GTIN (EAN): why your barcode belongs in your product data
The barcode on your packaging is officially called a GTIN. With it, Google and other services can tell that your product is the same as at another store. So put it in your product data, in the right field.
EAN or GTIN?
According to GS1 Netherlands, EAN (European Article Number) is the older name; the official name is Global Trade Item Number, or GTIN. A GTIN always belongs to one product and is never reassigned to another.
Why it matters
- Google recommends a GTIN in product data, and asks you to use the most specific type (for an EAN-13 barcode,
gtin13). - With the code, a service can place your offer next to other stores', for example to compare prices. Without it, it has to guess from the name.
The mistake we see most often
The barcode is in the product data, but in the item number field (sku) instead of gtin13. A machine then does not know it is a barcode. This is how it should look:
"sku": "PLATE-22-GREEN",
"gtin13": "8712345678901"Need your own codes?
If you make your own products, you get codes from GS1 in your country. GS1 Netherlands warns that codes from external barcode resellers cannot be registered with GS1. If you sell branded products, the code is usually on the packaging or in your supplier's data.
The free Shelv scan shows whether your product page has a GTIN, and whether it is in the wrong field.
How does your product page score?
Paste the address of a product page into the free scan. Within seconds you see what AI assistants can and cannot read.