If you sell with PrestaShop and you need to know where and how to add EAN codes to your products, this guide has you covered. You'll see where the EAN-13 field lives in each version of the back office, how to bulk-import it via CSV and why a correct EAN is essential for your feeds and marketplaces. And if you don't have the codes yet, we'll show you how to get official GS1 EAN codes in minutes.
PrestaShop is one of the most widely used open-source e-commerce platforms in Spain and Europe, and it includes native support for barcodes. That means you don't need any paid module to assign your EAN codes: the field comes built into every product page. If you'd first like a refresher on what an EAN is, there's a full explanation in what an EAN barcode is.
Buy my EAN codes — official GS1, from €3, one-time payment and no annual fees. You receive them by email in minutes, ready to paste into PrestaShop.
EAN-13, GTIN and the PrestaShop fields: what each one is
Before touching the back office it's worth clearing up the terminology, because PrestaShop handles several similar fields and they're easy to mix up:
| Field in PrestaShop | What it is | Format |
|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 (or JAN) | The standard barcode in Europe. It's the GTIN-13. | 13 digits |
| UPC | The standard barcode in North America. | 12 digits |
| Reference | Your internal code (SKU). You define it yourself; it's not a barcode. | Free |
| MPN | Manufacturer Part Number. Useful in some feeds, but it doesn't replace the EAN. | Free |
| ISBN | An identifier specific to books. | 13 digits |
The key point: GTIN is the generic term that covers both EAN and UPC. An EAN-13 is a GTIN-13 and a UPC-A is a GTIN-12. When a feed or a marketplace asks you for the "GTIN", it means your EAN-13. The reference is your internal SKU and should never go in the EAN field. If you get confused between the EAN-13 and the short 8-digit version, we explain the difference between EAN-13 and EAN-8 in another guide.
Where to enter the EAN in PrestaShop (step by step)
The exact location of the field has changed between versions, so be careful if you're following an old tutorial:
PrestaShop 1.7, 8.x and later
- Log in to the back office and go to Catalog > Products.
- Open the page of the product you want to edit.
- Open the Combinations tab or section (if the product has sizes, colours or other variants) or Details (if it's a simple product with no combinations).
- Find the EAN-13 or JAN field and enter your 13-digit code. Right next to it you'll see the UPC field in case you also sell in North America.
- Save the changes.
If you work with combinations, remember that each combination has its own EAN-13: size M and size L of the same t-shirt are different products for a scanner and for a marketplace, so they need different codes. A screenshot of the back office for your specific version will help you locate the field if you get lost among the tabs.
PrestaShop 1.6
In older versions the EAN-13 field is on the product page, inside the Information tab (or in Combinations if you use variants). The logic is the same; only the visual location of the field changes. The menu path is still the one shown above.
How to bulk-import EAN codes via CSV
If you have dozens or hundreds of products, entering EAN codes one by one is unworkable. PrestaShop allows bulk importing:
- Go to Catalog > Import (in some versions, inside Products).
- Select the entity type Products (or Combinations if you're going to assign EAN codes to variants).
- Upload your CSV file. You need an identifying column (for example the reference or the ID) and a column with the EAN-13.
- In the mapping step, match your codes column to PrestaShop's EAN13 field.
- Tick the option to update existing products if you only want to add the EAN without recreating the pages, and launch the import.
Tip: do a test first with just a few rows. If the CSV uses the wrong separator or the EAN comes through in scientific notation from Excel (the classic 8.41E+12), it will import incorrectly. Format the EAN column as text before exporting.
What a valid EAN-13 looks like (with an example)
An EAN-13 is not just any sequence of 13 digits: it has a structure. Take an example of the form 84xxxxxxxxxx C, where the first digits are the GS1 prefix, the central block identifies the product and the last figure is the check digit.
- Prefix (the first digits): assigned by GS1. The 84x range corresponds to codes registered from Spain. That prefix sits inside the EAN-13; there is no separate format called "EAN-84", and the prefix only indicates where the code was registered, not where the product is made or sold.
- Product block: uniquely identifies your item.
- Check digit (the last figure): it's calculated mathematically from the previous 12 digits. It's what lets a scanner or a feed instantly detect whether the code has been mistyped or made up.
That's why an EAN has to be well formed: if you make it up, the check digit most likely won't add up and any validator will reject it. And even if it happened to add up by chance, you'd be using a number that belongs to another company.
What the EAN is for in PrestaShop
- Feeds and comparison sites: export modules use the EAN to identify each product. It's key for your barcode for Google Shopping: without a valid GTIN, many products are rejected in Merchant Center with warnings like "Invalid GTIN" or "Incorrect product identifiers".
- Marketplaces: when syncing with Amazon, eBay or Carrefour, the GTIN is used to create the listing or match it to a product already in the catalogue. You'll find the details in our guides on barcodes for Amazon and barcode for eBay.
- Inventory and POS: with a real EAN you can manage stock with barcode scanners and connect your PrestaShop to a physical point of sale.
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Making up the number: as we saw, the check digit gives away invented codes and the feed rejects them instantly.
- Repeating the same EAN on several products: every reference and every combination needs a unique code. Duplicates cause "GTIN already in use" errors or products merged by mistake.
- Confusing reference with EAN: your internal SKU goes in the Reference field, not in EAN-13. The MPN and the ISBN don't replace the EAN either.
- Unofficial codes: "recycled" EAN packs or codes of dubious origin end up causing ownership problems on the stricter marketplaces. Use legitimate GS1 codes.
Buy my EAN codes — official GS1, one-time payment, no annual fees and delivery in minutes.
Do you use more than one platform?
The same EAN-13 works in any system: it's a global identifier, not tied to PrestaShop. If you also run another store, if you use Shopify, check out this guide to place the codes on that platform. A single EAN per product works at the same time in PrestaShop, in your feeds and on every marketplace.
Frequently asked questions
Is the EAN mandatory in PrestaShop?
PrestaShop doesn't force you to fill in the field to save the product, so technically it's optional. But in practice it's essential: the moment you export to Google Shopping or any marketplace, the EAN (GTIN) stops being optional and products without one are rejected or penalised.
Can I make up an EAN?
No. Even if you enter 13 random digits, the check digit will almost never add up and the code will be invalid. And even if it did add up, you'd be using a number that belongs to another company, which causes conflicts on marketplaces. You need legitimately assigned codes.
Do I need an EAN for each combination or size?
Yes. Each variant (size, colour, format) is a different product for a scanner and for a marketplace, so it needs its own EAN-13. A t-shirt in sizes S, M and L requires three different codes.
Does the same EAN work for Amazon and for PrestaShop?
Yes. The EAN-13 identifies the product, not the platform. The same code you enter in the EAN-13 field in PrestaShop is the one you'll use on Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping or your physical POS.
Where do I get official EAN codes without paying annual fees?
With EAN CODA. We assign you official EAN codes from the GS1 database with a one-time payment, no renewals or annual fees, and we deliver them by email in minutes.
Get your EAN codes for PrestaShop
With EAN CODA you get official GS1 EAN codes from €3, one-time payment and no annual fees, ready to paste into the EAN-13 fields of your PrestaShop and importable via CSV if you have many products. We're a reseller of legitimate GS1 codes: a faster and cheaper alternative to registering on your own, and you get them in minutes.