Barcodes.gg Blog

Barcode & product-data guides

Guides on GTIN, UPC and EAN standards, check digits, validation and using product data, from the team behind the Barcodes.gg API.

Research

Invalid example barcodes in public documentation (2026)

Our study of the example GTINs, EANs and UPCs that manuals, API references and import templates show, how many fail the check digit, which codes get copied most, and what to do about it. Charts and CSV downloads are free to use with a link. All research

Latest articles

Barcodes, GTINs & check digits

Cover: What is a GTIN? UPC, EAN & GS1 barcode standards

What is a GTIN? UPC, EAN & GS1 barcode standards

A GTIN is the GS1 Global Trade Item Number that sits above UPC, EAN and the 14-digit case code as one shared product identifier.

Jul 15, 2026 4 min read
Cover: How to validate a barcode: UPC, EAN & GTIN

How to validate a barcode: UPC, EAN & GTIN

A practical guide to checking that a UPC, EAN, or GTIN is well formed before you trust it.

Jul 15, 2026 5 min read
Three stages show how to compare the printed barcode, check its format and retry validation without guessing missing digits.

Invalid UPC-E prefix: why the first digit must be 0 or 1

This error means you selected UPC-E for eight digits that start with 2 through 9. Check the barcode format before changing any digits.

Nov 4, 2026 3 min read
Three-step import flow that strips GTIN leading zeros and rebuilds pads through 14 digits for XML and EANCOM.

How to match GS1 XML and EANCOM GTIN padding

GS1 XML stores every GTIN as 14 digits with leading zeros. GS1 EANCOM strips those zeros. Match both feeds from one core number, then check the digit.

Oct 19, 2026 4 min read
Three checks for resolving a barcode prefix and type mismatch.

Why a barcode gets an “Invalid prefix/type combination” error

This validation error means the selected barcode type does not fit the prefix the validator detected. Check the format selection before recalculating the check digit.

Oct 11, 2026 3 min read
Cover: UPC vs EAN vs GTIN: what is the difference

UPC vs EAN vs GTIN: what is the difference

UPC is not an alternative to GTIN. A UPC-A barcode carries a 12-digit GTIN-12, so UPC is one member of the wider GTIN family.

Jul 15, 2026 3 min read
EAN-13 has twelve data digits followed by a check digit; company-prefix and item-reference boundaries vary.

EAN-13 format explained: structure & prefixes

An EAN-13 barcode is a 13-digit GTIN-13 built from a GS1 prefix, a company prefix, an item reference and a check digit.

Jul 15, 2026 4 min read
Cover: GTIN-14 explained: cases, cartons & pallets

GTIN-14 explained: cases, cartons & pallets

GTIN-14 identifies a packaging level such as a case or carton by adding an indicator digit in front of the base product GTIN.

Jul 15, 2026 3 min read
A synthetic EAN-13 worksheet weights the rightmost data digit by three, totals one, and calculates check digit nine.

How to calculate a UPC/EAN check digit by hand

Compute the modulo-10 check digit for any UPC-A or EAN-13 with a pen, paper, and one small rule.

Jul 15, 2026 4 min read
Cover: Why your barcode check digit does not match: 7 causes

Why your barcode check digit does not match: 7 causes

The seven reasons a UPC or EAN check digit fails validation, and how to fix each one.

Jul 15, 2026 4 min read
Cover: UPC-A vs UPC-E: format, length & check digit

UPC-A vs UPC-E: format, length & check digit

How UPC-E compresses a 12-digit UPC-A into 8 digits, and why they share a check digit.

Jul 15, 2026 3 min read

Product data & the Barcodes.gg API

Cover: Barcode API guide: integrate product lookup into your app

Barcode API guide: integrate product lookup into your app

A walkthrough for developers: how a barcode API turns a scanned GTIN into structured product data inside your application.

Jul 15, 2026 5 min read
Cover: Get up to 5,000 extra API calls with a Powered by Barcodes.gg link

Get up to 5,000 extra API calls with a Powered by Barcodes.gg link

Add a Powered by Barcodes.gg link to a public page and your paid plan gets 50% more API calls each billing period, up to 5,000.

Oct 23, 2026 3 min read
Product data & API

How to enrich a product catalogue CSV from style codes

Use manufacturer style codes to add product details and size-specific barcode pairs to an inventory CSV without writing an integration.

