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Troubleshooting: Target+ error "DATA_VALIDATION: The item's barcode is an unsupported format"

Fix the Target+ DATA_VALIDATION error in Acenda when Target+ can't read the barcode format on your item.

The Target+ error "DATA_VALIDATION: The item's barcode is an unsupported format" means Target+ couldn't read the barcode (UPC, EAN or GTIN) Acenda sent for your item. Target won't create or update the item until it gets a barcode in a format it accepts.

The fix is almost always in your own data: the barcode was changed by a spreadsheet, typed with extra characters, or left blank. Correct it on the item in Acenda and Acenda sends it to Target again.

The error you'll see: DATA_VALIDATION: The item's barcode is an unsupported format.

What does the barcode error mean?

Target+ only accepts a barcode that is a valid, all-digit GTIN of a standard length with a correct check digit. The last digit of every barcode is a check digit, worked out from the digits before it, so a single wrong or missing digit makes the whole barcode invalid.

Which barcodes does Target+ accept?

  • Length: A 12-digit UPC or a 13-digit EAN only. Target+ doesn't accept other lengths, even though Acenda's own check allows 8- and 14-digit barcodes for other channels.

  • Source: The barcode must come from GS1 or the product's manufacturer, and it must be printed on the product. Target doesn't grant barcode exemptions.

  • UPC first digit: UPCs starting with 2, 4 or 5 are rejected automatically. UPCs starting with 3 need approval from your Target Category Manager first.

  • EAN first digits: EANs starting with 0 or 99 are rejected.

  • Parents: Only variants and stand-alone items carry a barcode. Leave the barcode off the parent product.

The most common causes Acenda sees in real Acenda data, starting with the most frequent:

  • A lost leading zero. A 12-digit UPC that starts with 0 was saved as a number, so the zero was dropped and only 11 digits were sent.

  • Scientific notation. Excel turned a long barcode into something like 1.23457E+11, which loses the real digits.

  • Letters, dashes or hidden characters. For example a dash between digit groups, letters added to the end (like x2 or -old), an Amazon ASIN or an internal SKU in the barcode field, or an invisible character copied from a website.

  • A trailing .0. The barcode was saved as a decimal number, such as 1234567890128.0.

  • A blank barcode. The field Target reads is empty on the variant.

  • A wrong length or check digit. A typo, or a made-up number that isn't a real GS1 barcode.

Where you'll see it in Acenda

  • Item Issues: In the sidebar, under CHANNELS, click Item Issues. The error is listed with the item's SKU, a Source of channel (it came from Target) and an Attribute Path of Barcode. For more on this page, see How to fix marketplace listing errors.

  • Acenda's own barcode check: Acenda also checks each barcode before sending it to Target. If a barcode fails, the item isn't sent, and Item Issues shows an error from Acenda instead, with a Source of integration, an Attribute Path of barcode.value, and a message like Invalid barcode/UPC '…': Checksum is invalid. The fix is the same. See the FAQ below for what each reason means.

  • Item Issues (AI): AI Suggested Fixes doesn't offer a fix for this error, because only you or your supplier know the correct barcode. To learn what the AI does cover, see How to get started with Acenda IQ AI suggested fixes.

How to resolve it

Fix the barcode on each affected variant (the specific size or color), not on the parent product. Target reads the barcode from each variant.

  1. Find the item.

  2. Note the SKU of each item with the error in Item Issues.

  3. Open the variant.

  4. Click CATALOG > Items in the sidebar.

  5. Click the eye icon next to the item and open the variant with the error.

  6. Check the barcode fields. On the variant's Details tab, find the UPC, EAN and GTIN fields. Most Target+ setups send the UPC field. If you're not sure which field your Target+ listing uses, ask Acenda Support.

  7. Enter the barcode exactly as printed.

  8. Type the full number from the product's packaging or your GS1 account: digits only, no spaces or dashes.

  9. Keep any leading zeros. A UPC is 12 digits and an EAN is 13.

  10. Save and wait.

  11. Click Save Changes. Acenda usually sends the change to Target within an hour. Target may take longer to process it. When Target accepts the barcode, the error clears from Item Issues automatically.

