Duplicate Names Now Supported Across Separate Products

In our ongoing commitment to evolving the platform to meet the needs of our merchants, we are excited to announce that, starting February 12, 2026, product names are no longer required to be unique. When creating or editing products, you can now use the same name across multiple products.

Key highlights

• Multiple products can have the same name, starting February 12, 2026.

• Internal product IDs remain the primary unique identifier.

• No changes to existing products are needed.

• Other product identifiers, such as SKUs are still available to assist in distinguishing between products.

What is changing?

Previously, product names were unique identifiers, meaning multiple products could not share the same name. While most catalogs will utilize distinct product names, we recognize that there are instances where using the same name across multiple products is desirable. 

Businesses that offer products which are functionally the same but differ in unique characteristics can now use identical product names. With consistent naming across similar items, shoppers can more easily find the exact products they are looking for. For instance, some collectible baseball cards might have identical names, but are considered different products based on variations in print, condition, or other characteristics.

How do duplicate product names work?

Product IDs, which are assigned during creation, will remain the unique internal identifiers for keeping products separate. These can be found by viewing the URL bar while editing a product in the control panel or by exporting your catalog to a CSV file.

This feature is available to all BigCommerce merchants with no additional setup required. Existing catalogs continue to work as-is, and you can start using duplicate product names immediately.

To help distinguish between different product versions that share the same name, you can also use other product identifiers, such as SKUs. Many shoppers also use SKUs as a reference point when researching products or contacting customer support.

Built for real-world commerce

This change makes it significantly easier to:

• migrate from other ecommerce platforms, where product names don’t need to be unique.

• integrate with PIMs and third-party systems that rely on SKUs or other identifiers instead of product names.

• sell across multiple channels, where the same product may be presented differently depending on the storefront or marketplace.

• improve analytics and reporting, especially for merchants managing large or complex catalogs.

The final word 

Supporting duplicate product names has been a highly requested feature by our Community. This update gives you more control over how you structure, merchandise, and scale your catalogs, without compromising performance or integrations.

We are pleased to provide this newest catalog enhancement that contributes to the success of our merchants.