[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":191},["ShallowReactive",2],{"alts:\u002Fnews\u002Fdigital-link-qr-codes\u002F":3,"mc:\u002Fnews\u002Fdigital-link-qr-codes\u002F":8},{"en":4,"es":5,"pt-br":6,"it":7},"\u002Fnews\u002Fdigital-link-qr-codes\u002F","\u002Fes\u002Factualidad\u002Fcodigos-qr-digital-link\u002F","\u002Fpt-br\u002Fatualidade\u002Fcodigos-qr-digital-link\u002F","\u002Fit\u002Fnotizie\u002Fcodici-qr-per-digital-link\u002F",{"blocks":9,"title":189,"desc":190},[10,14,18,22,25,31,33,36,38,40,42,44,46,48,50,52,54,56,58,60,66,68,71,73,75,77,79,81,83,85,87,89,91,93,95,98,100,102,104,106,108,110,112,114,116,118,120,122,124,126,133,135,137,147,149,151,154,156,158,160,162,164,166,168,170,172,174,176,178,180,182,184,186],{"t":11,"items":12},"list",[13],"May 26, 2025",{"t":15,"l":16,"x":17},"h",1,"GS1 Digital Link QR codes explained",{"t":19,"src":20,"alt":21},"img","\u002Fassets\u002Fimg\u002FDigital-Link-QR-codes-572ac3.webp","Digital Link QR codes",{"t":23,"x":24},"p","TL;DR",{"t":11,"items":26},[27,28,29,30],"Digital link QR codes encode standard product data (GTIN, batch, expiry, serial) into a structured web URI, so one printed code serves consumers, retailers, supply chains, and regulators.","GS1 Digital Link is a standard, not a code type. The QR code is simply its most common carrier.","Sunrise 2027, the GS1 initiative to bring 2D barcodes to retail checkout, is now less than 18 months away.","The EU Digital Product Passport, rolling out from 2026, recommends GS1 Digital Link as its data carrier. Preparing for one prepares you for the other.",{"t":23,"x":32},"GS1 Digital Link QR codes connect physical products to the web using the GS1 Digital Link standard, which formats barcode data into a structured URL. This guide explains what the standard is, how the URI works, why Sunrise 2027 and the EU Digital Product Passport depend on it, and how to prepare in 2026.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":35},2,"What are GS1 Digital Link QR codes?",{"t":23,"x":37},"GS1 Digital Link is a global standard, published by GS1, that formats traditional product barcode data (GTIN, batch, lot, expiry, serial) into a structured web URI. This means a single scannable code, typically a QR code, can serve consumers, retailers, supply chain partners, and regulators from one printed asset.",{"t":23,"x":39},"That single sentence carries the whole idea. A traditional linear barcode identifies a product and nothing more. A GS1 Digital Link QR code identifies the product and also opens a door: scan it with a checkout scanner and it behaves like a barcode, scan it with a phone and it resolves to a web page with the information that moment requires.",{"t":23,"x":41},"GS1 is the same global organization that has managed barcodes and product identification standards for decades. GS1 Digital Link is its answer to a simple problem: physical products need to speak the language of the web, and a string of numbers under a set of black lines cannot do that.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":43},"GS1 Digital Link is a standard, not a code type",{"t":23,"x":45},"GS1 Digital Link is a URI format, not a physical symbol. The standard defines how product identifiers are structured inside a web address. The carrier that holds that address on the packaging is a separate decision.",{"t":23,"x":47},"In practice, the carrier is usually a QR code, because QR codes are universally recognized and scannable by any modern phone. But the same GS1 Digital Link URI can also be encoded in a Data Matrix, an NFC tag, or printed alongside a linear barcode with a companion 2D code during transition periods.",{"t":23,"x":49},"This distinction matters when you plan packaging. Questions like “which code do we print?” and “which data do we encode?” are two different decisions. The standard answers the second one. The first depends on your industry, your printing constraints, and where your products are scanned.