Product Identifiers are codes assigned to products that uniquely define them. Unlike other product data such as a product's description or image, Product Identifiers are permanent. Once they are assigned, they should stay consistent over time so they can be used to identify products no matter where or when the product is listed.

Product Identifiers are stored in a merchant's Product Catalog, and are used by merchants, manufacturers, sales channels, etc., to identify exact products.

There are different types of Product Identifiers. Each serve their own purpose and can be grouped into three levels according to how they're assigned and controlled.

Below is a list of the different Product Identifiers that Junip uses and what level they can be categorized at:

Identifiers at this level are created and controlled by the merchant of the product.

A SKU is a unique alphanumeric code that merchants assign to each of their products. They are usually an abbreviation of meaningful product attributes so it's easy to identify a product across a catalog without having to look at the product name. SKUs are not standardized and are only used for internal identification of sales and inventory.

A Product ID is a sequence of numbers that's generated for every product a merchant sells on their Shopify store. It's mainly used by Shopify and other connected apps for managing and syncing Shopify product data, as well as tracking inventory and fulfillment data.

This is exactly the same as a Product ID, however it defines a product on the variant level. For example, when a product has multiple variants, such as a T-shirt that comes in different colours, each colour T-shirt will share the same product ID but have a unique Product Variant ID.

This is the name a company assigns their product and is what customers see on product listings. In Shopify it's referred to as the 'Product Title'. A product's display name is one of the most important parts on the product listing as it communicates what a product is.

Identifiers at this level are created and controlled by the manufacturer of the product.

An MPN is an alpha numeric code issued by the manufacturer of a product. It's used to specify what a product is and who it's made by. Manufacturers set their own standards of formatting MPNs and use it across all products they produce. MPNs are universal across the supply chain (i.e distributors, wholesalers, retailers, etc.) and are used to link a product back to its source.

This identifier represents the Brand name a company has given their products. Unlike other Product Identifiers, all of the products a merchant sells typically share the same Brand name. A Brand only specifies who sells the product, not what the product is. Therefore it's mainly used by consumers to help identify products from others on the market.

Identifiers at this level are assigned and controlled by an external organization that manages all global identifiers.

A GTIN is a series of numbers assigned by an external organization called GS1 and can be found under the barcode on a product's packaging. GTINs are an internationally standardized system for uniquely defining products across every channel, region and marketplace. They are highly regulated and merchants must purchase GTINs for their products from GS1. No individual merchant or third party can create their own GTINs.

Compared to every other Product Identifier, GTINs are the best at identifying individual products. They eliminate the possibility of mistaking one product for another because they are managed by a governing body that ensures every GTIN is unique to a product.

Every type of Product Identifier is assigned and controlled differently. Some are highly standardized (i.e GTINs) while others are entirely un-standardized (i.e SKUs). When a Product Identifier is not standardized, it creates the possibility that two unrelated products could share the same identifiers.

Product Identifiers that can uniquely define products in the global market place are called Unique Product Identifiers, or UPIs. Any type of GTIN is considered a UPI. When a product doesn't have a GTIN, a Brand + MPN pairing can be used as an alternative.