If you want your products to appear on Google Shopping, you need a barcode for Google Shopping: a unique product identifier that Google calls a GTIN and which, in Europe, is usually an EAN-13. Without that code, Google Merchant Center flags many of your items as ineligible and they stop showing up in the Shopping tabs, in Performance Max ads and in Google's free listings. In this guide we explain what Google requires in 2026, how the gtin attribute is filled in within the feed, why an invalid code takes the product down and how to get valid EAN codes in just a few minutes.
In short
- Google Merchant Center requires a valid GTIN for most branded products; without it, your items end up "ineligible" and aren't shown.
- In Europe, the GTIN is a 13-digit EAN-13: Merchant Center automatically recognises it as a GTIN-13, with no extra steps.
- An invalid or made-up GTIN causes the product to be disapproved with the "Invalid value [gtin]" error; the check digit must be correct.
- Only genuine exceptions are exempt (handmade, own brand with no manufacturer code, antiques, custom-made): you set identifier exists = no, you don't invent a code.
- The same EAN-13 works for Shopify, PrestaShop, Amazon, eBay and your website: one unique code per product is valid across all channels at once.
- Buying the EAN from a GS1 reseller is a one-off payment from €3, without the annual fees of registering directly with GS1, and you receive it by email within minutes.
At EAN CODA we sell legitimate EAN codes of GS1 origin (reseller model), a faster and cheaper route than registering yourself with GS1. If you already know what you need, you can buy your EAN codes for Google Shopping right now; if you'd rather understand it properly first, keep reading.
Does Google Shopping require a barcode?
Yes, in most cases. Google requires a unique product identifier (GTIN) for almost every item that has one assigned by its manufacturer. The reason is practical: the GTIN lets Google recognise that your product and another shop's product are exactly the same, group them together and show reliable price comparisons. The better that identification is, the better your ad competes.
The impact goes beyond "showing up or not". According to Google's documentation, products with correct GTINs can qualify for features that boost visibility and conversion: price comparisons, product ratings, richer information on the listing and better matching with searches. Google has even estimated that adding correct GTINs can noticeably improve conversions, because its ads compete better when the system knows exactly what product you're selling. Put another way: a good GTIN doesn't just avoid rejection, it also makes your click cheaper.
There are exceptions recognised by Google where no GTIN is required because the product simply doesn't have one: handmade items, own-brand products with no manufacturer code, non-standardised spare parts, antiques, custom-made products or works of art. Services and downloadable digital products are also excluded by their very nature. For these cases you don't invent a code: you disable the identifier in the feed (we cover this below). On the other hand, if your product is a branded item with a manufacturer code, Google expects the GTIN and will ask for it.
What a GTIN is and why your EAN works
GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number. It isn't a different code from the one you already know: it's the "umbrella" term that covers the classic barcode formats. In other words, your EAN or your UPC already is a GTIN. If you want to go deeper, we have a guide on what an EAN barcode is.
| Format | Digits | Equivalent to | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 | 13 | GTIN-13 | Standard in Europe and most of the world |
| UPC-A | 12 | GTIN-12 | USA and Canada |
| EAN-8 | 8 | GTIN-8 | Very small products where an EAN-13 doesn't fit |
For Google Shopping, what you need across the UK and Europe is an EAN-13 (13 digits), which Merchant Center automatically recognises as a GTIN-13 without you having to specify anything else. A US UPC-A (12 digits) is also valid, as is an ISBN-13 if you sell books. Google's general rule is simple: the value of the gtin attribute must be a number that the GS1 algorithm recognises as well-formed. If you're unsure which format to use, we explain the difference between EAN-13 and EAN-8: for an online shop and Shopping, you almost always want EAN-13.
Why does Google require a GTIN in so many categories?
Google doesn't ask for the code on a whim. The GTIN is the "key" its global catalogue uses to cross-reference your offer with the rest of the market. When two shops upload the same EAN-13, Google knows for certain they sell the same item and can build the unified product listing, the price comparison and the history. In highly standardised categories — electronics, appliances, cosmetics, toys, books, packaged food — practically every product has a manufacturer GTIN, so Google requires it strictly: without it, your ad can't compete against the one from a seller who did add it.
That's why Merchant Center's default behaviour is to assume your product has a GTIN. If you don't provide it and Google detects from the brand or category that it should have one, it flags it as ineligible. Providing the GTIN, besides avoiding rejection, gives you priority over listings that rely only on title and description, which the system considers less reliable.
