Global Trade Identification Numbers are an important factor in online advertising, particularly in Google Shopping. This article will outline how to get this information, and what to do with it when you have it.
To get the best out of your Google Shopping (and other online advertising) you want to identify your products as precisely as possible. One of the key data points for doing this is the Global Trade Identification Number, or GTIN. For more information, you can refer to What is a GTIN and why does Google want it?
How do I find the right GTINs for my products?
GTINs come in many forms, but most commonly they line up with barcodes printed on your product packaging. As such, you may already have the information you need. Some common sources of GTINs include:
- Supplier databases
- Inventory management systems
- POS systems
- Enterprise Resource Planning systems
These data sources are usually the best, because they will cover a large proportion of your products, and often have direct integrations to your website that will allow you to get the data into your product feed in bulk.
However, sometimes you have to find GTINs one by one. In this case, you may be able to use one of the following techniques:
- Enter the barcode directly from the physical product
- Contact your supplier
- Search for the product in an online database like https://www.upcitemdb.com
- Search for your product on other websites, some of which may surface the GTIN
How do I get the GTINs into my feed?
OK, so you have found the information you need. But how do you get it into the feed?
The best way is usually to do this directly in your eCommerce platform. The mechanism will vary somewhat from platform to platform. Here are some examples:
If you are not able to work out where to put the information for your eCommerce platform, you can contact us using the chat function below and we will do our best to help you figure it out.
In some cases, you may not be able to enter the data directly into your eCommerce platform. In this case, you can use the "Product Level Optimizations" feature in FeedOps to directly edit the GTIN for each product.