1. Capture a read-only snapshot
- Export Shopify products from Products → Export. Shopify describes the export formats and warns that spreadsheet sorting can disassociate variants or image URLs. Keep the source export unchanged; do not re-import an edited export as part of this check.
- In QuickBooks Online, run the Product/Service List report and export it as CSV or Excel. Use only the product/service list for this review.
- Save dated, untouched copies before making connector or catalog changes.
2. Compare identifiers carefully
- Keep SKU columns as text so leading zeroes and other characters are preserved.
- Count blank and repeated SKUs in each system. A duplicate is ambiguous even when product names look similar.
- Compare exact SKUs first. Treat case or whitespace normalization as a comparison aid only; do not silently rewrite source values.
- Review blank-SKU and name-only candidates manually. Matching names do not prove two records are the same sellable item.
3. Separate cases that need a person
- Review variants, bundles, parent/child items, services, and inventory-tracked items separately.
- Confirm how the connector handles item types, inactive items, and duplicate identifiers with the integration owner or bookkeeper.
- Keep tax codes, prices, quantity on hand, and accounting treatment outside an SKU-only comparison. This checklist does not validate them.
4. Approve changes in a controlled way
- Review the proposed mapping with the person responsible for the integration and books.
- Make corrections in a copy or approved test process first, then re-export and compare again.
- Do not bulk-change catalog records or enable a live sync solely because a name or SKU appears to match.
Data boundary
Use product-catalog exports only. Do not include customers, orders, invoices, payments, or other personal or financial records in an SKU comparison utility.
Official export references
Prepared for the free Shopify + QuickBooks Catalog Checker evaluation pilot. Product fit and future pricing are not validated; no customer, order, or revenue is claimed.
Why check SKUs before changing a Shopify–QuickBooks sync? →