# Fishbowl: 'SO number already exists' — duplicate order number

> The order number you entered is already assigned to another sales order in your system.

## What triggers it
You tried to save a sales order using an SO number that's already assigned to another sales order in your system. This happens when:
- You manually enter an order number that already exists
- You duplicate an existing sales order without changing the number before saving
- You edit an order and change its number to one that's already in use

## Why Fishbowl blocks it
SO numbers must be unique identifiers. Duplicate numbers would break order tracking, conflict with linked records like invoices and shipments, and produce incorrect reports. This rule keeps your data consistent and searchable.

## What to do
Assign a new, unused SO number. If you're duplicating an order, let the system auto-generate the next number or manually enter a different one. Check your existing orders to see which numbers are already in use. If you're recreating a deleted order, give it a new number rather than reusing the original.

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*From Israel Lopez Consulting (ILC). Custom Fishbowl Inventory integrations and software, and Fishbowl experts since 2015. Written by Israel Lopez. Questions about this topic, or want to reach the people who wrote it? Visit https://israellopezconsulting.com/contact*