Katana supports several barcode types to help you track items, batches, and sales more efficiently.
Each type has a specific purpose — from supplier-specific tracking to retail-ready codes.
Note: Each barcode is assigned at the item variant level.
Barcode types at a glance
Barcode type | Purpose | Typical use case |
Supplier item codes | Identify raw materials or products from a specific supplier | |
Internal barcodes | Track stock movements and manufacturing material usage | Stocktakes, material consumption reporting |
Barcodes for batches | Identify specific batches of items | Batch tracking and expiration management |
Registered barcodes | Retail and e-commerce sales | Product labels for stores or online marketplaces |
Supplier item codes
Purpose: Identify materials or purchased products from suppliers.
How it works:
If a supplier provides a barcode on received items, save that number as the Supplier Item Code in Katana.
Each variant can store multiple supplier item codes.
If multiple suppliers provide the same variant with different barcodes, you can still match the correct variant during receiving.
Benefit: Speeds up purchase receiving by scanning instead of searching.
Internal barcodes
Purpose: Track inventory movements and manufacturing usage inside Katana.
Use cases:
Count stock during stocktakes.
Identify and consume materials during manufacturing.
Rules:
Always unique across the Katana account.
Can be automatically generated or entered manually.
Barcodes for batches
Purpose: Track specific batches of items.
Details:
A subset of Internal Barcodes, but applied at the batch level.
Always unique across the account.
Can be generated automatically or entered manually.
Benefit: Enables precise batch tracking for traceability and expiration control.
Registered barcodes
Purpose: Used for retail and e-commerce product identification.
Details:
Applied to physical product labels for sale to customers.
If selling on online marketplaces or in retail stores, these can be the barcodes printed on your products.
Often sourced from GS1 — once registered, GS1 barcodes can be used as Registered Barcodes in Katana.
Enabling or disabling barcode types
Go to Settings → Barcodes.
Toggle on/off the barcode types you want to use.
Where barcodes appear in Katana
Once enabled, barcode numbers are visible in:
Items screen
Item card
Stock screen → Batches tab
Purchase order card
Purchase order receive modal
Manufacturing order batch modal
Stock adjustment batch modal
Stock transfer batch modal
Notes
Barcode scanning is available on Standard and Professional plans.
All barcode numbers must be unique within their type.
Changing tracking type may delete existing barcode data — export before making changes.
This structure makes it quick for someone to:
Understand all barcode options.
Pick the right type for their workflow.
Know exactly where to enable and see them.
Your feedback is invaluable. Let us know your thoughts on this article or anything in Katana you'd like to see improved: [email protected]