WooCommerce Barcode: The Complete Guide for Store Owners

To add barcodes to a WooCommerce store, install a barcode plugin that generates codes for your products or orders, displays them on the product page, order screen, or emails, and lets you scan them with a standard barcode reader or a phone camera. 

This guide covers why barcodes are worth the setup time, how to add one to a product, a few best practices, and a comparison of five widely used WooCommerce barcode plugins.

Why WooCommerce stores use barcodes

Barcodes solve a specific set of operational problems that come up once a catalog or order volume grows past what a spreadsheet can handle cleanly. A few reasons stores adopt them:

• Fewer manual errors: scanning a code removes the manual lookup and re-typing steps where mistakes creep in.
• More accurate inventory tracking: barcodes give you a real-time read on stock levels and order status instead of a periodic manual count.
• Faster audits: a scan takes seconds; a manual count of the same shelf takes minutes.
• Better decisions: order speed, inventory turnover, and product life cycle data all improve once they’re tied to scannable codes instead of manual logs.
• Low cost to start: most stores need only a barcode plugin and a barcode generator to get running, which is cheaper than the labor cost of manual inventory checks over time.

One note on setup: use a unique barcode per item. Duplicate barcodes across different products will corrupt your inventory data before you even notice the problem.

Some industries, particularly food and other perishables, treat barcode-based batch tracking as close to a regulatory expectation rather than a nice-to-have, since it’s what makes a fast, accurate recall possible if something goes wrong.

How to add a barcode to a WooCommerce product

The exact settings screen varies by plugin, but the setup flow is nearly identical across all of them:

1. Install and activate a barcode plugin (see the comparison below for options).
2. Open the plugin’s settings, usually under WooCommerce > Settings or a dedicated menu item the plugin adds.
3. Choose a barcode type: Code 128 and QR Code cover most use cases; EAN/UPC formats matter if you sell on marketplaces that require standardized product identifiers.
4. Decide what triggers barcode generation: most plugins can auto-generate one per product or order, or you can enter one manually if you already have GTIN/EAN codes from a supplier.
5. Turn on display for the fields you need: product page, order details page, order confirmation email, or printed invoice.
6. Scan the result with a barcode scanner or your phone’s camera to confirm it reads correctly before rolling it out across your catalog.

If you need barcodes tied to marketplace compliance (Google Shopping, Amazon, eBay), confirm the plugin supports EAN, UPC, or GTIN formats specifically. Several plugins on this list are order-focused rather than product-identifier-focused, so check that distinction before you commit to one.

Best practices for using WooCommerce barcodes

A barcode system only pays off if it’s set up in a way that actually saves time day to day. Three things make the biggest difference:

Place barcodes where they’re easy to find. If you or your staff need to rotate a product to locate the code, the barcode is working against you instead of for you. Pick one consistent placement, on the product itself or on the shelf label, and stick to it.

Standardize the barcode format from day one. Whether you use 1D or 2D codes, keep the data structure consistent across your catalog. Mixed formats create confusion once you’re managing hundreds or thousands of SKUs.

Get the whole team trained and using it. A barcode system with partial adoption produces inconsistent inventory data, which is often worse than no system at all. Budget time to train staff before rolling it out store-wide.

5 popular WooCommerce barcode plugins

Each of these plugins covers a slightly different job, from order-level tracking to product-level GTIN compliance to physical label printing. Here’s what each one does well.

1. WooCommerce order barcodes

WooCommerce Order Barcodes is the official order-barcode extension from WooCommerce itself, built for generating a unique barcode per order rather than per product. The barcode appears in the order confirmation email and on the order details page in the customer’s account, so it’s ready to use for e-tickets, packing slips, or event check-ins without extra setup.

Key features:

• Generates five barcode types: Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, Data Matrix, and QR Code.
• Unique barcode per order, viewable and printable by both store owner and customer.
• Works on tablets and smartphones.
• Includes a built-in scanner for completing orders.
• Scannable via shortcode placement anywhere on the site.
• Compatible with WooCommerce Bookings.
• iOS and Android scanner support.
• Can generate barcodes retroactively for existing orders.

