A GS1 Digital Link is a web address that has a product identifier written into it in a fixed, standardised way. The standard is published by GS1, the organisation behind the barcode numbers (GTINs) used on shop products. It lets one 2D code, usually a QR code, do two jobs: identify the product for a checkout or a warehouse, and send a phone to a web page about it.

What problem does it solve?

The familiar EAN / UPC barcode on a pack carries one thing: the product number (GTIN). It cannot hold a batch number or an expiry date, and a phone has no way to open anything from it. A QR code with a GS1 Digital Link URI can carry the same GTIN and, in the same address, other identifiers such as the batch or lot, a serial number or an expiry date. The same code can then be scanned by a till and by a customer's phone.

What does one look like?

It is an ordinary https address. This is the shape GS1 uses in its own documentation:

https://example.com/01/09520123456788/10/ABC1/21/12345?17=261231

  • example.com is the domain that answers when the link is opened.
  • /01/09520123456788 is the product: 01 is the identifier type (GTIN) and the 14 digits are the GTIN.
  • /10/ABC1 is the batch or lot, and /21/12345 is the serial number.
  • ?17=261231 is the expiry date, written as year, month, day (YYMMDD).

The rules for each part are in the URL structure guide, and you can build one in the GS1 Digital Link generator.

How is it different from a normal QR code?

A normal QR code can hold any text or link. A GS1 Digital Link is a link that follows the GS1 syntax, so that software that understands the standard can read the product number out of it. A phone that does not know about GS1 simply opens the web address. That is the point of the design: it works for both.

What it does not do

  • It does not give you a product number. GTINs are issued through GS1 membership. A generator, including ours, can only write a number you already have into the correct format.
  • It does not replace the EAN / UPC barcode overnight. GS1 describes a transition in which both are used on packs. See 2D barcodes in retail.
  • It does not by itself provide the web page. Someone has to host what the link opens.

BestQR is not affiliated with GS1. This guide summarises GS1's public documents, which are linked below.

Sources

Last updated and checked against the sources on 13 October 2026. Standards change, so check the source for the current wording.

Frequently asked questions

Is GS1 Digital Link a type of QR code?

No. It is a way of writing a product identifier as a web address. That address can then be placed in a QR code (or in a Data Matrix code).

Do I need to join GS1 to use it?

To use a GTIN on products you sell, you need GTINs issued through GS1 membership. The address format itself is an open standard that anyone can read.

Will a normal phone camera open it?

Yes. It is an https link, so a phone camera opens it like any other QR code.

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