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":51},"What does a GS1 Digital Link URL look like?",{"t":23,"x":53},"A GS1 Digital Link URL places product identifiers directly into the path of a web address, following a fixed grammar defined by the standard. Each identifier is introduced by its GS1 Application Identifier (AI), a numeric prefix that tells any system exactly what the following value means.",{"t":23,"x":55},"Here is a plain example:",{"t":23,"x":57},"id.gs1.org\u002F01\u002F09521101530003\u002F10\u002FLOT42\u002F17\u002F261231\u002F21\u002FSN-00017",{"t":23,"x":59},"Reading it left to right:",{"t":11,"items":61},[62,63,64,65],"01 introduces the GTIN, the global trade item number that identifies the product itself (09521101530003).","10 introduces the batch or lot number (LOT42), which groups units produced together.","17 introduces the expiration date (261231, meaning 31 December 2026).","21 introduces the serial number (SN-00017), which identifies this exact unit.",{"t":23,"x":67},"The domain can vary by implementation. Many brands use their own domain instead of id.gs1.org, which keeps the scan experience on brand-owned infrastructure. The order and presence of AIs can also vary: a cosmetics product might only need GTIN and batch, while a prescription medicine needs the full set. The grammar stays the same, which is exactly why any partner system can parse it without custom integration work.",{"t":19,"src":69,"alt":70},"\u002Fassets\u002Fimg\u002FGloved-hand-inspecting-a-pharmaceutical-label-with-a-QR-code-and-blurred-batch-data-fields-c9d5fd.webp","Gloved hand inspecting a pharmaceutical label with a QR code and blurred batch data fields",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":72},"How do resolvers work?",{"t":23,"x":74},"A resolver is the server that receives a GS1 Digital Link URI and decides what to return. It validates the identifiers in the URL and then routes the request to the right destination: a consumer product page, a regulatory document, a recall notice, or structured data for a business partner API.",{"t":23,"x":76},"The routing can depend on context. The same code can send a shopper to usage instructions, a pharmacist to dosage and compliance data, and a logistics system to serialized tracking records. One printed code, many destinations, all decided at scan time rather than at print time.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":78},"Why does Sunrise 2027 matter now?",{"t":23,"x":80},"GS1 Sunrise 2027 is the global initiative, led by GS1, to move retail point-of-sale systems to 2D barcodes by the end of 2027. As of mid 2026, that deadline is less than 18 months away, which places brands squarely in the implementation window rather than the planning one.",{"t":23,"x":82},"Retailers are upgrading scanners, and brands that wait risk running packaging redesigns, data migrations, and supply chain coordination under time pressure. Starting now means the transition can happen across normal packaging refresh cycles instead of as an emergency project. For a step-by-step migration path, our Sunrise 2027 migration guide covers scanner readiness, packaging timelines, and how to run linear and 2D codes in parallel. Readers focused on the European market will find the regional angle covered in our article on what GS1 Digital Link means for European brands in 2027.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":84},"How does GS1 Digital Link relate to the EU Digital Product Passport?",{"t":23,"x":86},"The EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) rolls out under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, Regulation 2024\u002F1781) starting in 2026, with product categories phased in through 2030, and GS1 Digital Link is the recommended data carrier for it. Brands preparing for DPP and Sunrise 2027 are, in practice, building the same infrastructure once.",{"t":23,"x":88},"DPP requires products sold in the EU to disclose lifecycle data: materials, repairability, recycled content, and disposal guidance, depending on the category. That data has to be reachable from the physical product, and a GS1 Digital Link QR code is the natural bridge. The same GTIN-based URI that satisfies retail checkout can resolve to the passport data a regulator or consumer requests.",{"t":23,"x":90},"The practical takeaway: do not treat DPP compliance and barcode migration as separate projects with separate budgets. One well-planned GS1 Digital Link implementation covers both. For the compliance side in depth, our EU Digital Product Passport guide walks through categories, timelines, and data requirements.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":92},"Which industries use GS1 Digital Link QR codes?",{"t":23,"x":94},"GS1 Digital Link QR codes appear wherever a physical product needs to carry more information than a label can hold. The pattern repeats across sectors, but the payload changes.