Fix: a product with this Id or code does not exist
Lesson 22 of 24 7 min read
The most common error after go-live means a product code on a Document couldn't be matched. Learn the causes, the two ways to fix it, and how to stop it happening.
This is the error you are most likely to meet. It looks alarming, but it nearly always comes down to one code that two systems spell differently. By the end of this lesson you will be able to trace it and fix it the right way.
The error
A product with Id '00000000' or code 'ABC' does not exist.
When Supply Lens processes an order or other Document, it matches each product line against your
ERP or inventory system's item master using the product SKU. If a SKU can't be matched, Supply Lens
stops the Document and raises this error rather than creating a partial or incorrect record. The
code in the message (ABC here) is the one that couldn't be found.
The usual causes
| Cause | Example |
|---|---|
| The product genuinely isn't in the item master | A new product live on Shopify but not yet set up in Unleashed |
| Letter case differs | widget-blue-l in the shop, WIDGET-BLUE-L in the ERP |
| A leading zero is missing | 1234 versus 01234 |
| Separators differ | CHAIR_OAK versus CHAIR-OAK |
| A bundle SKU isn't in the item master | BUNDLE-A exists in the shop only |
| A partner uses its own code | A wholesaler's catalogue number with no cross-reference |
Fix it
- Open the stopped Document (for example from Sales → Orders) and check the Logs to find the unrecognised SKU.
- Check whether that SKU exists in your ERP or inventory system's item master.
- It doesn't exist: add it, making sure the format matches exactly what the source system sends.
- It exists, but the format differs (the source sends
WIDGET-001, the item master storesWidget001): either correct the source, or add a cross-reference in Supply Lens to translate between the two.
- Once the SKU is resolved, reprocess the Document from its screen.
Correct the source, or cross-reference?
| Choose | When |
|---|---|
| Standardise the SKU in one or both systems | It's your own data in your own systems. This is the cleanest long-term fix. |
| Add a cross-reference in Supply Lens | You can't change the other side, for example a retailer's or marketplace's codes, or you don't want to touch live product data. |
For partner codes, the cross-reference is usually an identifier on the Product, such as a Buyer Product Code scoped to that partner, as you set up in the Products module. If you're not sure which route to take, talk to Support before changing live product data.
The weekend's missing product
Priya's third failed order has the error with code HT-GUAT-250. She checks Unleashed: the new
Guatemala single origin is there as HT-GUA-250. Greenleaf took the code from an old price list.
Priya can't change Greenleaf's order, and the typo is now in Greenleaf's own catalogue, so she adds
HT-GUAT-250 as a Buyer Product Code on the Guatemala Product, scoped to Greenleaf, reprocesses the
order and emails Greenleaf the correct code for their next catalogue update.
Many Documents, one code
If the same unrecognised SKU appears across many Documents, resolve it in your item master or master data first, then reprocess all the affected Documents in one go.
Preventing it
SKU mismatches are far easier to prevent than to fix after go-live. Before you switch on an Integration, compare the SKU lists of the systems involved and resolve every difference. The Connecting your systems course covers this as part of its go-live checklist.
Recap
- The error means a product code on a Document couldn't be matched to your item master.
- Most causes are formatting: case, leading zeros, separators, bundles, or partner codes.
- Find the code in the Logs, fix it in the item master or add a cross-reference, then reprocess.
- Standardise your own SKUs where you can; cross-reference codes you can't change.
- Align SKUs before go-live to avoid the error altogether.
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