Barcode Scan to Variants icon

Barcode Scan to Variants

Scan. Next row. Scan.

Scan the barcode already printed on the product with any USB scanner. It lands on the right Shopify variant, the cursor moves to the next row, and you pick up the next item. No typing, no clicks, no re-opening each variant.

Install from the Shopify App Store Listing coming soon — ask for early access

The problem it solves

If you sell other brands' products, every new style arrives with a barcode already on the box. Shopify needs that barcode on the variant before POS can scan it, before Google Shopping accepts it, and before any label app can print it. Recording it by hand means opening each variant, expanding the barcode panel, clicking into the field, scanning, saving — four to six clicks per barcode, and the scanner's Enter key does nothing. A carton of new arrivals becomes an afternoon.

Barcode generators don't help here: they invent a new code. This app records the one that already exists.

When you'll use it

📦

Receiving new arrivals

Filter to "missing barcode" for the supplier, open the carton, scan each new style once. Done before the box is empty.

🗂️

Setting up or migrating a catalog

Hundreds or thousands of variants without barcodes after an import. Scan them off the shelf in scan mode, or import a CSV from your supplier.

🔄

Seasonal drops

Apparel, footwear, gifts, books: every season brings new styles in every size and colour. Each one is a variant that needs its barcode recorded.

How it works

1. Pick the rows

Filter variants by collection, vendor, tag, or just "missing barcode". Or select products in your Shopify product list and choose Scan barcodes from More actions.

2. Scan

The cursor sits on the first row. Scan the item; the barcode appears, the row moves on. Scan the next item. Any USB or Bluetooth scanner in keyboard mode works — Enter, Tab or no suffix, detected automatically.

3. Save

Scans are collected locally and written to Shopify in batches, so the screen never waits for the network. Every batch is logged and can be undone.

Unknown barcode? Bind it.

Scan a barcode Shopify doesn't know and the app asks which variant it belongs to — search by SKU or title — instead of stopping at "not found".

Warehouse mode: no screen needed

Scan your shelf SKU label, then the product barcode. The app pairs them. Walk the aisle with a wireless scanner and save when you're back at the desk. Or use your phone's camera.

Duplicates and bad codes flagged

A code already used on another variant turns the row red with a link. Check digits are verified before saving, so a code that won't scan at the register never gets saved.

Also included

Scanner setup

Any barcode scanner that types into a text box works: USB or Bluetooth, 1D or 2D, from Zebra, Honeywell, Dymo, Newland, Tera, Inateck, NetumScan, Eyoyo and most others. The scanner behaves like a keyboard — it "types" the barcode and then sends a finishing key.

Step 1 — Plug it in and scan once

On the app's first screen, click the test box and scan any barcode. The app tells you what it received and which finishing key your scanner sends (Enter, Tab, or none) and configures itself. That's it for most scanners.

Step 2 — Only if the test fails

Your scanner may be in a mode other than keyboard (HID) output, or sending an unusual suffix. Every scanner manual has a page of "setup barcodes" you scan to change these. What to look for:

  • Interface / output mode: set to USB keyboard (HID).
  • Terminator / suffix: Enter (CR, 0x0D) is the usual default and works best. Tab (0x09) also works. "CR+LF" works — the app ignores the second key.
  • Keyboard layout: US English. Other layouts can swap characters in barcodes with letters.

Manual page references for common models are listed in the app's Settings → Scanner guide.

Scanning off a screen

2D (imager) scanners read barcodes from phone and monitor screens; older 1D laser scanners usually don't. If you plan to scan supplier PDFs or spreadsheets on screen, use a 2D scanner.

Pricing

Free

$0 / month

  • • Up to 50 variants written per month
  • • All scan modes, duplicate check, batch undo, CSV export
  • • Email support

Enough for most stores outside receiving season. No card required.

Unlimited

$4.99 / month

  • • Unlimited variants
  • • CSV import, warehouse pairing mode
  • • Priority email support

Billed through Shopify. Cancel any time from your admin.

FAQ

Does it change my inventory quantities?

No. It writes barcodes only. Receiving quantities stay in Shopify's purchase orders or your inventory app.

Where do the barcodes go?

Into Shopify's own barcode field on the variant. POS, label printers, Google Shopping feeds and every other app read the same field. Nothing is stored in a second system.

Does it work with the new multiple-barcodes-per-variant feature?

The app is built for it. Shopify's admin already shows multiple barcodes with types; the public API for apps is expected in an upcoming release. The moment it's available, the app will let you record several codes per variant (supplier UPC, case GTIN-14, ASIN, your own code) with types detected automatically.

I make my own products — they have no barcodes.

Use "Generate for missing" to create internal codes with valid check digits, then print them with any label app. If you sell on Amazon or Walmart you'll need GS1-registered codes instead; we don't sell those.

Does it need a specific scanner?

Any scanner that works as a keyboard. See Scanner setup.

What data does the app access?

Products, variants and inventory (read) and the variant barcode field (write). No orders, no customer data. See our privacy policy.

Support

Email support@entropylabs.dev. We reply in writing within one business day (48 hours at weekends). Include your store's .myshopify.com domain and, for scanner questions, the scanner model and what the test box reported.

Changelog: v1.0 — initial release.