GPSR for Shopify stores: what every product page must show
The EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) has applied since 13 December 2024. For online stores, its most visible rule is Article 19: four pieces of information that must appear in every product offer aimed at EU consumers.
In short
- Applies to non-food consumer products sold to people in the EU, whether your store is inside or outside the EU.
- Every listing must show: the manufacturer and its contact details, the EU responsible person if the manufacturer is outside the EU, product identification with a picture, and warnings or safety information.
- The information must be on the product page itself, clearly and visibly, not only in a PDF or on the parcel.
- Shopify does not add these fields to your theme by default. Most stores use metafields and a theme block.
Who the GPSR applies to
The GPSR covers consumer products placed on the EU market that are not covered by more specific EU safety rules, and it fills gaps where specific rules are silent. In practice that is most physical products a Shopify store sells to consumers: clothing, toys, home goods, cosmetics accessories, sports equipment, electronics accessories and so on. Food, medicines and a few other categories are excluded.
It applies to distance sales too. If your Shopify store targets consumers in the EU (for example by shipping to EU countries, showing prices in euro or using an EU language), your offers fall under the regulation, even if your company is in the UK, the US or elsewhere.
The four things every listing must show (Article 19)
Article 19 says that an offer for a product made available online or through other distance sales must clearly and visibly show at least:
| # | Information | What it means for a Shopify product page |
|---|---|---|
| a | Manufacturer's name, registered trade name or trade mark, and its postal and electronic address | The company that makes the product or has it made and sells it under its own name. A street address and an email address or contact form. |
| b | If the manufacturer is not in the EU: the name, postal and electronic address of the responsible person | The EU-based economic operator responsible under Article 16 (for example the importer or an authorised representative). See EU responsible person. |
| c | Information to identify the product, including a picture, its type and any other product identifier | Product photos, the model or type, and identifiers such as a batch or serial number, SKU or GTIN. See product identification. |
| d | Any warning or safety information to be affixed on the product or the packaging or included in an accompanying document, in a language easily understood by consumers | The same warnings that are on the product or in the leaflet, shown on the page in the language of the country you sell to. See warnings and safety information. |
“Clearly and visibly” matters. Information hidden behind several clicks, only in a downloadable PDF, or only printed on the box the customer receives after buying is hard to defend. The safest pattern is a short, always-visible block on the product page.
Who is responsible for what
The GPSR splits duties between economic operators:
- Manufacturers carry out a risk analysis, draw up technical documentation, put a type, batch or serial number on the product, indicate their name and contact details, and supply instructions and safety information (Article 9).
- Importers check that the manufacturer has done this and add their own name and contact details (Article 11).
- Distributors, which includes many retailers, check before selling that the manufacturer and importer information and the safety information are there (Article 12).
If you sell your own brand, you are usually the manufacturer for GPSR purposes even if a factory makes the product for you. If you resell other brands, you are a distributor and must check what the brand provides, then show it on your listing.
How to add GPSR information in Shopify
Shopify themes do not have GPSR fields out of the box. The common approaches are:
- Product description. Quick for a few products, but hard to keep consistent and easy to overwrite when descriptions change.
- Metafields and a theme block. Store manufacturer, responsible person, identifiers and warnings as structured data and render them in a fixed place on every product page. This scales and keeps the information separate from marketing copy.
- An app. Apps can manage the operator records, assign them in bulk and report missing fields.
Whatever you choose, make sure the block appears for every variant and every market language, and that it is visible without the customer having to open a hidden tab.
Common mistakes
- Showing only the store's own address when the product is made by another brand.
- Missing the responsible person for products made outside the EU.
- Warnings only in English on a store that sells to Germany, France or Italy.
- Variants that use stock photos of a different model, so the picture does not identify the product being sold.
- No batch, type or serial reference that links the listing to the physical product.
What happens if information is missing
Market surveillance authorities in each EU country enforce the GPSR, and national law sets the penalties. Online marketplaces must also act on notices, and many now block listings without GPSR data. For your own Shopify store, the main risks are orders from authorities, removal of products, fines under national law and, in case of an accident, liability questions that are much harder to answer without documentation.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety (GPSR), EUR-Lex
- European Commission: GPSR presentation for businesses (Safety Gate)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance, EUR-Lex
This guide explains EU rules in general terms and is not legal advice. National rules and guidance can add requirements. Check the sources and, for your specific products, ask a lawyer or the competent authority. Last checked 31 October 2026.