Is the barcode API free? Do I need an API key?

It is free and needs no API key and no account, including for business use. Put the URL in an image tag, a spreadsheet or a label template and it returns a PNG.

Which barcode types does it support?

All 111 types in the bwip-js barcode library, including Code 128, GS1-128, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, ISBN, Code 39, Code 93, Interleaved 2 of 5, ITF-14, Codabar, QR Code, Data Matrix, GS1 DataMatrix, PDF417, Aztec, MaxiCode and the postal codes. The bcid is the name bwip-js uses.

Does it check the check digit?

Yes. For EAN, UPC and ISBN, leave the last digit off and it is calculated for you. If you include a check digit that is wrong, the API refuses with a 400 instead of drawing a barcode that will not scan. To check numbers in bulk first, use the check digit calculator.

Can it look up a product from a barcode number?

No. This API draws barcodes. It does not know what product a number belongs to. Product lookups need a database such as GS1's Verified by GS1.

Can I get SVG or PDF instead of PNG?

The URL always returns PNG, which every image tag and spreadsheet accepts. For SVG or PDF files, make the barcode in the QRKit barcode generator, which exports PNG, SVG and PDF with no account.

I use TEC-IT's barcode.ashx or the bwip-js online API. What changes?

Change the start of the URL and keep the parameters. For TEC-IT, replace barcode.tec-it.com/barcode.ashx with useqrkit.com/barcode. For bwip-js, replace bwipjs-api.metafloor.com/ with useqrkit.com/barcode. One difference: our images get a white background and a quiet zone by default, so they scan when placed on any page. Set padding=0 if you add your own margins.

Get Started Free

Free Barcode API

Put a URL in an image tag, a spreadsheet or a label template and get a barcode back as a PNG. No API key, no account, no request to sign.

Free, no API key111 barcode typesPNG from a URLBusiness use OK

This URL

https://useqrkit.com/barcode?bcid=code128&text=ABC-12345&includetext

returns this image, drawn live by the API:

Quick start

One URL, One Barcode

Every request is a GET to https://useqrkit.com/barcode with the barcode type in bcid and the value in text. URL-encode the value so spaces, & and # survive.

HTML

<img src="https://useqrkit.com/barcode?bcid=code128&text=ABC-12345&includetext"
     alt="Code 128 barcode for ABC-12345">

Google Sheets or Excel (value in A1)

=IMAGE("https://useqrkit.com/barcode?bcid=code128&includetext&text="&ENCODEURL(A1))

JavaScript

const src = "https://useqrkit.com/barcode?" +
  new URLSearchParams({ bcid: "ean13", text: "590123412345", includetext: "" });

Download with curl

curl -o label.png "https://useqrkit.com/barcode?bcid=gs1-128&text=(01)09521234543213(10)ABC123&includetext&scale=3"

In Google Sheets, the first time a spreadsheet loads an outside image it asks you to Allow access. Click it once and the barcodes appear. Need QR codes from a formula instead? See the Google Chart API QR code replacement.

Barcode types

Common bcid Values

Each image below is drawn live from its URL. The API supports 111 types in all; these are the ones most people need.

Code 128

Shipping, inventory and asset labels

bcid=code128

GS1-128

Cases and pallets with GS1 data

bcid=gs1-128

EAN-13

Retail products outside the US

bcid=ean13

UPC-A

Retail products in the US and Canada

bcid=upca

ISBN

Books

bcid=isbn

Code 39

Older industrial and ID systems

bcid=code39

ITF-14

Outer cartons

bcid=itf14

Data Matrix

Small parts and electronics

bcid=datamatrix

GS1 DataMatrix

Healthcare and products with expiry dates

bcid=gs1datamatrix

PDF417

Boarding passes, IDs, shipping

bcid=pdf417

Aztec

Tickets and transport

bcid=azteccode

QR Code

Links people scan with a phone

bcid=qrcode

Reference

Parameters

The names are the ones the bwip-js library uses, so a URL written for the bwip-js online API works here unchanged.

