GS1 Digital Link and GTIN in a DPP
When DPPs come up, two terms often appear: GTIN and GS1 Digital Link. They sound technical, but the idea is simple. This article explains what they are and how they fit into a Digital Product Passport.
What a GTIN is
A GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is a global product identification number — the same one behind the classic barcode on packaging. It identifies a product model or variant worldwide.
For many companies the GTIN is already familiar from retail. In the DPP context it can serve as the identifier that links a physical product to its data.
What GS1 Digital Link is
GS1 Digital Link is a way of writing a product identifier as a web address. Instead of a "bare" number you get a link that can be placed in a QR code and that leads to the product's data.
The key difference from a plain barcode is that a single code can serve many audiences and many uses — from the checkout in a shop to the product passport.
How GS1 Digital Link connects to the DPP
A DPP needs a unique identifier and a data carrier that leads to a record. GS1 Digital Link fits this pattern well: it combines a familiar identifier (such as a GTIN) with an address where the data lives.
That way the same QR code can send a consumer to a public product page and a surveillance authority to a broader scope of information. We describe this split of roles in Three pillars of a DPP.
GTIN, batch number and serial number
GS1 Digital Link lets you encode not only the GTIN itself but also extra elements:
- the GTIN — identifies a model or variant,
- the batch (LOT) number — points to a production run,
- the serial number — identifies a single unit.
This maps directly to the three levels of passport granularity. We cover them in Model, batch, item.
The role of the resolver
The address alone is not everything. Between the scan and the data an intermediate layer, a so-called resolver, can recognise the context and route the reader to the right content.
A resolver can, for example, detect the language, the type of reader or the current version of the data and show the matching variant. The QR code itself stays unchanged.
GS1 Digital Link versus a plain QR code
It helps to separate two things. A QR code is the carrier — the way a link is written in graphical form. GS1 Digital Link is a way of structuring the link itself, so it is readable by different systems.
In other words, GS1 Digital Link governs what is inside the code, not the code itself. We cover the difference between carrier and data in DPP vs QR code.
Do you have to use GS1
No. ESPR (Regulation 2024/1781) is technology-neutral and does not mandate GS1 as the only solution. GS1 Digital Link is a practical, widely used option, but not the only lawful one.
More on what is required versus merely convenient in Is GS1 mandatory.
What this means in practice
If you already use GTINs, you have a starting point for identifying products in a DPP. If you do not, it is worth considering which identifier scheme will be consistent and durable across your catalogue.
The key is that the identifier is unique and stable and the carrier leads to a machine-readable record — whatever technology you choose.
Why one code for many uses
A big advantage of the address-based approach is that a single carrier can serve many scenarios. The same code can be useful at the checkout, on a product page and in the product passport.
For a company this means fewer parallel marks on the packaging and simpler label logistics. Instead of a separate code for each purpose, one well-designed code is enough.
GS1 is more than GTIN
GS1 is a broader system of identifiers and data structures in which the GTIN is only one element. The system includes, among other things, ways to encode a batch number or a serial number.
For a DPP, what matters is that such a system lets you describe a product consistently at different levels of detail, using recognised, global rules.
What to keep in mind when implementing
Even when choosing GS1, a few things need care. Identifiers must be correctly assigned and maintained, and addresses stable over time.
It is also worth testing the code's readability on the target devices and confirming it leads to the right, current version of the data. Choosing a standard does not remove that verification.
A step toward interoperability
Using recognised identifiers makes it easier to work with trading partners and external systems. Data based on shared rules is easier to exchange and reuse.
That is a practical argument for a consistent scheme — whatever technology you ultimately choose.
Key takeaways
- A GTIN is a global product identification number, known from barcodes.
- GS1 Digital Link writes an identifier as a web address that leads to data.
- It can encode a GTIN, a batch number and a serial number — the three granularity levels.
- It is a practical but not the only method; ESPR is technology-neutral.
- The key is a unique identifier and a carrier that leads to a data record.
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