GS1 Digital Link is the GS1 standard that writes a product's GS1 identity (GTIN) and, where needed, its batch number, serial number or expiry date into a standard web address. When this address is printed in a QR code, the same code does two jobs at once. A phone camera opens it as a web page. A checkout or warehouse scanner extracts the GTIN and the other data from it. A plain campaign QR code cannot do this, because its address contains no product identity.
How is it different from a plain QR code?
Most marketing QR codes go to an address such as example.com/campaign. That address does not say which product this is, let alone which batch it came from. This is why GS1 Türkiye reminds brands that use consumer-facing QR codes that they also need to carry a second barcode, such as a GTIN-13, for checkout and price scanning.
In a GS1 Digital Link address, by contrast, the identity sits in a fixed structure. According to GS1's guideline on 2D barcodes in retail, a scanner or checkout software can convert this address into a classic GS1 element string. One code then serves both the consumer's phone and the scanners in the supply chain.
How is the address built?
The current version of the GS1 Digital Link URI Syntax standard is 1.7.0, ratified in August 2026. Under the structure in the standard, an address has four parts:
| Part | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | https://example.com | Can be any domain; HTTPS is recommended |
| Primary key | /01/08691234000007 | The GTIN is always written with 14 digits |
| Qualifiers | /10/A2611/21/000123 | The order is fixed: 22 (variant), 10 (batch), 21 (serial) |
| Data attributes | ?17=271231 | Additional data such as the expiry date, in the query string |
The 8691234000007 in the example is the GTIN-13 example GS1 Türkiye uses in its own explanations. When written into the address, a leading zero is added to bring it to 14 digits. A qualifier can be omitted, but the order cannot be changed. The serial number (21) and the variant (22) appear only in the path and are not written into the query string.
The standard also sets out a few details explicitly:
- Short names have been removed. Lettered shortcuts, such as writing /gtin/ instead of /01/, are no longer in the standard.
- Other parameters can be added. However, their keys cannot consist only of digits; the names linkType and context are reserved for resolvers.
- The canonical form is id.gs1.org. Whatever domain is used, the same identity has a single equivalent on GS1's global resolver.
Can you use your own domain?
Yes. The standard leaves the domain open, and brands can use their own domain and their own resolver or a service provider's. What matters is that the path follows the GS1 structure. Even if the domain changes, the GTIN, batch and serial number inside stay the same, and the scanner still recognises the product.
This has another consequence. Applications should not assume that every GS1 Digital Link address goes to a resolver. Conformant resolvers identify themselves with a /.well-known/gs1resolver file under the domain.
What does a resolver do?
A resolver is the service that sends the person to the right page when the QR code is scanned. Under the GS1 Resolver Standard 1.2.1 of August 2026, each product has a single default link, but more than one link type can be defined under the same address. The GS1 Web Vocabulary has around 60 link types. Some of the most common ones:
- gs1:pip: Product information page.
- gs1:instructions: Instructions for use.
- gs1:safetyInfo: Safety information.
- gs1:recallStatus: Recall status.
- gs1:certificationInfo: Certification information.
- gs1:dpp: Digital product passport.
A specific link can be requested with a parameter such as ?linkType=gs1:recallStatus. In version 1.2, if the requested type is not defined, the resolver returns a 404 response rather than the default page. Language selection is made through the browser's language preference. An address at serial number level inherits the links defined at GTIN level; there is no need to set up a separate page for each unit.
What should you watch for in a code scanned at the checkout?
Version 26.0 of the GS1 General Specifications, ratified in January 2026, sets these rules for 2D codes scanned at the retail checkout:
- Uncompressed form: GS1 Digital Link addresses also have a compressed form. A code to be scanned at the checkout should use the uncompressed form.
- Same identity: The linear barcode and the 2D code on the packaging must carry the same GTIN and the same attribute values.
- Transition period: During the transition, the 2D code is used alongside EAN-13 or GS1 DataBar, not instead of it.
- Size: In a QR code, the module width (X-dimension) is at least 0.396 mm, with a target of 0.495 mm and a maximum of 0.990 mm. Print quality must be at least 1.5/12/660.
There is a single dimensional rule for placement: the 2D code must sit no more than 50 mm from the centre of the linear barcode. The orientation and order of the two codes are left to the brand owner, and the quiet zones of both codes must be kept clear.
Common mistakes
- Writing the GTIN with 13 digits and not padding it to 14.
- Writing the batch and serial number outside the order set by the standard.
- Putting the serial number in the query string.
- Using different GTINs in the linear barcode and the QR code.
- Printing the code to be scanned at the checkout in compressed form.
- Leaving the addresses opened by old QR codes without redirects when the domain changes.
Does the address prove that the product is genuine?
No. GS1 Digital Link is an identity and linking standard. The address can be copied as soon as it is printed in a QR code; when the same QR code is printed on counterfeit packaging, the same page opens. To tell whether the code belongs to genuine packaging, you need to look at the code's scan history or at a separate security layer on the packaging. We cover this distinction in detail in the serial number verification article.
Where does Tagvex fit in this structure?
Tagvex numbers products at batch or unit level with copy-resistant codes, fits the code into the existing label layout and records every change of hands from the line exit to the dealer. The GTIN, on the other hand, is a GS1 number you build with your own company prefix. You decide the structure and domain of the address written into the QR code. The Tagvex record does not replace the GTIN, GS1 membership or a GS1 resolver.
Sources
- GS1 Digital Link Standard: URI Syntax, Release 1.7.0, 2026
- GS1-Conformant Resolver Standard, Release 1.2.1, 2026
- GS1 General Specifications, Release 26.0, 2026
- GS1 Web Vocabulary, link types
- GS1 2D in Retail POS Guideline, Release 1.1.0, 2025
- GS1 Türkiye, 2D barcodes: the future of product labels (Turkish)
