GS1 Digital Link: What It Is and Why EU Digital Passport Processor™ Uses It

What is GS1 Digital Link?

GS1 Digital Link is an open standard published by GS1 that transforms a product's GTIN (barcode identifier) into a web-resolvable URL. The URL format is standardised so that any scanner, customs system, or app worldwide knows how to read and process it.

Unlike a regular QR code — which encodes an arbitrary URL — a GS1 Digital Link QR code encodes a URL that follows a strict pattern:

https://{resolver-domain}/01/{gtin}/21/{serial}
                           ↑ AI for GTIN  ↑ AI for serial/passport number

The 01 and 21 are GS1 Application Identifiers — globally standardised codes that tell any system what data follows.

Why the EU Battery Regulation requires it

Recital 78 and Article 77 of EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 specify that Digital Product Passport QR codes must follow GS1 Digital Link. The reasons:

• Interoperability — any EU customs system can parse and verify the URL without prior knowledge of which DPP provider issued it
• Global recognition — GS1 is the same organisation behind every barcode in global trade
• Label portability — the GTIN and serial are encoded in the URL itself, not just the EU Digital Passport Processor™ domain

What label portability means for you

Because your GTIN and passport number are in the URL structure — not just EU Digital Passport Processor™'s domain — if you ever switch DPP providers, you only need to update a DNS resolver record. The QR code on every printed label continues to work. This is a significant advantage over QR codes that embed a proprietary provider URL.