Variants & identity
Exact variant management
Every purchasable combination is managed through its native product_attribute_id and a deterministic variant key. Products without combinations are supported as base variants.
PrestaShop 8 · PrestaShop 9 · Version 1.2.0
Variant Barcode & Inventory Manager
Manage variants, SKU, EAN, UPC and barcodes, assign warehouse locations, book stock by scanner, run inventory counts, and verify orders during picking and packing.
Variant Barcode & Inventory Manager: features and use cases
Compatibility: PrestaShop 8 from version 8.1.x and PrestaShop 9. PHP 8.1 or newer is required.
Manage variants, barcodes and warehouse workflows centrally
The Variant Barcode & Inventory Manager adds professional workflows for exact product variants to PrestaShop. Manage SKU, EAN, UPC and barcodes centrally, assign warehouse locations, book stock with a scanner, run inventory counts, and verify orders during picking and packing.
PrestaShop's native combinations and StockAvailable remain authoritative. The module adds operational Back Office capabilities without replacing the cart, checkout, shipping logic, or PrestaShop's native stock lifecycle.
| Product | Variant Barcode & Inventory Manager |
|---|---|
| Module version | 1.2.0 |
| PrestaShop 8 | from 8.1.x |
| PrestaShop 9 | supported |
| PHP | from 8.1 |
| Price | €99.00 – current price and tax information in the add-on shop |
| Purchase | Buy directly from the Waldbyte Add-on Shop |
| Licence & support | The current scope is stated on the product page in the add-on shop. |
Who is the module for?
The module is designed for PrestaShop merchants who sell products with combinations such as size, colour, material, or configuration and need to identify every exact variant reliably.
- Online shops with many product combinations
- Merchants using SKU-, EAN-, or UPC-based processes
- Warehouse teams using USB or Bluetooth barcode scanners
- Shops that print their own barcode labels
- Businesses performing regular inventory counts
- Teams that scan-check orders before shipping
- Merchants requiring an auditable history of stock changes
The everyday warehouse problem
PrestaShop represents product variants as native combinations. In day-to-day warehouse work, central tools for unique variant identification, location management, scanner bookings, counts, label printing, and dispatch verification are often missing. This can lead to confused variants, missing or duplicate identifiers, stock corrections without a useful history, unclear locations, and unsafe spreadsheet imports.
Feature overview
SKU · EAN · UPC
Validated identifiers
Maintain or generate references, validate EAN-8, EAN-13 and UPC-A, detect duplicates, and lock individual identifiers against unintended changes.
Barcodes
Local barcode generation
CODE 128, CODE 39, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A and QR codes are generated locally as SVG. Product data is never sent to an external barcode service.
Scanner
Stock bookings
Find variants by SKU, EAN, UPC, or barcode, book incoming goods, remove stock, and record references such as an order, delivery note, or comment.
Inventory counts
Expected, counted, difference
Create count sessions with a stock snapshot, scan variants, review expected and counted quantities, and apply all differences exactly once.
Labels
Print templates
Configure A4 and thermal 50 × 30 mm layouts or custom dimensions, grids, and visible fields, then print directly from the browser.
CSV
Validated import
Files are fully validated before any change. Only an error-free batch can be applied explicitly, while exports neutralise spreadsheet formula-like values.
Dispatch control
Picking & packing
Scan order variants, reject the wrong items, prevent over-picking, and verify every item again during packing.
Exact variant management
- Support for products with and without combinations
- Synchronisation of existing PrestaShop products and combinations
- Automatic deactivation of deleted variants in the module records
- Product name, variant options, and native identity visible at all times
SKU, EAN and UPC
- Manage a PrestaShop reference or SKU for every variant
- Validate EAN-8, EAN-13, and UPC-A including check digits
- Generate missing SKU values from a configurable pattern
- Create missing EAN-13 values from a prefix and safe sequence
- Detect duplicate and conflicting identifiers
- Lock identifiers for individual variants
- Record changes with employee, source, old value, and new value
Barcode generation
The barcode source can be the SKU, EAN, UPC, or a manually entered value. Manual barcode values are protected and are not overwritten by automatic synchronisation. Supported formats are CODE 128, CODE 39, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, and QR code.
Warehouse locations
- Warehouse code, warehouse name, and default warehouse
- Aisle, rack, shelf, and bin or compartment
- Individual minimum stock per variant
- Filters for missing locations and low stock
Product boundary: Each variant currently has one warehouse record and one native PrestaShop total quantity. Separate quantities for the same variant across several warehouses are not maintained.
Scanner and stock bookings
Standard scanners that send a code as keyboard input followed by Enter require no special driver. Unknown or ambiguous identifiers are rejected, negative manual quantities are prevented, and every booking is stored in the movement history. Critical changes lock both the module record and the native PrestaShop stock record while being processed.
Inventory counts
- Create a count session for a warehouse and save expected stock as a snapshot.
- Count variants by barcode and review expected, counted, and difference quantities.
- Apply differences together. A session can only be applied once.
- Database locks prevent concurrent application attempts.
Labels and printing
The module includes an A4 standard template and a 50 × 30 mm thermal template. Width, height, columns, and rows are configurable. Product name, variant options, SKU, EAN, UPC, price, and warehouse location can be printed optionally. Preview and print output run through the browser.
CSV export and safe import
The export includes exact variant identity, identifiers, stock, and warehouse location data. Import is a two-stage process: first upload and fully validate the file, then explicitly apply an error-free batch.
