Part numbers change. Makers replace a pump with an improved one and give it a new number. A distributor sells three brands of the same bearing. An aftermarket filter replaces six original equipment numbers.
Your shopper doesn’t know any of that. They have one number, printed on the part in their hand, and they type it.
The three kinds of “other numbers”
It helps to keep them apart, because they mean different things to the shopper:
| Kind | Example | What the shopper should see |
|---|---|---|
| Superseded (replaced) | The maker replaced 30-1145 with 30-1145A | The current part, with “Replaces 30-1145” |
| Equivalent (interchange) | Another brand’s number for the same part | Your part, with “Matches X” |
| Original equipment (OEM) | The number of the original part your replacement fits | Your part, with “Replaces OEM X” |
Example numbers are made up.
The label matters. A shopper who searched 30-1145 and sees a product called 30-1145A will wonder if it’s the right one. “Replaces 30-1145” answers the question before they ask it.
Where to keep the numbers
You have a few options on Shopify, and they can be combined:
- A list metafield on the product, such as “OEM numbers” or “Replaces”. Good when each product has a handful of numbers and you edit them in the admin or by CSV import.
- A line in the description, like “Replaces OEM 92-442-167”. Easy to add and visible to shoppers, but harder to keep consistent.
- A separate cross-reference file: your SKU, the other number, the kind. Best when you have thousands of rows from suppliers, or when the same list feeds your ERP.
Pick the one you can keep up to date. A perfect structure you never update is worse than a simple list you do.
Rules for a cross-reference list you can trust
- Only publish what you can back up. Every row should come from a maker, a supplier, or your own check. A wrong cross-reference doesn’t just lose a sale; it creates a return and a customer who won’t trust your search again.
- Keep the number exactly as printed. Store
92-442-167, not your cleaned-up version. A good search ignores the separators anyway, and the original format is what shoppers will recognise. - One row per number. If a part replaces five old numbers, that’s five rows. It keeps imports simple and makes each number searchable.
- Don’t merge different parts. If an old number now maps to two parts (for example a 230 V and a 120 V version), list both and let the shopper choose.
- Date your sources. When a supplier sends a new list, you want to know which rows came from the old one.
What the search has to do
Having the numbers is half of it. The search must also:
- match each other number with dashes, dots and spaces ignored, like any part number;
- rank a match on an other number almost as high as a match on your own SKU, because it is just as exact;
- show the shopper why the product matched;
- show all products when one number maps to several, instead of picking one.
See how to make part numbers searchable on Shopify for the general rules.
How Tolra handles it
On the Growth and Pro plans, Tolra has an Other part numbers page. You upload a CSV with your SKU, the other number and, optionally, the kind. Rows marked as replaced, superseded or old are labelled “Replaces X” in results; the rest are labelled “Matches X”. The numbers are normalized like every other part number, so 30 1145, 30-1145 and 301145 all match.
The search report also helps you grow the list: when a search that looks like a part number finds nothing, it suggests “Add as other part number”, so you can link it to the right product in one step.
You can try an other-number match in the interactive demo, where a sample pool pump seal is linked to two other numbers.
Build a cross-reference list
- Collect what you already have. Supplier price lists, interchange tables from makers, old catalogs, and notes from your sales team.
- Use three columns. Your SKU, the other number exactly as printed, and the kind:
replacesfor old numbers,equivalentfor other brands. - Remove guesses. Keep only rows you or your supplier can stand behind. Mark doubtful rows for checking instead of publishing them.
- Load it into your search. Upload the file to your search app or store the numbers in a list metafield, then search a few old numbers to check.
- Keep it current. Add a row whenever a supplier announces a new number. Review the search report for numbers that found nothing.
Questions
Should old numbers go in the product title?
Usually not. Titles with five numbers are hard to read. Keep the current number in the title and the old and equivalent numbers in a metafield or a cross-reference file.
What if one old number now maps to two parts?
List both. A search for that number should show both parts, not guess one. Explain the difference in each title, for example the pump voltage or the model range.
Can AI build the cross-reference list for me?
Not safely. A model can suggest that two parts look similar, but it cannot know that they fit the same machine. Cross-references should come from makers, suppliers or your own checks.
Examples use made-up brands and part numbers unless a real format is needed to show the point. Try them in the interactive demo.