Oct 14, 2026 2 min read
A v2 barcode lookup returns HTTP 200 with error true for an unknown barcode; the client records a miss instead of treating it as a match.

HTTP 200 with error true: how to read barcode lookup failures

A 200 status is not a successful product match. Learn how to branch on status, the error flag, and the message so you do not treat every miss as a 4xx or as coverage.

Oct 2, 2026 4 min read
Synthetic variant records show two sizes within one colourway sharing a style label but having separate barcode labels, and another colourway using another style label.

Resolving sneaker size variants in a style-code barcode lookup

A style-code lookup can return many barcodes for one shoe. Learn how to read size and color variant data so you attach the right barcode to inventory.

Sep 30, 2026 3 min read
Cover: How a price-comparison site is built on barcode data

How a price-comparison site is built on barcode data

Comparing one product across forty shops only works if every shop is talking about the same product. That identity problem is a barcode and style-code problem before it is a pricing one.

Sep 21, 2026 4 min read
Cover: Product images in a barcode-keyed catalog

Product images in a barcode-keyed catalog

A catalog assembled from many sources inherits many pictures of the same item. Choosing one, and keeping it loading, is an identifier problem with a hosting problem attached.

Sep 21, 2026 4 min read
Cover: Best barcode & UPC database APIs compared (2026)

Best barcode & UPC database APIs compared (2026)

Six barcode and UPC database APIs side by side, with the entry price and free tier each vendor published in October 2026.

Jul 15, 2026 6 min read
A scanner flow captures digits, validates the GTIN, normalizes its width, and looks up a product, with explicit invalid-input and no-match outcomes.

How to build a barcode scanner product-lookup feature

How to connect a camera scanner to a product-data API so users can scan an item and see what it is.

Jul 15, 2026 5 min read
Cover: What data does a barcode lookup API return?

What data does a barcode lookup API return?

A field-by-field explanation of what you get back from a product-data barcode API and how to handle uneven results.

Jul 15, 2026 4 min read
Cover: Getting started with the Barcodes.gg API

Getting started with the Barcodes.gg API

The Barcodes.gg API turns a barcode into a structured product record with one authenticated GET request. This guide takes you from token to first response.

Jul 15, 2026 3 min read

Sneaker identification & sourcing

Cover: GTIN requirements by marketplace: where sneaker listings need a UPC or EAN

GTIN requirements by marketplace: where sneaker listings need a UPC or EAN

Amazon and Google ask for the manufacturer GTIN on branded shoes. eBay asks for it in most categories. StockX and GOAT list by catalog match or style code.

Oct 2, 2026 9 min read
Cover: Google Merchant Center GTIN for sneakers: gtin, mpn, brand and identifier_exists

Google Merchant Center GTIN for sneakers: gtin, mpn, brand and identifier_exists

Branded shoes need the manufacturer GTIN for each size in a Merchant Center feed. The mpn, brand and identifier_exists attributes cover the cases where no GTIN exists.

Oct 2, 2026 7 min read
Cover: eBay and Amazon UPC requirements for shoes

eBay and Amazon UPC requirements for shoes

Amazon requires a product ID for shoes and lists no exception for the category. eBay requires identifiers in most categories and limits when "Does not apply" may be used.

Oct 2, 2026 7 min read
Cover: Valid sneaker barcode no result? Troubleshooting lookup coverage

Valid sneaker barcode no result? Troubleshooting lookup coverage

A barcode can pass validation and still return no product result. Learn how to separate input errors, normalization issues and catalog misses before accepting or replacing the number.

Oct 1, 2026 3 min read
Cover: Can a barcode tell if sneakers are real?

Can a barcode tell if sneakers are real?

What a barcode lookup can and cannot tell you about sneaker authenticity, and how to use it as one signal among several.

Jul 15, 2026 3 min read
Cover: SKU lookup vs barcode lookup for resellers

SKU lookup vs barcode lookup for resellers

The difference between looking up a product by SKU or style number and by barcode, and when to use each one for sourcing.

Jul 15, 2026 3 min read
Cover: Speeding up warehouse sneaker intake with barcode lookups

Speeding up warehouse sneaker intake with barcode lookups

Identifying incoming sneakers by hand is slow and error-prone. A box barcode plus a lookup call turns intake into a scan that auto-fills name, style code, colorway and size.

Jul 15, 2026 3 min read