Shopify Barcodes: Make Labels for Your Shopify Products

Make barcode labels for your Shopify products: paste each variant's barcode or SKU with its title and size, or open a CSV or Excel file, then print Code 128, UPC or EAN labels on Avery sheets as a PDF. Shopify also has its own free label app; this page says when each one fits.

Valid

Data

5 lines

One label per line, with up to two caption lines after a tab. Rows copied from a spreadsheet work too (tab, comma, semicolon or vertical bar).

Sheet

Sizes taken from the manufacturers' published templates. Print the calibration page first to check them against your sheets.

Paper

Pitch is measured from the left edge of one label to the left edge of the next (or top to top).

Start at label skips the labels already used on a sheet (shown dashed in the preview). Shift corrects a printer that prints off-center: positive values move everything right and down.

Fill order

Barcode

Any ASCII text.

Text font, size and alignment

Font

Alignment

Colors

Contrast 21.0:1; estimated symbol contrast 100%. Below 20% is refused.

Captions

Placed with the barcode, centered, in Helvetica. A line wider than the label is cut with an ellipsis.

Position

Split puts the first caption line above the barcode and the second below it, as on a hang tag.

Quiet zone (modules)Each type's minimum

Each row uses the minimum quiet zone of its type. Type a value to use your own for every row.

Rotation and background0° · Filled

Rotation

In the preview, a checkered pattern shows the transparent areas. Print a transparent barcode only on a white or very light surface: scanners need the light quiet zone around it. JPEG files keep the background color.

Presets0 saved

No presets yet. Save the current settings to reuse them.

    Presets stay in this browser. They keep the type, size, style and output; the data, the column choices and the logo are not saved.

    Recent batches0

    The batches you make appear here, newest first.

      The last 10 batches, kept in this browser only. The files themselves are not kept.

      Check

      Checking…

      RowStatusValueFile name

      Slower. Barcodes that do not read back are listed in the CSV.

      Every row with its final value, check digits added, type, file name and status.
      Sheet 1 of 1 · US LetterValid
      Sheet 1 of 1

      Print simulation

      Shows how a worn print of the first barcode looks and tests it with the decoder.

      Labels
      0
      Sheets
      0
      Per sheet
      24 (3 × 8)
      Label size
      63.5 × 30.0 mm
      Barcode size
      —
      Cannot be drawn
      0

      Download

      Before you print

      A PDF test sheet with the first barcode at 80%, 100% and 150% and rulers. Print it at actual size and scan each copy.

      Up to 5,000 labels in one PDF (about 209 sheets of 24).

      Everything runs in your browser; nothing you paste or open is uploaded.

      How to Make Barcode Labels for Shopify Products

      List each variant's barcode with its title, choose the barcode type and the label sheet, and print one test page before the rest.

      1. Copy the barcode or SKU of each variant from Shopify, with its title and size, into the box above, one variant per line, or open a CSV or Excel file of them.
      2. Choose the barcode type: UPC-A or EAN-13 for GS1 numbers, Code 128 for your own codes.
      3. Keep the Avery 5163 sheet, or choose Avery 5160 for small items, and set copies for the number of items you stock.
      4. Print the calibration page and one sheet, scan a few labels, then print the rest.

      Barcode Types for Shopify Products

      Shopify's help names GTINs (UPC, EAN and ISBN) for products sold through other channels, and Code 128 or Code 39 for your own codes.

      GTINs: UPC, EAN and ISBN

      • UPC-A: a GTIN-12, used on retail products mostly in North America.
      • EAN-13: a GTIN-13, used on retail products mostly outside North America.
      • ISBN: the number of a book edition, a GTIN-13 of 13 digits.

      Code 128 for Your Own Codes

      Code 128 holds letters, digits and symbols, so a SKU such as TSH-BLU-M works as written. It is the type Shopify's own label app makes, and it suits barcodes you scan in your own store or stockroom.

      Shopify's Free Barcode Generator

      Shopify makes a free app, Retail Barcode Labels, that creates barcodes and prints labels from the Shopify admin; use it when its limits suit your store.