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":97},3,"Retail and consumer goods",{"t":23,"x":99},"On packaging, a single code gives shoppers sourcing details, manuals, recipes, or loyalty sign-ups, while the same code works at checkout. Retailers gain item-level visibility into inventory without adding a second symbol to the label.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":101},"Healthcare and pharmaceuticals",{"t":23,"x":103},"Serialized codes on medication packaging link to dosage information, expiry data, and authenticity verification. In the EU, the Falsified Medicines Directive has required serialized codes on prescription medicines since February 2019, so pharma has been living in this world longer than most sectors. Hospitals also use the same identifiers to track equipment and schedule maintenance.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":105},"Food and beverage",{"t":23,"x":107},"GS1 Digital Link QR codes enable traceability from farm to table. Shoppers get clear nutritional information and allergen warnings, while brands can trace affected batches quickly when something goes wrong. Our guide on using QR codes for recall management covers that scenario in detail, because recall speed is where batch-level identification earns its keep.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":109},"Manufacturing and logistics",{"t":23,"x":111},"Manufacturers track items from production to sale, meet regulatory requirements, and give partners direct access to structured data like certifications or serial numbers, all through the same identifiers their existing systems already understand.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":113},"Fashion, textiles, and cosmetics",{"t":23,"x":115},"These categories combine authenticity verification with sustainability disclosure. A scan can confirm a product is genuine and show material composition, both increasingly relevant as DPP requirements reach textiles.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":117},"Technology and electronics",{"t":23,"x":119},"Codes on devices connect users to setup guides, firmware updates, and support content, replacing printed manuals that are outdated before the box is opened.",{"t":23,"x":121},"The common thread is that no industry owns this standard. It touches any regulated or traceable physical product.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":123},"Which regulations align with GS1 Digital Link?",{"t":23,"x":125},"Regulation is the strongest force pushing adoption, because GS1 Digital Link gives brands one mechanism that satisfies several disclosure requirements at once. The main ones to know:",{"t":11,"items":127},[128,129,130,131,132],"EU Digital Product Passport (ESPR, Regulation 2024\u002F1781): lifecycle and sustainability data, phasing in by category from 2026 through 2030, with GS1 Digital Link as the recommended carrier.","GS1 Sunrise 2027: not a law but an industry deadline, moving retail point-of-sale to 2D barcodes by the end of 2027.","EU Regulation 2021\u002F2117 on wine labels: wine sold in the EU must disclose ingredients and nutritional information, which producers commonly deliver through a QR code rather than the physical label.","Falsified Medicines Directive (Directive 2011\u002F62\u002FEU): serialized codes on prescription medicines in the EU, mandatory since 9 February 2019.","FDA nutrition labeling in the US: required nutritional information that brands can extend digitally, offering more detail than the printed panel allows.",{"t":23,"x":134},"Compliance stops being a checkbox and becomes part of the product experience: the same scan that satisfies a regulator informs a customer.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":136},"Should GS1 Digital Link codes be static or dynamic?",{"t":23,"x":138,"c":139},"The standard itself is neutral: GS1 Digital Link data can technically be encoded in a static or a dynamic QR code. In production, though, the use cases that justify GS1 Digital Link almost always require dynamic codes, because static codes cannot be edited once printed.",[140,142,145],{"text":141},"The standard itself is neutral: GS1 Digital Link data can technically be encoded in a static or a ",{"text":143,"to":144},"dynamic QR code","\u002Ffree-dynamic-qr-codes\u002F",{"text":146},". In production, though, the use cases that justify GS1 Digital Link almost always require dynamic codes, because static codes cannot be edited once printed.",{"t":23,"x":148},"Batch