Competitor Product MatchingCompetitor Product Matching › Without EAN
How do you match products across shops without EAN or GTIN codes?
Match on what every listing does show: brand, model number, size, colour and pack count first, then the cleaned title, then the product image. Combine the signals into a confidence score, accept only high-confidence pairs automatically, and review the rest. This is how tools like ScrapeWise, Priceva and Intelligence Node match products when barcodes are missing.
Updated 10 November 2026 by the ScrapeWise team.
Quick picks
If listings show model numbers
Match on MPN
Exact, cheap, no AI needed.
If they show only titles and photos
Text plus image matching
Score each pair and review the grey zone.
If you want it done for you
ScrapeWise (our product)
Scraping and EAN, text and image matching, pay per use.
Compared
| Method | Works when | Accuracy | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model or part number (MPN) | Both listings show the same model code | High | Low |
| Attribute matching | Brand, size, colour and pack are listed | High if attributes are complete | Medium: needs clean data |
| Title similarity | Names differ but describe the same item | Medium: needs a threshold | Low |
| Image similarity | Photos are the manufacturer's or similar | Medium to high | Medium |
| Combined score with reviewOur product | Any mix of the above | Highest | Medium |
Combined score with review
ScrapeWise matches by EAN, then text, then image, with a score per match. Matching runs are currently free.
A practical order of checks
- 1. Exact identifiers
- EAN, GTIN, UPC or MPN where shown. If they match, you're done.
- 2. Hard attributes
- Brand, model, size, colour, pack count. Reject any pair where these disagree.
- 3. Title and description
- Compare cleaned titles; remove shop names, marketing words and units written differently.
- 4. Images
- Use image similarity to break ties and confirm uncertain pairs.
- 5. Review
- Send pairs between, say, 70% and 90% confidence to a person.
Common traps
- Variants
- Size 42 and 43 of the same shoe look identical in titles and photos.
- Bundles
- A product with a free accessory is a different offer from the product alone.
- Model years
- “2025 edition” and “2026 edition” need the model code, not the photo.
Frequently asked questions
Can you match products without EAN?
Yes. Use model numbers where available, then attributes, title similarity and image similarity, combined into a confidence score with a review step for uncertain pairs.
What is the most reliable identifier after EAN?
The manufacturer part number (MPN) or model number, because it is printed by the manufacturer and usually copied unchanged by retailers.
How do you handle different product names?
Clean the titles first, removing shop names, marketing words and unit formatting, then compare the remaining brand, model and attribute words.
Is image matching accurate enough on its own?
Rarely. Photos can't tell sizes or model years apart, so image matching works best as one signal among several.
Which tools match products without barcodes?
ScrapeWise, Priceva, Competera, Intelligence Node and DataWeave all match without barcodes, using text, attributes and images in different combinations.