How to Add GTINs in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

Selling products online requires accurate product information, and including GTINs (Global Trade Item Numbers) is crucial for efficient inventory management and seamless integration with marketplaces like Amazon and Google Shopping. This guide will walk you through adding GTINs to your WooCommerce store, even if you’re a complete beginner.

What is a GTIN?

A GTIN is a unique identifier for a product. Think of it like a product’s fingerprint – no two products should have the same GTIN. There are different types of GTINs, including:

• GTIN-8: Used for small items with limited packaging.
• GTIN-12: (UPC-A) Commonly used in North America.
• GTIN-13: (EAN-13) The most common type globally, often found on the back of products.
• GTIN-14: Used for shipping container identification.

For most WooCommerce users, you’ll be working with GTIN-13 (EAN-13) or GTIN-12 (UPC-A). Your product manufacturer or supplier should provide these numbers.

Why are GTINs Important for WooCommerce?

Adding GTINs to your WooCommerce products offers several key advantages:

• Improved Product Visibility: Marketplaces like Amazon and Google Shopping require GTINs to list your products. Without them, your products won’t appear in search results, severely limiting your reach.
• Accurate Inventory Management: GTINs ensure accurate tracking of your stock levels, preventing stockouts and overstocking.
• Enhanced Sales: By providing complete and accurate product information, you build trust with customers, leading to increased sales.
• Simplified Data Feeds: GTINs streamline the process of exporting your product data to various platforms and channels.

Imagine trying to sell a popular brand of coffee online without providing the correct UPC (a type of GTIN). You wouldn’t be able to list it on major retailers, significantly impacting your sales.

Methods for Adding GTINs to WooCommerce

There are two main ways to add GTINs to your WooCommerce products:

• Manually through Product Attributes: This method is suitable for stores with a small number of products.
• Go to Products > All Products in your WordPress admin dashboard.
• Edit the product you want to add a GTIN to.
• Under the Product Data tab, scroll down to Attributes.
• Click “Add” to add a new attribute. Set the name to “GTIN” (or similar) and choose a “Text” type.
• Save the changes. Now, when you add a new product, or edit an existing one, you’ll find a “GTIN” field where you can enter the GTIN number.
• Using a WooCommerce Extension: This is the recommended method for larger stores or those needing more advanced features. Several plugins allow you to easily manage GTINs and other product attributes. Examples include “Product Attribute Manager” or other similar plugins. These plugins often offer bulk-import options, saving you significant time and effort if you have hundreds or thousands of products. Search for “GTIN WooCommerce” in your WordPress plugin directory to find suitable options.

Example: Adding a GTIN Manually

Let’s say you’re selling a “Blue Widget” with a GTIN-13 of 1900000000000.

1. Go to Products > All Products.

2. Edit your “Blue Widget” product.

3. Add the “GTIN” attribute (as described above).

4. Enter `1900000000000` in the “GTIN” field for the “Blue Widget.”

5. Save your changes.

Conclusion

Adding GTINs to your WooCommerce products is a vital step in optimizing your online store for success. While manual entry is possible for smaller inventories, using a dedicated plugin offers significant advantages for efficiency and scalability. By implementing this crucial piece of product information, you will improve your product visibility, streamline inventory management, and ultimately boost your sales. Remember to always double-check the GTINs provided by your suppliers to ensure accuracy.