Checks cover file type and the 5 MB size limit, column names, duplicate headers, variant existence and identity, duplicate variants in a batch, identifier conflicts, check digits, locked identifiers, quantities, minimum stock, warehouse existence, barcode format, and allowed characters. Formula-like export values are neutralised.
Picking and packing
A session is started or resumed using the PrestaShop order reference. The module imports the required quantities of exact variants from order lines, rejects incorrect scans, and prevents over-picking. Once picking is complete, the packing check starts automatically. The module does not deduct stock a second time.
Dashboard, audit and movement history
The dashboard shows managed variants, missing barcodes, low stock, missing locations, negative native quantities, identifier conflicts, and today's movements. Identifier, lock, location, and stock changes are logged with employee, source, reference text, and timestamp.
Native PrestaShop integration
The module quantity is an operational mirror. The quantity visible in the store and used for orders remains in PrestaShop's StockAvailable. Changes initiated by the module use the native PrestaShop API. Checkout, order status, product administration, and other compatible changes are mirrored back through PrestaShop hooks.
Hooks used:
actionUpdateQuantityactionProductAdd,actionProductUpdate, andactionProductDeleteactionProductAttributeUpdateandactionProductAttributeDeleteactionValidateOrderactionOrderStatusPostUpdate
The module does not replace the cart, change carrier selection, add a second order stock deduction, or require a visible storefront component.
Security and data processing
- Available only inside the PrestaShop Back Office
- PrestaShop admin tokens and employee edit permissions for write operations
- Validation, type conversion, and HTML escaping for incoming data
- Local barcode generation without an external barcode API
- Shop-scoped variant queries in multistore contexts
- Transactions and row locks for critical stock processes
- Atomic limits for concurrent picking and packing scans
- CSV formula protection
The module does not create customer accounts, process payment data, or send module or product data to Waldbyte or any other external service.
Technical requirements
| PrestaShop 8 | from version 8.1.x |
|---|---|
| PrestaShop 9 | supported |
| PHP | from version 8.1 |
| Database | MySQL or a compatible database supported by the installed PrestaShop version |
| Browser | Modern browser with JavaScript enabled |
| Scanner | Keyboard-compatible USB or Bluetooth scanner recommended |
Installation
- Select the ZIP file in the PrestaShop Back Office under Modules → Module Manager → Upload a module.
- Install the module.
- Open Variant Barcode & Inventory under Catalog.
- Synchronise existing product variants.
- Configure the default warehouse, SKU pattern, EAN prefix, minimum stock, and barcode settings.
- Test the scanner, label format, and one complete test order.
A complete database backup is recommended before installation and before large imports.
Updates and uninstallation
The module includes versioned upgrade scripts. Module tables remain in place by default when the module is uninstalled so that count, audit, and movement data are not deleted accidentally. Full removal can be enabled explicitly in the settings.
The module creates 13 tables with the pvm_ prefix:
pvm_variant_meta,pvm_warehouse,pvm_stock_movement,pvm_auditpvm_count_session,pvm_count_itempvm_import_batch,pvm_import_rowpvm_label_template,pvm_option_codepvm_pick_session,pvm_pick_item,pvm_sequence
Current version 1.2.0
- Stock locks for both module and native PrestaShop stock records
- Concurrency protection for inventory counts, picking, and packing
- Native PrestaShop rules for negative stock remain in effect
- Server-side pagination for large variant lists
- SQL-based conflict statistics
- Spreadsheet formula protection in CSV exports
- Improved cleanup after a failed installation
- Automated CLI regression checks
Transparent product boundaries
The Variant Barcode & Inventory Manager is not an ERP, shipping carrier integration, or full warehouse-management system. The current version does not provide parallel per-warehouse quantities for the same variant, a native mobile app, or direct hardware control for specialist scanners or label printers.
The browser handles print output. Printer, paper size, scaling, and margins must be configured and tested once at each workstation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the module replace PrestaShop's native stock management?
No. StockAvailable remains the authoritative stock source. The module adds scanner, barcode, location, inventory count, and verification workflows.
Does it work with products without combinations?
Yes. A product without combinations is managed as a base variant.
Is stock deducted twice when an order is placed?
No. PrestaShop continues to process the order. The module's order hooks mark matching movements but do not trigger a second deduction.
Can I use existing SKU, EAN and UPC values?
Yes. Native values are imported during synchronisation and can be validated, edited, or locked in the module.
Does barcode generation require an external service?
No. All supported barcodes are generated locally as SVG.
Which scanners work?
Scanners that send the scanned code as keyboard input usually work without additional integration. The scanner should be able to send Enter after the code.
Does the module support multiple warehouses?
Several warehouses and locations can be created. A variant is currently assigned to one location and uses one native PrestaShop total quantity. Separate quantities for the same variant across several warehouses are not maintained.
Can I customise labels?
Yes. Width, height, columns, rows, and visible information fields are configurable.
Does a CSV import take effect immediately?
No. The import is validated first. Only a completely valid batch can then be applied.
What happens to the data on uninstallation?
It is retained by default. Full deletion must be enabled explicitly in the module settings.
Does the module change the storefront?
No. The module is designed for the Back Office and does not output visible storefront content by default.
Professionalise variant workflows directly in PrestaShop
Reduce variant mix-ups, speed up warehouse bookings, and verify orders before dispatch with unique barcodes and traceable workflows.
Buy Variant Barcode & Inventory Manager
WALDBYTE
Professionalise variant workflows directly in PrestaShop
Reduce variant mix-ups, speed up warehouse bookings, and verify orders before dispatch with unique barcodes and traceable workflows.
Select the services you need. Waldbyte will review your details and prepare an individual, non-binding cost estimate.