numbers change with every production run. Expiry dates move. Recall notices appear without warning. Destination pages evolve as regulations phase in. A static code freezes all of that at print time, while a dynamic QR code lets the destination and content update while the printed symbol stays untouched. Dynamic codes also generate scan analytics, which matter when you need evidence of consumer reach or recall notice visibility.",{"t":23,"x":150},"QRCodeKIT has worked with dynamic QR codes since 2009, and every QR code created on the platform is dynamic. For GS1-specific implementations at scale, including bulk creation and resolver infrastructure, digital-link.com offers tooling built around the standard.",{"t":19,"src":152,"alt":153},"\u002Fassets\u002Fimg\u002FPrinted-QR-code-display-next-to-a-laptop-where-its-destination-content-is-being-updated-441f8d.webp","Printed QR code display next to a laptop where its destination content is being updated",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":155},"Where should you start?",{"t":23,"x":157},"Start with your product data, not with the code. Confirm your GTINs are accurate, decide which Application Identifiers your category needs, and map which regulations apply to your products and when their deadlines land.",{"t":23,"x":159},"From there, the path depends on your angle. If your priority is the retail checkout transition, the Sunrise 2027 migration guide is the next read. If you sell into the EU and DPP is the driver, the Digital Product Passport guide covers the compliance detail. If traceability and recalls are the concern, the recall management guide shows the operational side. This article is the foundation; those are the deep dives.",{"t":15,"l":34,"x":161},"Frequently asked questions",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":163},"How is a GS1 Digital Link QR code different from a regular QR code?",{"t":23,"x":165},"A regular QR code stores a plain URL that points to one destination. A GS1 Digital Link QR code stores a URL structured to the GS1 standard, embedding product identifiers that any compliant system can parse, so the same code works for checkout, traceability, and consumer content.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":167},"What data can a GS1 Digital Link carry?",{"t":23,"x":169},"It carries GS1 Application Identifiers, most commonly the GTIN (AI 01), batch or lot number (AI 10), expiration date (AI 17), and serial number (AI 21). Many other AIs exist for weights, dimensions, and category-specific data, so the payload adapts to the product.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":171},"Can a GS1 Digital Link work as both a barcode and a QR code?",{"t":23,"x":173},"Yes. The standard is carrier agnostic, so the same URI can be encoded in a QR code, a Data Matrix, or an NFC tag. During the transition to Sunrise 2027, many brands print a linear barcode and a 2D code side by side so every scanner along the chain can read the product.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":175},"Do I need to change my product packaging now?",{"t":23,"x":177},"Not overnight, but you should plan the change into your next packaging refresh cycles. With Sunrise 2027 less than 18 months away and DPP phasing in from 2026, brands that align packaging updates with those deadlines avoid rushed redesigns later.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":179},"Is GS1 Digital Link mandatory?",{"t":23,"x":181},"The standard itself is not a law. But regulations that rely on it, such as the EU Digital Product Passport, and industry deadlines like Sunrise 2027 make it the practical default for any brand selling regulated or retail products at scale.",{"t":15,"l":96,"x":183},"What is the difference between GS1 Digital Link and a Digital Product Passport?",{"t":23,"x":185},"GS1 Digital Link is the data carrier standard: it defines how product identifiers live inside a scannable URI. The Digital Product Passport is an EU regulatory requirement: it defines what lifecycle information must be disclosed. The passport is the content, GS1 Digital Link is the delivery mechanism.",{"t":187,"x":188},"quote","All images and visual content in this article were created using RealityMAX.","GS1 Digital Link QR codes explained • QRCodeKIT","Digital link QR codes explained: how the GS1 standard works, its URI structure, Sunrise 2027 deadlines, and the EU Digital Product Passport connection.",1786550230650]