same product with slight difference?:

And then give each combination a unique ref nr so you can easy see which one the customer want

Yup, the reference code is what you and the customer would use when referring to a specific size/color combination under a product, it´s the SKU.

The numeric product id is just a technicality of little interest, with friendly URLs nobody cares about it.

[alwayspaws]

@roband7 and @Havouza - it seems from what you're both saying that maybe I did it correctly the first time and don't need to change anything.

This is what I did, showing one dress with two colors and the same dress with the different colored hem:

246 246 246-36 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color SM,red 246 246 246-37 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color MD,red 246 246 246-38 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color LG,red 246 246 246-39 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color XL,red 246 246 246-40 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color 2XL,red 246 246 246-41 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color 3XL,red 246 246 246-42 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color 4X,red 246 246 246-43 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color SM,white 246 246 246-44 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color MD,white 246 246 246-45 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color LG,white 246 246 246-46 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color XL,white 246 246 246-47 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color 2XL,white 246 246 246-48 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color 3XL,white 246 246 246-49 Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme size,color 4X,white 256 256 256-50 Dog Dress with Ruffled Hem Summer Beach Ocean in Black With Bright Pink size,color SM,BlackBrightPink 256 256 256-51 Dog Dress with Ruffled Hem Summer Beach Ocean in Black With Bright Pink size,color MD,BlackBrightPink 256 256 256-52 Dog Dress with Ruffled Hem Summer Beach Ocean in Black With Bright Pink size,color LG,BlackBrightPink 256 256 256-53 Dog Dress with Ruffled Hem Summer Beach Ocean in Black With Bright Pink size,color XL,BlackBrightPink 256 256 256-54 Dog Dress with Ruffled Hem Summer Beach Ocean in Black With Bright Pink size,color 2XL,BlackBrightPink

Does it look like it's right? Or am I missing something?

[roband7]

Looks fine!

Only thing I would consider is the reference codes. While technically they can be anything, in real life it´s better to use something like the SKU from your supplier, or something that helps you and your customer identify the product. In a brick-and-mortar shop this wold be the code you printed on the price labels.

[alwayspaws]

@roband7 - the thing is I don't want to use SKU's. What else can I use for reference codes, please? Here is what a product looks like on my live site:

https://www.alwayspaws.com/dog-clothes/dog-dresses/studded-biker-motorcycle-outline-dog-dress

and this is what it looks like when they add to cart:

Studded Biker Motorcycle Outline Dog Dress SKU : 175-1 size : teacup, color : black, studs : blue

and here is for another choice:

Studded Biker Motorcycle Outline Dog Dress SKU : 175-33 size : SM, color : hot pink, studs : pink

So, apparently, I have a unique SKU. Right?

[roband7]

If you don´t want to use SKUs then the example CSV you listed above is fine.

[alwayspaws]

Thank you @roband7 I updated my reply! Also I have another question about this. Do I have to have a unique name for every single instance of each color and size of the same product?

[roband7]

@alwayspaws said in Can product IDs have a letter? How to distinguish same product with slight difference?:

Thank you @roband7 I updated my reply! Also I have another question about this. Do I have to have a unique name for every single instance of each color and size of the same product?

I´m not sure I understand what you mean by name above?

If you mean the SKU, yes they should be unique.

If you mean something else then pls explain.

[alwayspaws]

In my example, I do have unique SKU's. SKU : 175-1 and SKU : 175-33 along with each option selected, so I'm set there.

About the product names themselves: is it okay to have the name "Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme" for each instance of this particular product?

[roband7]

@alwayspaws said in Can product IDs have a letter? How to distinguish same product with slight difference?:

In my example, I do have unique SKU's. SKU : 175-1 and SKU : 175-33 along with each option selected, so I'm set there.

About the product names themselves: is it okay to have the name "Summer Dog Dress Ruffled Hem Beach Ocean Sea Theme" for each instance of this particular product?

Ah, absolutely, they have to be the same, a product ID can only have one name.

[alwayspaws]

I'm so relieved! Thank you, Robert!