Does Google Shopping require a GTIN?

Yes, for most product categories. Google requires a valid GTIN for branded products. Without it, your products may still appear but will have lower Quality Scores and lower visibility in Shopping campaigns.

How do I add barcodes to products in Shopify?

In Shopify, the barcode field is per variant (under Inventory in the product editor). You can enter EAN, UPC or any GTIN there. Seegea lets you bulk-fill barcode fields across thousands of variants inline — no CSV, instant push.

Can I use a barcode scanner with Seegea?

Yes. Any USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner that acts as a keyboard input works. Scan the code into the search bar — Seegea opens the matching product row in the catalog grid immediately. See the barcode scanning page for setup details.

What if my products do not have barcodes?

You can purchase GS1-issued GTIN blocks (from gs1.org). For private-label or custom products, you may also qualify for a Google Shopping exemption, but marketplace rules are stricter. Internal SKUs work for warehouse operations but not for marketplace listings.

Product barcodes: EAN, UPC, GTIN explained for e-commerce

A product barcode is not just a label on packaging. In e-commerce it is a unique identifier that connects your product to Google Shopping, Amazon, retail partners, your warehouse scanner, and your ERP. A catalog without correct barcodes is one that cannot scale beyond a single storefront.

Barcode fields supported on

1. Barcode formats explained

EAN-13 (European Article Number)

13 digits, the standard for most products sold outside North America. The first 2–3 digits identify the country of origin (GS1 prefix). Most European retailers, Google Shopping and PrestaShop use EAN-13 as the default barcode format.

UPC-A (Universal Product Code)

12 digits, the standard in the US and Canada. Functionally equivalent to EAN-13 with a leading zero. Amazon and most US retailers require UPC-A. Shopify stores selling in the US should prioritise UPC-A.

GTIN-14 (Global Trade Item Number)

14 digits, used for cases, pallets and B2B trade units. Typically constructed from the product EAN/UPC with a packaging indicator digit prepended.

ISBN and ISSN

Specific to books (ISBN-13) and periodicals (ISSN). Both are GTIN-13 variants. If you sell books, use the ISBN as the barcode — no need for a separate EAN.

2. Marketplace barcode requirements

Channel	Required field	Format	Exemptions possible?
Google Shopping	GTIN	EAN/UPC/GTIN-14	Private label only
Amazon EU	EAN or UPC	EAN-13 or UPC-A	No, for branded products
Amazon US	UPC or GTIN	UPC-A preferred	Brand Registry only
PrestaShop catalog	EAN13 or UPC	EAN-13 or UPC-A	N/A (internal)
Shopify storefront	Barcode (any)	Any GTIN format	N/A (internal)

3. Adding barcodes in Shopify

In Shopify, barcodes are stored at the variant level. To set or update barcodes:

Open a product in the Shopify admin.
Scroll to the Variants section.
For each variant, find the Barcode field under the inventory section.
Enter the EAN-13, UPC-A or GTIN value.

This is fine for a handful of products. For a catalog of 2,000 SKUs across 10,000 variants, use Seegea: select the barcode column, bulk-fill from a paste or formula, push. Done in minutes.

4. Adding barcodes in PrestaShop

PrestaShop supports EAN13 and UPC fields at the combination level (Catalog > Products > Combinations). Like Shopify, the native back-office is tedious for bulk entry. Seegea exposes these fields in the catalog grid for inline bulk editing.

Bulk barcode entry across variants

In Seegea, open the barcode column, paste your EAN/UPC values across all selected variants, and push. A 2,000-variant update takes under 5 minutes.

Missing barcode audit

Filter by empty barcode field across the entire catalog. Every variant without a GTIN surfaces immediately. Fix inline, no CSV.

Scanner integration

Use any USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner. Scan into the Seegea search bar — the matching product opens immediately in the grid for inline editing.

Buy GTINs from GS1 (gs1.org) — not from resellers on marketplaces. Third-party GTIN resellers often sell duplicate codes that can cause product de-listing on Amazon and Google Shopping.

Audit your barcode coverage in Seegea

Google Meet · 30 min · your real catalog

Audit your barcode coverage in Seegea

Created in France (Annecy-Chantilly)

Seegea is built to handle the unglamorous but critical work of catalog data quality — barcodes included. Supports Shopify and PrestaShop. Direct developer access via Google Meet.

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

FAQ

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is the umbrella standard. EAN-13 is the 13-digit European format (most common globally). UPC-A is the 12-digit North American format. Both are GTINs. EAN-8 is a shorter format for small packaging. For e-commerce, EAN-13 or GTIN-14 are the most common requirements.

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