How to Create Barcodes in Google Sheets: A Detailed and Simple Guide

July 27, 2025 - 12:01 PM

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Do you want to create barcodes to manage products, students, membership cards, etc., but don’t want to install complex software? Google Sheets is the free, user-friendly solution for everyone.

In this article, iCheckQR will provide a detailed guide on 3 ways to generate barcodes in Google Sheets—completely free, easy to implement, and suitable even for beginners.

1. Why Create Barcodes in Google Sheets?

Creating barcodes using Google Sheets is becoming increasingly popular due to its convenience and zero cost. Here are the main reasons this method has become a go-to choice for many users:

Free and accessible for everyone: You only need a Google account—no software installation required. Whether you're a student, an employee, or a business owner, you can quickly generate barcodes with just a few steps.
Flexible for various purposes: Create barcodes for products, student or employee cards, membership cards, discount coupons, invitations, and more. Data is easy to manage and quickly editable.
Easy to integrate and automate: Combine with functions, add-ons, or scripts to generate barcodes in bulk—saving time and easily integrating into workflows like printing, inventory management, CRM, ERP, etc.

3 Reasons to Create Barcodes in Google Sheets

2. What You Need Before Creating Barcodes

Before creating barcodes in Google Sheets, make sure you meet the following basic requirements to ensure a smooth and effective process:

A Google Account and a Google Sheets file with data

You’ll need:

An active Google account to access Google Sheets.
A Google Sheets file that already contains the data you want to convert into barcodes, such as a list of product codes, serial numbers, student IDs, membership codes, etc.

Clearly define the type of barcode you need

Before creating barcodes, identify which type suits your needs:

Code 128: Ideal for product codes, shipping labels, internal codes.
EAN-13: Commonly used for internationally standardized retail products.
QR Code: Encodes more complex information like URLs, text, business cards, etc.

Choosing the correct barcode type helps you select the appropriate tool or barcode font and ensures accurate scanning.

Stable Internet Connection

Creating barcodes in Google Sheets often involves:

Installing add-ons that support barcode creation.
Downloading barcode fonts if generating barcodes as images.
Accessing APIs or third-party services for automation.

So, make sure you have a stable Internet connection for installation, syncing, and smooth usage of related functions.

3 Things to Prepare Before Creating Barcodes

3. How to Create Barcodes in Google Sheets

Google Sheets supports multiple ways to generate barcodes from your data, depending on your needs and skill level. Below are three popular and easy-to-use methods:

Method 1: Use a Barcode Generator Add-on

This is a simple, intuitive method suitable for beginners.

Step 1: Install a barcode generator add-on

On the Google Sheets interface:

Click on the “Extensions” menu
Select “Add-ons” → “Get add-ons”

Step 2: Search and install Bulk Barcode Generator

In the add-ons window:

Type Bulk Barcode Generator into the search box.
Click on the matching result.
Then install the add-on and grant access permissions to use it in Google Sheets.

Illustration for Steps 1 and 2

Step 3: Start generating barcodes

Back in your Google Sheets file:

Go to “Extensions” → Bulk Barcode Generator → “Start”
A sidebar interface will appear on the right.

Configure:

Barcode Value: Select the column that contains the data you want to turn into barcodes (e.g., product codes, serial numbers…)
Save Barcode to: Select the column where the generated barcodes will appear.

Just click into each selection box, and a list of columns will show up for quick selection.

Step 4: Customize barcode settings

Click “Barcode Options” to adjust visual settings like:

Size
Color
Font
…and more

All changes will preview in real time, so you can easily tweak them as needed.

Step 5: Generate and save barcodes

Click the “Generate Barcodes” button to create the barcodes in bulk.

If you want to save the results to Google Docs, select the option below and click “Open Google Docs” to view.

Result: You’ll see barcodes appear directly in the sheet, ready to print or share with colleagues and customers.

Method 2: Use Barcode Fonts in Google Sheets

This method is ideal when you just need text-based barcodes that can be scanned.

Step 1: Open special fonts in Google Sheets

On the Google Sheets interface, click the current font name (usually “Arial” or another default), then choose “More fonts.”

Step 2: Search and add barcode fonts

In the new window: Search for Libre Barcode.

Google will suggest specialized barcode fonts such as:

Libre Barcode 39: Common in electronics and digital product labeling.
Libre Barcode 128: Widely used in shipping and packaging.
Libre Barcode EAN 13 Text: Suitable for books and documents with ISBN codes.

Check the fonts you need and click OK to add them to your font list.

Illustration for Steps 1 and 2

Step 3: Enter your product codes (IDs)

In any column, enter the list of product IDs to generate barcodes for.

Examples: 12345 - 654F, 987654 - 478C, 686868886 - 68AB, etc.

Step 4: Convert to barcode instantly

Copy the entire ID column into a new one.

Then highlight the copied data → select the font dropdown and choose Libre Barcode 39 (or 128, depending on your needs).

Result: Your data will instantly display as barcode text in Google Sheets—ready for printing or scanning.

Illustration

Pro tip: Increase the font size (24 and up) to make the barcode clearer for printing or scanning.

Method 3: Use the IMAGE() Function with a Barcode API

This flexible method inserts barcode images directly into spreadsheet cells.

Step 1: Use the IMAGE function to insert barcode from API

Sample formula:
=IMAGE("https://barcode.tec-it.com/barcode.ashx?data="&A2&"&code=Code128")
Where A2 contains the data to encode.

The function will display the barcode image directly in the cell.

Step 2: Customize barcode type via URL

You can change Code128 to other formats like:

EAN13
QRCode
UPC
PDF417

This formula can be applied to an entire column by dragging or copying it down.

Summary

Method	Advantages	Best For
Add-on Barcode Generator	User-friendly interface, many options	Beginners, small businesses
Barcode Font	Fast, works offline	Simple text barcode labels
IMAGE + API	Flexible, creates image barcodes	Advanced users, custom use cases

4. Tips for Effective Barcode Creation in Google Sheets

To ensure your barcodes are accurate, scannable, and fit your use case, keep these tips in mind:

Double-check input data

Make sure the data doesn’t contain special characters, extra spaces, typos, or symbols not supported by your barcode type.
Stick to numeric or alphanumeric values that are clean and simple.

Choose the right barcode type

Depending on your needs, choose a suitable format:

Code 128: Versatile, common in logistics and retail.
EAN-13: Standard for consumer goods with international recognition.
QR Code: Great for URLs, multi-line info, contact cards, etc.

Test barcodes with real devices

After creation, test using a barcode scanner app on your phone or a physical scanner to ensure readability and accuracy.

3 Tips to Create Barcodes Effectively in Sheets

5. Common Errors and How to Fix Them

When creating barcodes in Google Sheets, you might encounter a few common issues:

Barcode not displaying

Causes:

Incorrect font not applied
Add-on not activated
API image not loaded

Fix:

Check if the barcode font is properly installed (for font method)
Ensure the add-on is activated correctly
Verify your internet connection and the URL syntax for the API

Barcode not scanning

Cause: With Code 39, if you don’t add an asterisk * at the beginning and end of the value, scanners won’t detect it.
Fix: Format the string correctly, e.g., *123456*

Add-on not working