How an EAN-13 is made up
An EAN-13 consists of a prefix assigned by GS1, the item number and a final check digit that is calculated. For example, a code like 8412345678901: the first digits are the prefix, the middle ones identify the item and the last one (the 1) is the check digit. That prefix identifies the country or region of the GS1 organisation that issued it: those starting with 84x correspond to Spain. It's worth clearing up a common misunderstanding: the prefix sits inside the EAN-13; there is no separate "EAN-84" format. And the prefix doesn't force you to manufacture in that country: it indicates where the code was registered, not where the item is produced.
How to add the barcode (GTIN) in Google Merchant Center
The code isn't "uploaded" on its own: it's included in the product feed that connects your shop with Merchant Center. Here is the step by step:
- Assign a unique GTIN to each product and variant. Every size, colour or format sold separately needs its own EAN-13. Don't reuse the same code across different variants.
- Fill in the gtin attribute in your feed. If you manage the feed with a spreadsheet or a file, add a gtin column and paste the full 13-digit EAN-13 (no spaces or hyphens). If you use an ecommerce platform, the GTIN is filled in on the product page and the integration sends it automatically.
- Sync and validate. After updating the feed, Merchant Center processes the products and, if the GTIN is correct, stops flagging them as unidentified. Check the diagnostics tab to confirm there are no errors.
If your shop runs on a specific platform, the field where you paste the EAN moves around but the logic is identical. We have guides for adding EAN codes in PrestaShop and for using EAN codes in Shopify, where the platform sends the attribute to Google for you.
Automatic feeds: Shopify, PrestaShop and the Google channel
If you'd rather not maintain a spreadsheet by hand, the usual approach is to generate the feed from your own shop and let it sync with Merchant Center on its own. In Shopify, the GTIN is stored in the "Barcode (ISBN, UPC, GTIN, etc.)" field of each variant; Shopify's Google channel automatically maps it to the feed's gtin attribute, so you only need to fill it in properly once. In PrestaShop, the EAN-13 lives in the combination or product tab and the Google export modules pull it through the same way. The same applies to WooCommerce or any platform with a Merchant Center connector: you fill in the code on the product page, the integration builds the feed.
The detail worth taking care of is consistency across variants. Every size or colour you sell separately is a distinct variant and needs its own EAN-13; if you leave the field empty in some and filled in others, the feed enters Merchant Center with partial errors. So, before connecting the channel, make sure you have a code assigned to every SKU you're going to advertise.
The "identifier exists" field
The feed has an attribute called identifier exists. By default, Google assumes your product has a GTIN and expects one. If you sell an item that legitimately does not have a code (own brand with no manufacturer GTIN, handmade, custom-made), you must set that field to no (or false) for those products. This stops Merchant Center rejecting them for a "missing GTIN". Important: this setting is only for products with no real code; don't use it to dodge buying an EAN you actually need, because it worsens your ad's performance.
What happens if you put in an invalid GTIN: product disapproval
This is the part that scares people most. If you fill in the gtin attribute with a number that isn't a real GTIN — wrongly calculated check digit, made-up figures, a code copied from another manufacturer — Merchant Center doesn't ignore it: it disapproves the product. It shows up with the "Disapproved" status and the reason "Invalid value [gtin]" or "Incorrect identifier", and stops appearing in Shopping, in the free listings and in your campaigns. It's not a minor warning: the affected item is taken out of circulation until you fix the code and the feed is reprocessed.
That's why "filling the gap" with any old 13-digit number won't work. Google validates the check digit with the GS1 algorithm, checks the length and, in many cases, contrasts the code against its database to detect duplicates or reused GTINs. A well-formed EAN-13 passes validation; an invented one doesn't. The codes we sell come with their correct check digit and clean of third-party history, precisely so they get past this filter.
Merchant Center GTIN errors and how to fix them
These are the most common rejections related to the barcode, and how to solve them:
- "Invalid value [gtin]". This is usually down to a wrongly calculated check digit, a code with too few or too many digits, or a randomly invented identifier. Fix: use a valid, well-formed EAN-13. The codes we sell come with the correct check digit, so they pass this validation.
- Duplicate GTIN. You've assigned the same code to several different products or variants. Each sellable item needs its own. Assign a unique EAN-13 per variant.
- GTIN that doesn't match the expected brand or product. This happens when you reuse codes from another manufacturer. Use your own clean codes, with no third-party history.
- "Missing unique identifier [gtin]". Either the product needs a GTIN and you haven't added one (buy it and add it), or it's an exception case and you should set identifier exists = no.
