How to Create Barcodes for Your Products (Small Business Guide)

Barcodes make selling and stock-keeping faster — scan instead of typing, track inventory accurately, and look professional. The good news for a small business: you can create your own scannable barcodes for free, no special equipment needed. Here is how to do it the simple way.

Do You Need to Buy Barcodes?

For selling on major retail chains or some marketplaces, you may need official GS1 UPC/EAN numbers (those are purchased). But for your own internal use — inventory, your own store, asset tracking, warehouse — you can create your own Code 128 barcodes for free. They scan perfectly with any standard reader; they just are not globally registered, which internal use does not require.

How to Create a Product Barcode

1. 1Open the WowShortcuts Barcode Generator.
2. 2Type your product code or SKU (e.g. TSHIRT-RED-M).
3. 3Adjust the size if needed and download the PNG to print on a label or include on packaging.

Create All Your Products at Once

Have a whole catalog? Switch to Bulk mode, upload a CSV of your products (your existing inventory spreadsheet works — just save it as CSV), and pick the SKU column. Then either download every barcode as a ZIP of images, or print a label sheet with several per row.

1. 1Export your product list to CSV
2. 2Upload it and select the SKU/code column
3. 3Download a ZIP of all barcodes, or a print-ready label sheet PDF

What You Can Use Them For

• Price/stock labels on products and shelves
• Inventory counts — scan to update quantities
• Asset tags for equipment and tools
• Warehouse picking and packing
• Order fulfillment and shipping

Tips for Scannable Barcodes

• Print clearly — avoid blurry or low-resolution prints
• Leave white space (quiet zone) around the barcode — the tool adds this automatically
• Bigger is safer for reliable scanning; do not shrink too small
• Test-scan a printed label with your scanner or a phone app before printing hundreds

Conclusion

You do not need expensive software or registered numbers to barcode your own inventory. Use the WowShortcuts Barcode Generator to create scannable Code 128 barcodes one at a time or in bulk from a spreadsheet — free, private, with printable label sheets.