Skip to main content
Back to E-commerce Dictionary

GS1 Digital Link

Data management and qualityIntermediate Level

GS1 Digital Link is the GS1 standard that puts a product's GTIN into a web address, so one QR code works at the checkout and opens product information on a phone.

Image by · CC BY 4.0

What is GS1 Digital Link?

GS1 Digital Link is a GS1 standard that turns a product's barcode number (GTIN) into a web address, so one QR code or other 2D code can be scanned at the checkout and also opened with a shopper's phone to show product information. A GS1 Digital Link example: https://brand.example/01/09506000134352/10/ABC123. The domain belongs to the brand, the key 01 is followed by the 14-digit GTIN, and optional keys such as 10 (batch or lot) or 21 (serial number) add detail. A resolver reads the link and sends each scan to the right place, such as a product page, instructions or a recall notice. Unlike a normal marketing QR code, the link carries the GTIN in a fixed structure, so point-of-sale scanners can still identify the product. Before you encode anything, check your numbers with the free EAN and GTIN validator.

Why GS1 Digital Link matters for e-commerce

GS1 Digital Link matters because retail is moving from the one-dimensional barcode to 2D codes. In the US, GS1's Sunrise 2027 initiative asks retailers to make their point-of-sale systems able to scan 2D barcodes, such as QR codes with GS1 Digital Link, by the end of 2027. It is a readiness target, not a date on which EAN and UPC barcodes stop working, and many brands will print both during the transition. In the EU, the coming digital product passport requires products in scope to carry a data carrier that links to product data, and GS1 Digital Link is one of the main candidates for that link. For online sellers the value sits in the data the link points to. A scan is only useful when the page behind it shows accurate, current and, where relevant, localised product information: ingredients, specifications, safety and usage instructions, certificates, care and recycling advice. If that information lives in disconnected spreadsheets, a smarter barcode just leads shoppers to outdated content faster. In practice, the work comes down to three things: correct GTINs for every product and variant, a resolver that maps each GTIN to the right pages, and complete product content behind those pages. A PIM such as WISEPIM covers the last part, keeping GTINs and the product content that scan destinations display in one place, while the resolver and the printing of codes run through GS1 or a specialised service.

Examples of GS1 Digital Link

  • 1Key: 01, Value: 09506000134352, Meaning: GTIN of the product
  • 2Key: 10, Value: ABC123, Meaning: batch or lot number, used for recalls
  • 3Key: 21, Value: 12345, Meaning: serial number of one single item
  • 4Scan: shopper's phone, Destination: product page with ingredients and instructions; Scan: checkout, Result: GTIN read for the price lookup
Image by · CC BY 4.0

How WISEPIM Helps

  • GTINs and content in one record: WISEPIM stores the GTIN or EAN with the product's specifications, descriptions, images and translations, so the data a scan should show sits in one place.
  • Fill gaps from a barcode: EAN enrichment helps complete product records starting from the barcode number.
  • Check before you publish: a Quality Guard rule on the GTIN field flags products with a missing barcode or incomplete content before they go to a channel.

Common mistakes with GS1 Digital Link

  • Using a normal marketing QR code with a random URL, which checkout scanners cannot use to identify the product.
  • Printing a link to a fixed web page instead of going through a resolver, so the destination cannot change after printing.
  • Linking to product pages with incomplete or outdated information, which undermines trust at the moment the shopper scans.
  • Printing codes too small or with too little contrast for checkout scanners to read reliably.
  • Treating Sunrise 2027 as the date barcodes disappear and removing the linear barcode before retailers are ready.

Tips for GS1 Digital Link

  • Check your GTINs first. Every product and variant needs a correct, unique GTIN before you generate links.
  • Decide what each scan should show, such as product information, instructions, certificates or a recall notice, and who keeps those pages current.
  • Test printed codes on real packaging and with real checkout scanners, not only on screen.
  • Keep the product content behind the link in one central place, so the page a shopper sees matches the product they are holding.
  • Plan for both symbols during the transition and ask your retailers which 2D codes their systems accept.

Trends around GS1 Digital Link

  • Sunrise 2027: The global retail industry is moving toward accepting 2D barcodes at point-of-sale systems by 2027.
  • Digital Product Passports (DPP): New EU regulations are driving the adoption of GS1 Digital Link to provide transparency on product lifecycles.
  • AI-Enhanced Content: Using scans to trigger AI-driven personalized product recommendations or augmented reality instructions.

Tools for GS1 Digital Link

  • WISEPIM
  • GS1 Resolver
  • Barcode verification software
  • Adobe Experience Manager
  • Zebra Scanner Tools

Related Terms

Access Control (PIM)Attribute Dependency ManagementAttribute InheritanceAttribute ManagementAttribute mappingAttribute Scoping

Also Known As

Web-enabled barcode2D barcode standardGTIN-in-QRSmart barcode

Frequently Asked Questions

A typical example is https://brand.example/01/09506000134352/10/ABC123. The domain is the brand's own, 01 introduces the GTIN, and 10 adds a batch or lot number. The same link is encoded in a QR code or Data Matrix on the pack.

Yes. A normal QR code holds any URL, so a checkout scanner cannot tell which product it belongs to. A GS1 Digital Link QR code follows the GS1 syntax with the GTIN inside, so the same code works for a shopper's phone and for point-of-sale scanning.

The main alternatives are a linear EAN or UPC barcode for the checkout plus a separate marketing QR code, or a GS1 Data Matrix that holds the GTIN and batch data without a web address. GS1 Digital Link combines both jobs in one code, which is why GS1 promotes it for the move to 2D barcodes.

Sunrise 2027 is a GS1 US initiative that asks retailers to make their point-of-sale systems able to scan 2D barcodes, such as QR codes with GS1 Digital Link, by the end of 2027. It is a readiness target, not a date on which EAN and UPC barcodes stop working.

No. GS1 Digital Link uses the GTIN you already have. You do need a correct, unique GTIN for every product and variant, and a domain or resolver service that handles the links.

Still have questions?

Can't find the answer you're looking for? Please get in touch with our team.

Contact Support

Keep exploring

Hand-picked next steps to go deeper.