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What If I Use the Same SKU in Multiple Etsy Listings? Will ProfitTree Track It?

This article explains how ProfitTree tracks products when the same SKU appears across multiple Etsy listings and how SKU grouping affects your sales, COGS, and profit reporting.

Updated this week

What If I Use the Same SKU in Multiple Etsy Listings? Will ProfitTree Track It?

Yes — ProfitTree will automatically track and combine all Etsy listings that share the exact same SKU.

This is the intended behavior and one of the major advantages of using a consistent SKU system.

How ProfitTree Handles One SKU Across Multiple Listings

ProfitTree follows a simple rule:

If two listings share a SKU, they represent the same product.

This means:

  • Sales are grouped together

  • COGS is applied consistently

  • Profit is calculated for the product as a whole

  • Listings appear as one row in Product Reports

This behavior comes directly from Etsy’s API + ProfitTree’s SKU grouping logic.

Why Using One SKU Across Listings Is Helpful

If you sell the same item in multiple Etsy listings (e.g., SEO variations, bundles, seasonal titles), using one SKU:

  • consolidates reporting

  • prevents duplicate products in your dashboard

  • makes COGS management easier

  • keeps your profit numbers accurate

  • avoids variant-level clutter

ProfitTree always groups by SKU when Etsy provides that SKU.

Important: COGS Must Match for All Listings Using the Same SKU

If multiple listings share the same SKU, they must share the same COGS value.

Otherwise:

You will trigger a Multiple COGS Error, because ProfitTree cannot assign two different costs to what is supposed to be one product.

How to fix:

  1. Go to COGS Management

  2. Open the SKU

  3. Click Fix Now

  4. Enter the correct COGS

  5. ProfitTree applies it to all listings using that SKU

When Grouping Will Not Work

ProfitTree cannot group listings when:

1. No SKU exists

Listings without SKUs appear separately.

2. SKUs do not match exactly

Example:

SKU “MUG-BLK-11” ≠ “MUG-BLACK-11oz”

3. Variants have missing or inconsistent SKUs

Variant-level SKUs must also match for grouping to occur.

4. COGS mismatch is detected

This triggers the “Multiple COGS” error until corrected.

Summary

Using the same SKU across multiple Etsy listings is recommended and ensures:

  • grouped reporting

  • accurate COGS matching

  • consolidated sales metrics

  • clean Product Reports

  • error-free ProfitTree tracking

As long as the SKU is consistent and COGS matches, ProfitTree will track everything correctly.

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