Glossary
Barcode field
The barcode field is the box on a Shopify variant that holds the number printed under the bars on the product.
One box, one job. It sits next to the SKU on every variant, and the two are not interchangeable.
What to type in it
The digits printed on the product, exactly as printed. Usually that is an EAN or a UPC, which means the field is holding a GTIN.
No spaces, no hyphens, and keep the leading zero. Scan the barcode into the field rather than reading it out to somebody at a keyboard.
What it feeds
- Every scanner, in the shop and in the stockroom
- Google Merchant Center, which asks for a GTIN
- Marketplace listings
- Any app that finds a product by scanning
Where it goes wrong
Your own code goes in. It scans fine in your own building, and then a marketplace rejects the feed because no such barcode exists anywhere. Print your own codes as Code 128 against the SKU instead, and leave this field for the supplier’s number.
The other one is one barcode across several variants. A scanner then finds three products and has to ask which, which is exactly the pause the scan was meant to remove. One barcode, one variant, always.
Related terms
GTIN
Also called: Global Trade Item Number
A GTIN is the number that identifies a product worldwide. The barcode on the box is just a way of printing it.
SKU
Also called: Stock Keeping Unit
A SKU is your own code for one exact thing you sell, down to the size and colour. You invent it, and only your shop uses it.
Variant
A variant is one buyable version of a Shopify product, such as the blue medium. Stock, price and barcode all live on the variant.