Where do I get a GTIN for my products?

If you manufacture the product: buy a GS1 prefix from GS1 (gs1.org) and generate your own EAN/UPC codes. If you resell: the manufacturer must provide the GTIN — it is their responsibility. Never invent or reuse GTINs.

What if my product genuinely has no GTIN?

For genuinely GTIN-less products (handmade, custom, vintage), set identifier_exists to false in your Shopping feed and provide an MPN instead. Google accepts this as long as the product is clearly custom-made.

How does Seegea help manage GTINs at scale?

Seegea displays GTINs as an editable column in the inline grid. You can paste a column of EAN codes directly from a spreadsheet, validate format (check digit) in real time, and push to Shopify or PrestaShop in one operation.

GTIN management: obtain, validate and distribute in e-commerce

GTIN management is boring until you discover that 30% of your Google Shopping listings are rejected because of GTIN errors. At that point it becomes urgent — and the fix requires editing thousands of barcode fields across variants, not just parent products.

GTIN types: which one do you need?

GTIN type	Length	Region	Use case
EAN-13	13 digits	Europe + global	Retail products
UPC-12	12 digits	North America	Retail products (US/CA)
JAN	13 digits	Japan	Retail products (JP)
ISBN-13	13 digits	Global	Books only
GTIN-14	14 digits	Global	Cases / pallets
MPN	Variable	Global	When no GTIN exists

The 3 most common GTIN errors on Google Shopping

Wrong check digit

EAN-13 has a check digit calculated from the first 12 digits. Even one transposition error in the middle invalidates the entire code. Seegea validates the check digit in real time as you type.

GTIN applied to parent, not variants

Each variant (color x size) must have its own unique GTIN. Sharing one GTIN across 12 color variants is a common mistake that Google Shopping penalizes heavily — it cannot distinguish the variants.

Fictional or reused GTINs

Generating GTINs by adding 1 to an existing code, or reusing a discontinued product's barcode, creates data conflicts in Google's product database. Always use GS1-issued codes.

Do not buy "cheap GTIN packs" from third-party resellers. GS1 is the only legitimate source. Third-party GTINs are often reused and cause feed rejections or, worse, match a completely different product in Google's catalog.

Managing GTINs at scale: the Seegea approach

Seegea displays GTINs as an editable column in the inline grid — at both parent product and variant level. You can import a CSV with your GTIN mapping, paste values inline, or fill them from a supplier data file. Real-time check digit validation prevents bad data before it reaches Google Shopping. Once validated, push all updated GTINs to Shopify or PrestaShop in one operation.

Built in France between Annecy and Chantilly, the Seegea team helps you audit your GTIN coverage on the first Google Meet session. Support is available by email throughout the remediation.

Audit your GTIN coverage for free

30 min Google Meet · we surface every missing or invalid GTIN

Audit your GTIN coverage for free

Created in France (Annecy – Chantilly) · Email & Google Meet support

FAQ

A GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is a standardized product identifier — EAN-13 in Europe, UPC-12 in the US, JAN in Japan. Google Shopping requires it for any product manufactured by a known brand. Without it, your listing is either rejected or gets lower visibility.

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