GS1 Digital Link
Official GS1 standard v1.1.1 that represents GS1 identifiers (GTIN, SSCC, GLN) as resolvable https web URLs. Canonical technical backbone of the Digital Product Passport under the ESPR.
Context
GS1 Digital Link is the official GS1 standard v1.1.1 for representing GS1 identifiers (GTIN, SSCC, GLN, etc.) as resolvable https web URLs. It connects the product code with multiple digital services from a single data carrier.
Regulatory origin
Official GS1 standard ratified in Jun 2022. Compatible with QR, GS1 Data Matrix, NFC and RFID. Canonical technical backbone of the DPP under ESPR Art. 10.1.a.
Canonical GS1 Digital Link syntax
Format: https://example.com/01/{GTIN-14}/10/{LOT}/21/{SERIAL}
Allows hierarchical product/lot/serial attributes in a single URL.
Resolvable by any standard browser.
Unified access point to the DPP structured in JSON-LD.
Timeline
GS1 Digital Link v1.0
First version of the standard.
GS1 Digital Link v1.1.1
Current ratified version.
ESPR textile application
The textile DPP delegated act will require a resolvable data carrier (compatible with GS1 Digital Link).
Applied case
A textile brand implements GS1 Digital Link as the data carrier of its future textile DPP.
Assigns a GTIN-14 to each active SKU · generates Digital Link URLs for each lot.
Prints a QR with the GS1 Digital Link URL on the inner label of each garment.
The QR resolves to a page with a structured JSON-LD DPP: composition, origin, certifications, care instructions, end-of-life.
Compatible with large retailers' systems that already consume GS1 Digital Link via API.
Common mistakes
GS1 Digital Link is not the same as a marketing QR.
A marketing QR points to a free URL. GS1 DL requires a semantic structure with GS1 identifiers that enable interoperability and differentiated resolution.
It does not replace the GTIN or the EAN.
GS1 DL includes the GTIN. It is the encoding format. The GTIN remains the product identifier.
It does not require changing all retail barcodes.
GS1 DL can coexist with traditional linear barcodes on the same label. The transition is gradual.
It does not resolve multi-tier traceability on its own.
GS1 DL is an identification standard. Capturing data along the chain is done with EPCIS or other event standards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the GS1 Digital Link Standard?
Official GS1 standard v1.1.1 (ratified Jun 2022) for representing GS1 identifiers (GTIN, SSCC, GLN, etc.) as resolvable https web URLs. It connects the product code with multiple digital services (manual, video, certifications, registry, DPP) from a single data carrier (QR, GS1 Data Matrix, NFC, RFID).
How is GS1 Digital Link applied to the textile DPP?
GS1 Digital Link is the canonical technical backbone of the DPP under ESPR Art. 10.1.a: the "persistent data carrier connected to the unique product identifier". Canonical syntax: https://example.com/01/{GTIN-14}/10/{LOT}/21/{SERIAL}. The consumer scans the QR and accesses the DPP structured in JSON-LD format.
What is the difference between GS1 Digital Link and a regular QR code?
A regular QR code can contain any URL, with no semantic structure. The GS1 Digital Link Standard STANDARDISES the URL with ANSI/GS1 syntax that includes GTIN + lot + serial + attributes. This allows structured information to be extracted from the code, not just opening a link. The standard is what differentiates a generic QR from a DPP-compatible QR.
How does GS1 Digital Link relate to EPCIS 2.0?
GS1 Digital Link is the identification carrier (the product URL). EPCIS 2.0 is the format for visibility events (commissioning, observe, decommission). They coexist — the Digital Link identifies the product, EPCIS captures the events of its lifecycle. Together they form the technical backbone of the DPP under the CIRPASS D3.2 architecture.
Fuentes oficiales
- GS1 Global2024Technical standard
- GS1 Global2024Sectoral recommendations
- AIM Global2024Industry adoption guidance
