👯♀️ How to fix duplicate handles in Airtable (Products, Collections, Metaobjects)
When working with Shopify, each handle must be unique. Handles act as unique identifiers in URLs for Products, Collections, Metaobjects, and more. If two records share the same handle, Shopify will reject the operation — whether it's a creation or an update.
If you're using SyncBase to manage your data in Airtable, it's important to identify and fix any duplicate handles to ensure a smooth sync with Shopify. This guide walks you through how to find and resolve duplicate handles directly in Airtable.
Create a formula field called Handle Lowercase with this formula:```
LOWER({Handle})
```This ensures case-insensitive comparison.
Group your view by `Handle Lowercase`.
Look for groups with more than one record — these indicate duplicates.
Create a self-linking field (Link to another record in the same table).
Add a Count field called Handle Occurrences to count the number of links for each handle.
Filter to show only records where Handle Occurrences > 1.
This highlights all duplicate handles in your table.
After identifying duplicate handles:
Choose a record within the duplicate group.
Edit its handle to make it unique, for example:
summer-sale → summer-sale-2025
t-shirt → t-shirt-blue
collection-guide → collection-guide-v2
Make sure the new handle remains readable and meaningful.
Stick to a consistent naming scheme (e.g. by adding version numbers, colors, or categories).
Once fixed, SyncBase will automatically sync the new handle to Shopify. Check your Shopify admin to confirm the update was accepted.
If the duplicate handle was added while trying to create a new product (or collection/metaobject) and the sync failed Simply updating the existing Airtable record won't trigger a new creation in Shopify.
Create a new record with the correct handle and product information.
Delete the failed record (optional, but recommended for clarity).
SyncBase will detect it as a new entry and create it in Shopify.
If you're using SyncBase to manage your data in Airtable, it's important to identify and fix any duplicate handles to ensure a smooth sync with Shopify. This guide walks you through how to find and resolve duplicate handles directly in Airtable.
How to find duplicate handles in Airtable
Option A: Use a Formula + Grouping
Create a formula field called Handle Lowercase with this formula:```
LOWER({Handle})
```This ensures case-insensitive comparison.
Group your view by `Handle Lowercase`.
Look for groups with more than one record — these indicate duplicates.
✅ Option B: Use a Count + Filter
Create a self-linking field (Link to another record in the same table).
Add a Count field called Handle Occurrences to count the number of links for each handle.
Filter to show only records where Handle Occurrences > 1.
This highlights all duplicate handles in your table.
How to fix duplicate handles
After identifying duplicate handles:
🛠 Rename Duplicates
Choose a record within the duplicate group.
Edit its handle to make it unique, for example:
summer-sale → summer-sale-2025
t-shirt → t-shirt-blue
collection-guide → collection-guide-v2
Make sure the new handle remains readable and meaningful.
Stick to a consistent naming scheme (e.g. by adding version numbers, colors, or categories).
Once fixed, SyncBase will automatically sync the new handle to Shopify. Check your Shopify admin to confirm the update was accepted.
If the duplicate handle occurred during product creation
If the duplicate handle was added while trying to create a new product (or collection/metaobject) and the sync failed Simply updating the existing Airtable record won't trigger a new creation in Shopify.
Create a new record with the correct handle and product information.
Delete the failed record (optional, but recommended for clarity).
SyncBase will detect it as a new entry and create it in Shopify.
Updated on: 06/06/2025
Thank you!