Already live on Target? Only correct a barcode that is actually wrong. Swapping a working barcode for a different one, or changing the SKU without an alias, can cause other Target errors. See Troubleshooting: Duplicate barcode at Target+.

Fixing many items with an import

If many items need new barcodes, an import is faster than editing each one. For the full steps, see How to import product data into Acenda.

  • Use .xlsx, .csv, or .xlsm. Acenda imports .xlsx, .csv, and .xlsm files. Older .xls files are rejected.

  • Prefer .xlsx for barcodes. An .xlsx file keeps a column you've formatted as Text exactly as it is. A CSV opened and re-saved in Excel can lose leading zeros or turn barcodes into scientific notation.

  • Save a CSV as UTF-8. If you use CSV, save it as CSV UTF-8. Other encodings import with garbled characters instead of being rejected. See How to save your import file as CSV UTF-8.

  • Put everything on the first sheet. Only the first sheet of an .xlsx file is imported.

  • Format the barcode column as Text before you paste. In Excel, select the column, right-click, choose Format Cells > Text > OK, then paste your barcodes with Paste Values.

  • What the import checks. For the upc column, Acenda rejects a value that contains anything other than digits, and adds back leading zeros to a UPC shorter than 12 digits. It doesn't check the check digit, and it doesn't check the ean or gtin columns, so validate those yourself first.

Check your barcodes in Excel before you upload

Put a barcode in cell A2 (formatted as Text) and paste this formula into cell B2, then copy it down the column. It works for 8, 12, 13 and 14-digit barcodes and tells you whether each one has the right length, contains only digits and has a correct check digit.

=IF(OR(LEN(A2)={8,12,13,14}),IF(SUMPRODUCT(--ISNUMBER(--MID(A2,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1)))=LEN(A2),IF(MOD(SUMPRODUCT(--MID(A2,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1),1+2*MOD(LEN(A2)-ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),2)),10)=0,"Valid","Check digit is wrong"),"Digits only, please"),"Wrong length")

To test it, these sample barcodes should show Valid: 012345678905 (12 digits), 1234567890128 (13 digits) and 12345670 (8 digits). 012345678900 should show Check digit is wrong. If your Excel uses semicolons between formula arguments, replace the commas between arguments with semicolons.

Tip: If the formula says Wrong length for an 11-digit UPC, a leading zero was probably dropped. Add the 0 back in front, and keep the column formatted as Text so it stays there.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

  • What does "Checksum is invalid" mean? The last digit doesn't match the rest of the barcode, usually because of a typo. Copy the number again from the packaging or your GS1 account.

  • What does "Some of the characters are not digits" mean? The barcode has a letter, dash, space, decimal point or hidden character in it. Retype it by hand rather than pasting it.

  • What if the Acenda error says the length is wrong? The barcode isn't 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits long. Check for a dropped leading zero or extra characters.

  • What does "Prefix is invalid" mean? The first digits don't match a recognized GS1 barcode range. This usually means the number isn't a real retail barcode. Check it with whoever issued your barcodes. On Target+, also check the first-digit rules in Which barcodes does Target+ accept? above.

  • What if my barcode is 14 digits and starts with 00? That is usually your 12-digit UPC with two zeros in front. If Target rejects it, try the 12-digit UPC from the packaging instead.

  • Why is the error still there after I fixed the barcode? Give it a few hours. Make sure you edited the variant, not the parent product, and that you changed the field your Target+ listing uses (usually UPC). If it still doesn't clear, contact Acenda Support with the SKU.

  • Why do some variants have the error and others don't? Each variant has its own barcode, so fix every variant that shows the error.

  • Why does Target still reject a barcode that passes the Excel check? Confirm with your barcode provider that the barcode is registered to your brand. Then contact Acenda Support with the SKU, the barcode and the full error text, and Acenda support will help you raise it with Target if needed.

Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support and Acenda support will help you work through it.

Information current as of Oct 21, 2026. We do our best to keep this accurate, but mistakes can happen. Target Plus's official guidance always takes precedence.

Related: Target Plus requirements and content standards

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