SKU IQ will create a linking relationship when the product structures are the same on both platforms.
To use SKU IQ, it’s important that your inventory be same-for-same. That means that if you have a product with variants on one side, you’ll need to have that item structured the exact same way on the other side for linking to be possible.**
For example, in the image below, the Gold Braided Frame is a parent product on the eCommerce, with three shape variants (square, rectangle, round). On the other side, on the Point of Sale platform, they are set up as individual items. Even though these items may have the same SKU numbers, they will be unmatchable due to the structure of the product.
The best way to resolve inventory format differences is to delete or archive the item(s) that are not structured properly. You can either do this on your Point of Sale or on your eCommerce platform. If you have the item in separate products on your eCommerce platform, we recommend archiving or deleting those products from your eCommerce platform rather than on the Point of Sale. This is entirely dependent on how you want your products to look on your website. If you would prefer the items to be listed individually on the website, delete or archive the items on the eCommerce and re-add the products as individual items. Once done you can rerun the link report from your SKU IQ Dashboard.
Alternatively, you may delete from one side or the other and then PUSH the remaining item(s) over to the opposite platform to save time. Pushing an item using SKU IQ will automatically create a link with the matching copy. See more about how to push items here.
Keep in mind that there can be multiple ways that variants can be determined - either by Size or Color, or a combination of the two attributes. If you have an item that has different sizes on one platform, but it is listed by size and color on the other, you will need to change the structure of one of them to match appropriately.
** Clover has the unique ability to match singular items to variable items on eCommerces, so while it is important to have your products be same-for-same, it can be overcome by matching items based on SKU numbers. Keep in mind that this function only works when LINKING products. When a product is automatically pushed from eCommerce to Clover or vice versa, the structure will remain intact.