      • Code 128 only: the app makes no UPC or EAN barcodes.
      • 8-digit numbers: it takes the last 8 digits of each variant ID, so two products can, rarely, get the same barcode.
      • Overwrites: creating barcodes for all products replaces barcodes you typed in by hand.
      • Label sizes: a fixed list of Dymo, Avery and Zebra labels, Avery 5160 and 5167 among them; no custom sizes.
      • Printing: each variant and quantity is picked by hand, with no CSV upload, and an iPad prints through Dymo's own app instead.

      The label generator on this page prints any barcode type on Avery or custom sheets and reads a CSV or Excel file. It does not connect to your store: you enter the barcodes in Shopify yourself.

      When You Need GS1 Barcodes Instead

      Shopify says the 8-digit barcodes of its app are not suitable for Google Shopping, because they can repeat across stores; for Google and other channels it points to unique barcodes from GS1.

      Getting UPCs in the United States

      GS1 US licenses a single GTIN or a GS1 Company Prefix for many products. Each variation, such as a size or a color, needs its own number, and the generator then draws it.

      What is a UPC code? the 12 digits, the check digit and how a company gets them.

      Your Own Codes in Your Own Store

      Barcodes that never leave your store, such as SKUs scanned at your own checkout, need no GS1 number. Keep them unique per variant so a scan finds one product.

      Printing Shopify Barcode Labels

      Print at 300 dpi or more, at least 1.5 inches wide and 1 inch tall, in black or another dark ink, and test one sheet first, as Shopify's printing guidelines say.

      • Number under the bars: keep the human readable digits, so a damaged label can still be typed.
      • No red or brown ink: scanners read dark bars on a light background.
      • One barcode per variant: each size or color gets its own barcode.
      • Flat and whole: do not fold the label, wrap it in tape or cut off its top or bottom.

      The tool opens on Avery 5163 labels, 4 by 2 inches, with bars 22 mm tall, so the barcode with its digits is about 1 inch tall as Shopify asks. Avery 5160 labels, which Shopify's app also prints, are only 1 inch tall in all: they take a shorter barcode, so test-scan them first.

      The generator never shrinks a barcode to fit a label: it says when a label is too small and what to change.

      Barcode label generator six Avery sheets, custom grids and a calibration page.

      Adding Barcodes to Shopify Products

      Type each barcode into the product's or the variant's details in the Shopify admin, or import many at once with Shopify's product CSV.

      Enter the same value you print: the digits of a UPC or EAN, or the exact text of a Code 128 code, with the same capital letters and dashes. Then scan one printed label into the admin's search to check that it finds the product.

      Barcode scanner reads a printed label with a camera or a USB scanner and shows the exact text.

      Frequently Asked Questions

      Does Shopify Have a Free Barcode Generator?

      Yes. Shopify's Retail Barcode Labels app is free and makes Code 128 barcodes from the variant IDs, then prints them on supported labels. It makes no UPC or EAN barcodes.

      Can I Use Shopify's App Barcodes on Google Shopping?

      Shopify says no: its 8-digit barcodes can be shared across stores, so they are not suitable for Google Shopping. Use unique GTINs licensed from GS1 for Google and other channels.

      Can Two Shopify Products Get the Same Barcode?

      With Shopify's app, rarely, because it uses the last 8 digits of the variant ID. Check new barcodes for repeats, or type a different barcode for one of the variants.

      What Size Should a Shopify Barcode Label Be?

      Shopify's guidelines ask for a barcode at least 1.5 inches wide and 1 inch tall, printed at 300 dpi or more. A 4 by 2 inch label such as Avery 5163 holds that with a caption; a 1-inch-tall label holds only a shorter barcode.

      Which Barcode Type Should I Use for Shopify?

      UPC-A or EAN-13 when the product carries a GTIN from GS1, and Code 128 for your own SKUs. Use the type the barcode field of the product already holds.

      Is Barcode.codes Connected to My Shopify Store?

      No. Barcode.codes draws the labels in your browser from the values you give it and is not affiliated with Shopify. You enter or import the barcodes in Shopify yourself.

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