Abstract | Steel racking systems are civil engineering structures used to store goods and materials before their distribution to the public. In order to serve different logistic needs, a variety of rack typologies with different uses and salient characteristics has evolved over time. As a result, racks can range from large independent buildings in the form of the Automated Rack Supported Warehouses, down to compact sub-structures, or even smaller-scale shelves contained in warehousing units. Still, in all their incarnations they represent significant capital investment in terms of structure and stored goods in need of assessment. Despite their differences in terms of usability and functionality, racking structures share common macro-characteristics that can be summarized in a flexible and collapsible taxonomy, providing the risk analyst with sufficient identification to develop exposure and seismic vulnerability models. The proposed taxonomy adopts the same terminology as the Building Taxonomy of the Global Earthquake Model, comprising five basic classes or Attributes, capable of characterizing any existing, contemporary and upcoming rack typology.