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MPN (manufacturer part number)

MPN is the code a manufacturer gives a product to tell it apart from the rest of its range; in Merchant Center it goes in the mpn attribute.

How it works

Together with the GTIN and the brand, MPN is one of the unique product identifiers that tell Google which product you sell. It identifies a product only among the products of one manufacturer, so it works as a pair with the brand.

Google’s attribute page calls MPN required for products without a manufacturer-assigned GTIN. Google’s overview of identifiers calls it optional. Both warn that leaving out an MPN that exists can get the product disapproved; the overview adds that it may be shown less.

The value is 1–70 characters long. Each variant usually has its own MPN, but different sizes of the same clothing item often share one. A product with no code, such as a custom-made item, can go without an MPN and with identifier_exists set to no. Our guide to products without a barcode explains which products need which identifier.

Example

Example store, not client data.

The tableware shop resells a white dinner set from a porcelain maker. The box carries an EAN and the maker’s code PS-1204-W; the grey version of the set has its own code, PS-1204-G. In the feed, the shop puts the EAN in gtin, the maker’s name in brand and PS-1204-W in mpn. The shop’s own SKU, TW-0381, goes into id, not into mpn.

Not to be confused with

  • GTIN — the barcode number. An MPN tells products apart only within one manufacturer, which is why it needs the brand next to it.
  • SKU — the store’s own catalogue code. Google asks stores not to put internal SKUs into identifier attributes.

Right and wrong readings

  • Wrong: “The supplier gave us no MPN, so we fill in our own code.” Right: Google asks for the manufacturer’s MPN and says not to guess or make one up unless you are the manufacturer. If the store makes the goods itself and is their only seller, Google allows the store name as the brand and an MPN of the store’s choice.

Sources

  • MPN [mpn] — when it is required, format, variants, no guessing. Checked 2 October 2026 (archived copy of 3 August 2026).
  • About unique product identifiers — MPN with brand, optional status, no internal SKUs, own products. Checked 2 October 2026 (archived copy of 16 May 2026).