What is a barcode (GTIN)?

The identifier that means the same thing in every system, not just yours.

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A barcode on a Shopify variant usually holds a GTIN — a global trade item number such as an EAN, UPC or ISBN — that identifies the product to retailers, marketplaces and scanners everywhere.

Why it matters

  • Google Shopping and marketplace feeds often reject or downrank items with no GTIN.
  • Point-of-sale scanning uses it directly.
  • Wholesale and retail partners match on it.
  • It is how a product is identified when your own SKU means nothing to the other party.

Common problems

  • Barcodes copied from a similar product, which silently mislabels the item.
  • A missing check digit, which makes the code invalid.
  • Leading zeros stripped by a spreadsheet during an import.
  • Empty barcodes on newly imported ranges.

The spreadsheet problem is worth calling out: exporting to CSV, opening it in Excel and importing it back has destroyed more barcodes than any other single cause.

Bulk Product Edit by MITS edits this field in bulk across a filtered part of your catalog, with a log and a one-click revert.

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Related reading

Bulk edit SKU and barcode on Shopify

Correct SKU and barcode values across variants with replace, prefix and suffix rules.

Read more

What is a SKU?

Your internal variant code — where it is used and what makes a good one.

Read more

What is CSV import?

How Shopify CSV import works and the five ways it bites.

Read more

Ready to edit your Shopify catalog in bulk?

Install Bulk Product Edit by MITS and run your first bulk edit in minutes. Free plan available.

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