// GTIN & MPN
Google Merchant Center GTIN & MPN — required attributes explained
GTIN and MPN are the two product identifiers Google uses to match your items against its product catalog. Missing or wrong values are the #1 reason branded products get disapproved silently.
// Find missing identifiers
Scan your product pages for missing GTIN/MPN data
Our scanner reads your product page structured data and reports which fields are missing or weak before they hit your feed.
Scan my product pages →What is a GTIN?
Global Trade Item Number — the international barcode of the product. Comes in UPC (12 digits, US), EAN (13 digits, EU), JAN (Japan), and ITF-14 (case lots) formats. Required for any product with an existing manufacturer barcode.
What is an MPN?
Manufacturer Part Number — the manufacturer's internal product code. Required when GTIN is unavailable. Brand + MPN together act as a fallback identifier for Google's matching.
Who needs which
- Reselling a branded product — GTIN required. If you genuinely cannot get it, use brand + MPN.
- Your own brand — use brand + MPN. You don't need GTIN if the product doesn't have a barcode.
- Custom / handmade — set identifier_exists = false. Google understands.
- Bundles / multipacks — use the bundle GTIN if one exists, otherwise brand + MPN.
Common GTIN/MPN mistakes
- Wrong checksum digit — the last GTIN digit is calculated from the others. Pasting a malformed value triggers disapproval.
- Using SKU as GTIN — your store SKU is not a GTIN. They're different.
- Reusing the same GTIN across variants — each colour/size should have its own GTIN if the barcode differs.
- Missing brand field with MPN — MPN only works as identifier when brand is also present.