Guides · Updated 2026-11-02

GPSR safety warnings on Shopify: language rules and example wording

GPSR doesn't invent new warnings for your product. It says the warnings your product already needs must also appear on the product page — in the buyer's language.

What the law says

any warning or safety information to be affixed to the product or to the packaging or included in an accompanying document in accordance with this Regulation or the applicable Union harmonisation legislation in a language which can be easily understood by consumers, as determined by the Member State in which the product is made available on the market.

— Regulation (EU) 2023/988, Article 19(d)

Two things follow from this:

1. Which warnings: the ones that already have to be on the product, its packaging or its instructions — under GPSR itself or under product-specific EU law (for example toy, electrical or chemical rules) and the standards behind them.
2. Which language: a language consumers can easily understand, as decided by each EU country where you sell. In practice, plan for the official language(s) of every country you ship to.

The language problem for Shopify stores

A store selling across the EU might need the same warning in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Polish and more. Writing it into every product description in every language doesn't scale and drifts out of date. Two habits make it manageable:

• Write each warning once, reuse it. Keep a small library of warnings (for example "choking hazard", "candle fire safety", "lithium battery") and attach them to products, instead of retyping text per product.
• Translate the library, not the catalogue. Ten warnings in six languages is sixty texts to review — not thousands of product descriptions.

Machine translation is a fine starting point, but have the result reviewed: safety wording is exactly where a mistranslation matters.

Example wording by product type

These examples show the kind of wording sellers use. They are not a substitute for the requirements of the EU law and standards that apply to your product — check those, and your supplier's documentation, for the exact wording.

Toys with small parts

Under the EU Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC), warnings must be preceded by the word "Warning", and the under-3 warning must say what the specific hazard is. A common form:

Warning. Not suitable for children under 36 months. Small parts. Choking hazard.

Candles

Never leave a burning candle unattended. Burn out of reach of children and pets. Do not burn on or near anything that can catch fire.

Products with lithium-ion batteries

Warning: contains a lithium-ion battery. Do not puncture, crush, short-circuit or expose to high heat or fire. Charge only with a suitable charger. Dispose of according to local regulations.

Products not suitable for certain users

Warning: for adult use only. Keep out of reach of children.

Checklist

• ☐ List the warnings each product carries on its label, packaging or instructions
• ☐ Turn them into a reusable set of warnings
• ☐ Translate each into the language(s) of every EU country you sell to, and review
• ☐ Show them on the product page, not only in a downloadable PDF
• ☐ Re-check when you add a new product type or start selling to a new country

Check a product page now with the free GPSR checker.

More guides

• Shopify GPSR checklist: what your product pages must show
• Do you need an EU Responsible Person? A guide for Shopify sellers outside the EU