GS1 Digital Link: What It Is and Why DPP Cloud 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 DPP Cloud domain

What label portability means for you

Because your GTIN and passport number are in the URL structure — not just DPP Cloud'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.