# GTIN

Category: [E-Commerce SEO](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/e-commerce-seo/) › [Product data, feeds & Shopping](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/e-commerce-seo/product-data-feeds-shopping/) · Also known as: Global Trade Item Number, EAN, UPC

A **GTIN** (Global Trade Item Number) is a globally unique number that identifies a product, usually shown as the barcode on its packaging. In SEO it matters because Google uses it in Merchant Center and in Product markup to match a product to the same product at other stores.

## What formats does a GTIN have?

The GTIN is the number itself, and the barcode is the machine-readable symbol that encodes it. GS1 Germany says the manufacturer or brand owner typically assigns it, not the reseller. Four lengths exist: GTIN-8 for small items, GTIN-12 (the North American UPC), GTIN-13 (the EAN used in Europe and elsewhere) and GTIN-14 for cases and logistics units. Every UPC is a GTIN, but not every GTIN is a UPC.

Google's Merchant Center help lists the accepted formats for the `gtin` attribute: UPC with 12 digits, EAN with 13, JAN with 8 or 13, ISBN with 13 and ITF-14 with 14 digits. UPC-E codes with 8 digits must be converted to 12-digit UPC-A, and ISBN-10 values to ISBN-13.

## What does the GTIN mean for SEO?

Google recommends submitting the GTIN whenever the product has one, to help classify and display the product. In Product markup, `gtin`, `mpn` and `sku` appear among the recommended properties. Google notes that not every product has a GTIN. Products without a manufacturer-assigned GTIN need an MPN in the feed, and custom-made products can mark `identifier_exists` as "no".

Use only numbers the manufacturer assigned. Google advises checking the source when a third party supplies GTINs.

## Example

```json
{
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Trail running shoe Alpine",
  "gtin13": "4006381333931",
  "mpn": "ALP-2026-42"
}
```

## Common mistakes

- **Making up a GTIN.** Not every product has a GTIN. Google advises contacting the manufacturer if one is missing instead of inventing a number.
- **Taking third-party data on trust.** If a third party supplies GTINs, Google advises verifying that the source is legitimate.
- **Submitting an unaccepted format.** 8-digit UPC-E codes must be converted to 12-digit UPC-A, and ISBN-10 values to ISBN-13.

## FAQ

**What does GTIN stand for?**
Global Trade Item Number.

**Is GTIN the same as SKU?**
No. According to reports, a SKU is an internal stock code that a seller defines. A GTIN is assigned by the manufacturer and is the same across all sellers.

## Related terms

- [Manufacturer part number](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/manufacturer-part-number/index.md)
- [Google Merchant Center](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/google-merchant-center/index.md)
- [Product schema](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/product-schema/index.md)
- [Product feed](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/product-feed/index.md)
- [AI product feed](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/ai-product-feed/index.md)
- [Product variants](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/product-variants/index.md)

## Sources

- [GTIN [gtin] – Merchant Center Help](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6219078?hl=en)
- [Product structured data – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/product)
- [What is a GTIN? – Commport (secondary)](https://www.commport.com/what-is-a-gtin/)
- [GTIN vs. UPC, EAN, FNSKU, ISBN – Inflow Inventory (secondary)](https://www.inflowinventory.com/blog/gtin-vs-upc/)
- [Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) – GS1](https://www.gs1.org/standards/id-keys/gtin)
- [GTIN – GS1 Germany](https://www.gs1-germany.de/standards/identifikation/artikel-gtin-sgtin/)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/gtin/