2. YITH WooCommerce barcodes and QR codes

YITH WooCommerce Barcodes and QR Codes covers both products and orders, which makes it a fit for stores that want one plugin handling inventory-side barcodes and order-side barcodes together. It displays the code on the product page and order details page, and it integrates with YITH’s own Point of Sale plugin for barcode-based checkout.

Key features:

• Assigns barcodes and QR codes to both products and orders, including product variations.
• Supports 10 barcode formats: EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, STD 25, INT 25, Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, Codabar, and QR Code.
• Can generate a barcode from product ID, SKU, or a custom field.
• Lets customers search products or orders by barcode.
• Shows barcodes on the edit-order screen and product page.
• Supports both manual entry of pre-printed codes and automatic generation.
• Prints all product barcodes to a single PDF, sorted by variation and stock.

3. Order Barcodes for WooCommerce

Order Barcodes for WooCommerce, sold on Envato Market by plugindistrict, focuses on the check-in and fulfillment side of order tracking rather than product-level inventory. It’s built for scenarios like event ticketing, will-call pickup, and warehouse fulfillment, where staff need to scan a code and move an order to its next status in one step.

Key features:

• Auto-generates barcodes and QR codes for every order.
• Codes appear in order emails and the WooCommerce admin.
• Built-in scan form for rapid check-in from a desktop or laptop.
• Supports 6 formats: Code 39, Code 128a, Code 128b, Code 128c, 4 of 5 Interleaved, and QR Code.
• Scanning a QR code can update order status automatically.
• Shortcode support to place the scan form anywhere.
• Works across desktop, tablet, and mobile.

4. Print Barcode Labels for WooCommerce

Print Barcode Labels for WooCommerce, developed by UkrSolution (listed on WordPress.org as “Print Labels with Barcodes”), is built specifically for physical label printing rather than digital display. It’s the option to reach for if your workflow ends with a printed sticker on a shelf or package rather than a barcode shown in an email or on a webpage.

Key features:

• Generates and prints barcode labels for products, categories, and orders.
• Labels can include product name, price, SKU, and custom attributes.
• Readable by standard barcode scanners and smartphone barcode apps.
• Customizable label design, including logo and font size.
• Compatible with a range of printer types and label formats.
• Supports major formats: Code 128, Code 39, QR Code, Data Matrix, GTIN, and the GS1/UPC-EAN family.
• Integrates with Contact Form 7 and Flamingo fields.

5. Woolabel: QR code & barcode generator label printing

Woolabel is a premium plugin built specifically for internal label printing rather than customer-facing barcodes, so it’s not the right fit if you need a barcode shown in an order email. What it does well is bulk label generation for warehouse and shelf use, including a direct integration with ATUM inventory management for printing labels straight from purchase orders.

Key features:

• Generates and prints physical barcode, QR code, and product labels.
• Works alongside online POS systems.
• Labels can include price, SKU, product title, and custom text.
• Bulk printing directly from ATUM purchase orders.
• Supports most major formats: Codabar, EAN-8, EAN-13, Standard 2 of 5, Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, MSI, Data Matrix, and QR Code.
• Prints across product variations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key takeaways

• A WooCommerce barcode system cuts manual errors and gives you real-time inventory and order data, but only if every item gets a unique code.
• Adding a barcode to a product takes five steps: install the plugin, choose a format, decide how codes are generated, turn on display, and test the scan.
• WooCommerce Order Barcodes and Order Barcodes for WooCommerce are built for order-level tracking, tickets, and check-ins.
• YITH WooCommerce Barcodes and QR Codes covers both products and orders, plus POS integration.
• Print Barcode Labels for WooCommerce and Woolabel are the two options built specifically for physical label printing rather than digital display.
• If you sell on marketplaces requiring GTIN, EAN, or UPC compliance, confirm the plugin supports those formats before choosing it, since not every option on this list does.
• Consistent placement, a standardized format, and full team training matter more to day-to-day results than which plugin you pick.