What Is a Manufacturer Part Number (MPN)?
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Talk to our experts- Manufacturer part number (MPN)
- A manufacturer part number (MPN) is the code a manufacturer assigns to identify one specific product among all the products it makes. Unlike a SKU, which each seller creates for its own inventory, the MPN comes from the maker, so every seller of the same product uses the same value.
Also called: MPN, manufacturer's part number
How it works
A manufacturer part number (MPN) is the manufacturer's own code for a product. Google Merchant Center's product data rules say MPNs are used to uniquely identify a specific product among all products from the same manufacturer. Shopify describes its NS-PID barcode type as the manufacturer's own code for the item, such as a model number, part number, or style code.
- Who assigns it: the manufacturer. Google tells sellers to use the MPN assigned by the manufacturer and, unless you're the manufacturer, not to use a value you've created.
- Same for every seller: Google says unique product identifiers are assigned to each product by the manufacturer, so if you sell the same product as another retailer, the identifiers will be identical.
- Read with the brand: because an MPN is unique only among one manufacturer's products, Google's rules use the MPN together with the brand to help identify products that have no GTIN.
- One per variant: Google says each variant of a product, such as a different color or size, typically has its own MPN. A key exception is apparel, where all sizes often share the same MPN.
- Bundles and multipacks: if the manufacturer created the bundle or multipack, Google says to submit its MPN. If you created a bundle, Google asks for the MPN of the main product, and if you created a multipack, the MPN of the individual products.
ERP item records can carry MPNs too. In Infor LN, for example, Infor's documentation says an MPN can be linked to a manufacturer and an item, and an MPN can be selected on a purchase order line.
MPN vs SKU vs GTIN
- MPN: assigned by the manufacturer and identical for every seller of the product.
- SKU: a code you create to identify the product within your own business. For products without assigned identifiers, Google says not to put internal SKUs or other values specific to your store in its identifier fields. If you're the only seller and manufacturer of a product, or it's a store brand, Google says to use a unique number of your choice, for example your SKU, as the MPN.
- GTIN: the GS1 number encoded in a product's barcode. GS1 US says the GTIN-12 is synonymous with the UPC and the GTIN-13 with the EAN. Google's mpn attribute is required for products without a manufacturer-assigned GTIN, and optional for custom-made products.
Example
A distributor stocks a pressure sensor. Its item record carries three identifiers for the same product:
- Brand and MPN: the maker's brand plus its part number, here an illustrative PS-4410-B.
- SKU: the distributor's own code, SEN-PS-100.
- GTIN: the 13-digit number on the maker's barcode.
A plant engineer searches the distributor's store for PS-4410-B, the number printed on the failed sensor, and finds SEN-PS-100. The engineer orders 4 boxes of 25, so the distributor picks 4 x 25 = 100 sensors under SEN-PS-100.
On Shopify
- Barcode type: Shopify's NS-PID barcode type stores a non-standardized manufacturer product identifier, such as a model number, part number, or style code, as any value up to 255 characters. You can add up to 20 barcodes to a product or a variant.
- Metafields: Shopify lists part numbers among the specialized product information you can save in metafields.
- Vendor: the Vendor field records the manufacturer, wholesaler, or other vendor for the product, and you can filter your product list by vendor.
Shopify says that from November 1, 2026, the European Union requires product identifiers for every item in a parcel that is sent to a customer in the EU from outside the EU and is worth €150 or less. The NS-PID is one of the identifiers Shopify lists. Shopify says that if a variant has no NS-PID barcode, one of its other identifiers is used instead, in this order: its standardized barcode, any other barcode, its SKU, and finally the variant's ID. This is general information, not customs advice.
How Uncap helps
Uncap's electronic components page puts the datasheet on the product page, matched to the exact MPN, alongside the technical attributes rather than as an afterthought link. For buyers who arrive with someone else's number, Uncap's guide to part number lookup covers cross-reference data that maps OEM numbers to aftermarket replacements, competitor numbers to your SKUs, and superseded numbers to their current versions.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What is a manufacturer part number?
A manufacturer part number (MPN) is the code a manufacturer assigns to a product. Google's product data rules say MPNs uniquely identify a specific product among all products from the same manufacturer, so the MPN is read together with the brand.
Is MPN the same as SKU?
No. The manufacturer assigns the MPN, and every seller of that product uses the same value. A SKU is a code each seller creates for its own inventory, so two sellers can stock the same MPN under different SKUs.
Is manufacturer part number the same as model number?
Not necessarily. Both are codes a manufacturer assigns, and Shopify lists a model number, a part number and a style code as separate examples of a manufacturer's own product identifier.
Where do I find the manufacturer part number?
Get the MPN from the manufacturer. Google's product data rules say to use the MPN assigned by the manufacturer and, when in doubt, not to guess or make up a value.