- "The GTIN may be incorrect". This is a warning, not a rejection, but it's worth addressing: check that the code really does correspond to the product and that you haven't mixed it up with another variant's.
Brands and products that don't require a GTIN
Not every product needs a code, and forcing one where it doesn't belong also causes problems. Google recognises that certain items have no GTIN because their manufacturer never assigned one. This is the case for handmade products, own brand or "white label" without a manufacturer code, non-standardised spare parts, antiques and works of art, custom-made products (engraved, bespoke) and, by their nature, services and digital downloads.
For these products, the correct approach is to set identifier exists = no in the feed and reinforce the listing with the attributes Google can use to identify it: brand (brand), a descriptive title and MPN (manufacturer part number) where one exists. That said, "I don't have a GTIN" should only be used when it's true. If your product is from a brand with a manufacturer code, marking it as "no identifier" to save buying the EAN usually worsens the ad's performance and can end up as a data quality issue.
How to get your barcode for Google Shopping
You have two routes. The first is to register directly with GS1 and request your own prefix range: it's the official route, but it involves joining fees and, in many countries, recurring annual fees, plus a slower process. The second is to buy EAN codes already assigned to a GS1 reseller, as we do at EAN CODA: you pay once for the codes you need and receive them instantly.
Our process is this simple:
- Choose how many codes you need (one per product or variant you're going to sell on Google Shopping).
- Complete the order and pay by card. You don't need to give us any product information.
- You receive your EAN-13 codes by email within minutes, ready to paste into the gtin attribute of your feed.
Indicative price: from €3, one-off payment, no annual fees. The codes are valid EAN-13s with a correct check digit, so they pass Merchant Center validation. You can get your EAN code instantly and start today.
The same EAN works for Google Shopping and other marketplaces
Good news: the GTIN is global. The same EAN-13 you paste into your Google Shopping feed also works for other channels. If you sell in more places, check out our guides on barcodes for Amazon, on how to list products on Amazon with an EAN and on barcodes for eBay. A single code identifies your product everywhere; you don't need a different one per channel, just a unique one per product.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google Shopping really require a barcode?
Yes, for the vast majority of products with a manufacturer GTIN. Without a valid identifier, Merchant Center flags many items as ineligible. Only the recognised exceptions are exempt (handmade, own brand with no code, antiques, custom-made), where the identifier is disabled in the feed.
Is any EAN I buy fine?
It has to be a valid EAN-13, with a correct check digit and not duplicated in your catalogue. A made-up 13-digit number will be rejected as an "invalid GTIN". Our codes are well-formed and pass Google's validation.
Do I need to be a GS1 member?
It isn't mandatory for selling on Google Shopping. You can buy EAN codes from a GS1 reseller and use them without registering yourself, avoiding the annual fees. If you later need the direct official route, you can always register with GS1; to start selling, buying the code is faster and cheaper.
How long does it take to receive the codes?
Within minutes. After completing payment, we send your EAN-13 codes by email, ready to add to the gtin attribute of your Merchant Center feed.
Does the same EAN work for Amazon and Google Shopping?
Yes. The GTIN is a global identifier, so the same EAN-13 identifies your product on Google Shopping, Amazon, eBay and your own shop. You need a unique code per product, not one per channel.
What happens if I put in a made-up GTIN to get by?
Merchant Center detects it and disapproves the product with the reason "Invalid value [gtin]". The item stops showing until you add a real EAN-13 with its correct check digit. It doesn't pay off: it costs more to repair the rejection than to buy the code properly from the start.
Where do I paste the EAN in Shopify and PrestaShop?
In Shopify, in the "Barcode (ISBN, UPC, GTIN, etc.)" field of each variant; the Google channel sends it to the feed's gtin attribute on its own. In PrestaShop, in the EAN-13 field of the combination or product, which the export module pulls through to Merchant Center. In both cases you fill in the code once and the platform builds the feed.
Do I need a different GTIN for each size and colour?
Yes. Each variant sold separately is a separate product for Google and needs its own EAN-13. Reusing the same code across variants causes the "duplicate GTIN" error and partial feed rejections.
Start selling on Google Shopping today
If you already have your catalogue and just need the identifier, don't wait around for lengthy paperwork. Get your EAN code instantly and paste it into your feed: valid for Merchant Center, one-off payment from €3 and delivery by email within minutes. Your products can start appearing on Google Shopping as soon as your feed syncs.