Product & Catalog Fundamentals
Follow this step-by-step sequence to master the domain concepts in order.
Product
A product represents a distinct item or service that a merchant offers for sale in an ecommerce store.
Read Step 1 →Variant
A variant is a specific sellable configuration of a product defined by a combination of options such as size, color, or material.
Read Step 2 →Product vs Variant
Understand the core structural difference between high-level product containers and specific sellable option configurations.
Read Step 3 →Shopify Product Architecture
How Shopify models products, variants, options, and selling plans in GraphQL APIs, Liquid themes, and Admin.
Read Step 4 →SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
A SKU is a unique alphanumeric identifier assigned internally by a merchant to track a specific product variant and its inventory.
Read Step 5 →Barcode (UPC / EAN / GTIN)
A barcode is a standardized, machine-readable numerical code assigned globally to identify commercial items across supply chains and retailers.
Read Step 6 →SKU vs Barcode
Understand the fundamental differences between internal merchant SKUs and globally standardized barcodes (UPC / EAN / GTIN).
Read Step 7 →Inventory
Inventory is the physical or digital quantity of sellable product variants available at specified fulfillment locations.
Read Step 8 →Catalog
A catalog is the master repository of all products, variants, collections, categories, and media offered by an ecommerce merchant.
Read Step 9 →Catalog vs Inventory
Understand the fundamental difference between marketing catalog definitions and physical inventory stock tracking.
Read Step 10 →Shopify Inventory Architecture
How Shopify models multi-location inventory across InventoryItem, InventoryLevel, and Location entities in GraphQL APIs.
Read Step 11 →Shopify Variant Architecture
How Shopify handles ProductVariant GraphQL nodes, pricing, options, inventory items, and media associations.
Read Step 12 →