Shopify & e-commerce
Shopify Product Barcodes: SKU, UPC, EAN and GTIN Explained
Shopify keeps SKU and barcode data separate because they serve different purposes. A SKU is your own internal stock code, while a barcode field can hold a custom scannable value or a globally registered identifier such as a GTIN used by sales channels and marketplaces.
Updated September 14, 2026
Use Shopify SKU for your internal product or variant code. Use the barcode field for the scannable identifier your workflow needs; when a marketplace or sales channel requires a standardized product identifier, that usually means a valid GTIN such as UPC or EAN rather than an invented internal number. Shopify itself can store products without a globally registered barcode, but connected marketplaces may impose their own identifier requirements or exemption processes.
Shopify treats SKU and barcode as different data
Shopify describes SKU as an optional code that identifies the product within your business and recommends keeping SKUs unique for tracking and reporting.
Shopify’s barcode field is used for scanning and product identification in sales channels. The value can be custom or can come from a global registry such as a GTIN.
Think at the variant level
Different sellable variants often have different inventory identities. Your SKU structure can reflect your own inventory model, while standardized GTIN assignment must follow the rules of the issuer and the requirements of the external channel.
Do not reuse one UPC/EAN across materially different sellable variants simply because they belong to one Shopify product page.
Marketplace requirements can be stricter than Shopify itself
Shopify Marketplace Connect documentation states that marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Target Plus can require unique product identifiers such as GTIN, UPC, MPN or EAN, and that products without those identifiers may need an exemption depending on the marketplace.
This is why “Shopify accepts my product without a barcode” and “this marketplace accepts the listing” are two different questions.
Practical Shopify barcode workflow
- Keep SKU as the internal inventory key you control.
- Use Code 128 or another supported internal format if you only need warehouse/POS scanning of your own SKU.
- Store a valid GTIN/UPC/EAN when an external channel requires standardized identity.
- Do not buy or invent random numbers just to fill the barcode field.
- Validate requirements per marketplace before publishing or syncing the listing.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Does every Shopify product need a barcode?
No. Shopify can store products without a globally registered barcode, but specific sales channels, marketplaces, POS or fulfillment workflows may require one.
Is Shopify SKU the same as UPC?
No. SKU is your internal code. UPC is a standardized GTIN-12 product identifier used across trading systems.
Can I put my SKU in Shopify’s barcode field?
Shopify allows custom barcode values, but whether that is appropriate depends on the scanning workflow. A custom SKU value is not a substitute for a GTIN when a marketplace requires a standardized identifier.
Can multiple Shopify variants use the same GTIN?
If the variants are distinct trade items, GS1 identification rules generally require distinct GTINs. Follow the applicable GTIN allocation rules and channel requirements.
Sources & standards
Technical claims in this guide are checked against primary or official documentation where available.