Parameter	What it does
bcid	Required. The barcode type, such as code128, ean13, upca, qrcode or datamatrix. See the table below.
text	Required. The value to encode, URL-encoded.
includetext	Prints the value under the bars. Add it with no value, or set includetext=false.
scale	Pixels per module, 1 to 10. Left out, it is 2. scaleX and scaleY set each direction.
height	Bar height in millimetres for linear barcodes, such as height=15.
rotate	N (normal), R (90° clockwise), L (90° counterclockwise) or I (180°).
barcolor, backgroundcolor, textcolor	Hex colors such as 1A1A1A. The background is white unless you change it.
padding	The quiet zone on every side. Left out, linear barcodes get 10 modules left and right and 2D codes get 4 all round. As in bwip-js, it counts modules for linear codes and half-modules for 2D codes.
alttext, parsefnc, eclevel, version, columns, rows	Passed to the encoder for types that use them, as in the bwip-js documentation.

A mistake, such as a wrong check digit or letters in an EAN, gets a 400 response with a one-line plain-text reason.
Images can be up to 4,000,000 pixels. Lower the scale if a long Code 128 goes over.
The same URL always draws the same image, so responses are cached for a year.
Parameters not listed here are ignored rather than refused.
An ISBN needs its hyphens, like 978-1-56581-231-4. For the bare 13-digit number, use bcid=ean13.

Switching over

Moving From TEC-IT or the bwip-js Online API

Two barcode image URLs show up in most old tutorials and templates. TEC-IT's free generator is offered for non-commercial sites in return for a back-link, and the bwip-js online API is a single community-run server whose own documentation suggests hosting your own. If you rely on either, this API reads the same parameters, so the change is the start of the URL.

Replace	With
https://barcode.tec-it.com/barcode.ashx?	https://useqrkit.com/barcode?
https://bwipjs-api.metafloor.com/?	https://useqrkit.com/barcode?

TEC-IT parameters we read

data: The value to encode
code: The barcode type: Code128 (the default), EAN13, EAN8, UPCA, Code39, Code25IL, QRCode, MobileQRCode, DataMatrix, PDF417 and others
dpi: Size: 96 dpi, TEC-IT's default, is scale 2
rotation: 0, 90, 180 or 270
color, bgcolor: Bar and background colors
hidehrt: Hide the text under linear barcodes, which shows by default
eclevel: QR code error correction

The answer is always a PNG, whatever imagetype asks for; image tags and spreadsheets accept it either way. TEC-IT's escape sequences (translate-esc) are not translated, so send GS1 data in the bwip-js form, such as bcid=gs1-128&text=(01)09521234543213.

Barcode API: FAQ

: It is free and needs no API key and no account, including for business use. Put the URL in an image tag, a spreadsheet or a label template and it returns a PNG.
: All 111 types in the bwip-js barcode library, including Code 128, GS1-128, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, ISBN, Code 39, Code 93, Interleaved 2 of 5, ITF-14, Codabar, QR Code, Data Matrix, GS1 DataMatrix, PDF417, Aztec, MaxiCode and the postal codes. The bcid is the name bwip-js uses.
: Yes. For EAN, UPC and ISBN, leave the last digit off and it is calculated for you. If you include a check digit that is wrong, the API refuses with a 400 instead of drawing a barcode that will not scan. To check numbers in bulk first, use the check digit calculator.
: No. This API draws barcodes. It does not know what product a number belongs to. Product lookups need a database such as GS1's Verified by GS1.
: The URL always returns PNG, which every image tag and spreadsheet accepts. For SVG or PDF files, make the barcode in the QRKit barcode generator, which exports PNG, SVG and PDF with no account.
: Change the start of the URL and keep the parameters. For TEC-IT, replace barcode.tec-it.com/barcode.ashx with useqrkit.com/barcode. For bwip-js, replace bwipjs-api.metafloor.com/ with useqrkit.com/barcode. One difference: our images get a white background and a quiet zone by default, so they scan when placed on any page. Set padding=0 if you add your own margins.

Making a handful of barcodes by hand? The barcode generator draws them in your browser and exports PNG, SVG or PDF, and the check digit calculator checks up to 500 numbers at once.

Writing a tutorial or template that uses this API? A link to this page is appreciated, but never required.