What is GS1 Digital Link: Everything Businesses Should Know

Businesses are continuously seeking ways to improve operational efficiency, transparency, and growing expectations of consumers.
In this competitive digital era, where consumers demand quick access to product information, businesses often face the challenge of seamlessly conveying real-time, accurate details. Getting familiarity with what is GS1 Digital Link proves to be useful in such cases.
It’s like a digital upgrade to barcodes. It is a modern standard that replaces traditional barcodes with advanced digital connectivity. It links products to comprehensive insights such as ingredients, best-before date, recall, etc.
The ability to provide instant access to reliable and relevant product data revolutionizes how consumers and businesses interact. In this article, we will discuss how these modern standard assists businesses with improved operational efficiency and help ensure consumers a smarter digital experience.
Table of Contents
- What is the GS1 Digital Link?
- Why GS1-compliant Digital Link Is Essential for Businesses: Key Benefits
- How Does GS1 Digital Link Work?
- How Does the GS1 Digital Link QR code Work?
- Practical Applications Across Industries
- GS1-compliant Digital Link vs. Traditional Barcodes
- How to Implement GS1-compliant Digital Link
- Harnessing GS1-compliant Digital Link: A Gateway to Innovation and Efficiency
What is the GS1 Digital Link?
An essential part of GS1's global migration to 2D barcodes, GS1 Digital Link is a standard connecting physical products to digital content. It takes a barcode and transforms it into a web address.
It allows retailers, brand owners, consumers, and others involved in the supply chain to access rich product information. Users can scan a barcode on a product's packaging to instantly access digital content.
It helps businesses streamline supply chain operations, enhance product traceability, and improve customer engagement. By giving customers instant access to comprehensive product information, this standard ensures transparency and credibility.
It converts barcodes into web-enabled QR codes that provide real-time product information, authentication details, environmental standards, and more. It simultaneously supports regulatory compliance.
This standardized method encodes identifiers like GS1 GTINs, GLNs, and SSCCs. It encodes such that the GS1 identifiers can then be encoded, scanned, and connected to online information.
Why GS1-compliant Digital Link Is Essential for Businesses: Key Benefits

Safe operations
Supply chain visibility
Future-proofing
Real-time updates
How Does GS1 Digital Link Work?
Many individuals are confused about what is GS1 Digital Link? Well, it converts traditional barcodes into web-enabled, smart codes like QR codes.
Those codes include a unique identifier for the product, such as a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) embedded in a URL format.
Whenever somebody scans the code through a scanner or smartphone, it connects them to a database or web page with rich product information. The information can include sourcing details, ingredients, usage instructions, recall alerts, etc.
Connecting a single code to multiple types of information makes the standard efficient and versatile. For example, a business can use the same QR code for supply chain management, inventory tracking, and informing consumers of product details.
How Does the GS1 Digital Link QR code Work?

A QR code embedded with a GS1-compliant Digital Link directs the user scanning the product to relevant information online. These codes are like smart links connecting users to detailed product information via a single scan.
The smart barcode embeds information like the product identifier (GTIN), product variant, batch or lot number, serial number, and expiration date. The URL organizes all such details.
- As you create a GS1 barcode, the input data is collected into one unique code. Subsequently, a data matrix barcode or a QR code stores it.
- The GS1-compliant digital link follows a standard structure, i.e., the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) syntax. This aspect means that a single GS1 code contains the following data: Domain, Key Qualifiers, Primary Identification Key, and Data Attributes.
- After you input all the above data, you will get your GS1-compliant digital link.
- The QR code encodes a URL containing the following information: Base URL, Product GTIN, Product Variant, Batch/Lot No., Serial Number, and Best Before Date.
- When a user scans the QR code, the URL directs them to a database or webpage that shows all relevant product details (like recall alerts, origin, etc.).
- Businesses do not need to modify the QR code; they can update the linked content. Hence, this standard ensures up-to-date, accurate data.

Practical Applications Across Industries
Retail and e-commerce
Logistics
Food and Beverage
Healthcare and Pharma
Consumer Packaged Goods
Apparel
Electronics
GS1-compliant Digital Link vs. Traditional Barcodes
Sr. No. | Point of Comparison | GS1-compliant Digital Link | Traditional Barcodes |
1 | Meaning | It is more than a barcode, acting as a gateway to digital transformation. It connects product packaging to web-enabled links. This capability allows businesses to connect retailers, consumers, and supply chains to essential product data. Implemented through a GS1 QR code, this technology serves a standardized format that is globally recognized. It ensures interoperability and consistency across the supply chain. | Traditional barcodes (including linear barcodes such as EAN or UPCs) are printed on product packaging. They contain encoded information, typically a unique product identifier. They are effective for basic tasks such as inventory management and checkout. They don’t directly connect customers to additional content. |
2 | Information handling capacity | Businesses can update the linked digital content as required; there is no need to change the barcode itself. | Traditional barcodes are static and can’t be updated once printed. They can only store a small amount of information, usually just the GTIN. |
3 | Access to information | GS1 enabled Digital Link enables customers to access varied information such as product pricing, reviews, offers, augmented reality experiences, etc. | Traditional barcodes don’t provide an interactive customer experience. |
4 | Scope of applications | It serves multiple applications ranging from product marketing to customer support. | They are primarily used for product identification at the point of sale. |
5 | Ominchannel integration | It supports seamless integration across different channels, like mobile apps and e-commerce platforms. | They are limited to physical retail environments. |
How to Implement GS1-compliant Digital Link
Step 1: Join a local GS1 organization. This will give your business a unique GS1 Company Prefix.
Step 2: Create a GTIN for each product using your assigned prefix. Ensure each product has a unique identifier.
Step 3: Determine the format to encode. The 2D barcode is generally a preferred choice, as it ensures flexibility and allows the storage of dynamic data.
Step 4: The next step is to create a URL for your Digital Link. Make sure to frame the URL according to the standard format as mentioned below.
Step 5: Link the URL to the desired digital content (such as special offers, product videos, etc.).
Step 6: Embed the URL into a barcode to make it ready for use and keep it scannable.
Step 7: After setting up the GS1-enabled digital link, integrate it with your current data management systems. The integration can be into your business’ POS (point-of-sale), inventory system, ERP (enterprise resource planning), or CRM (customer relationship management) platforms.
Step 8: Once the digital link is integrated into your system, automate data synchronization to ensure your business has up-to-date information.
Step 9: To make these codes operational, partner with GS1-certified solution providers and ensure you use suitable APIs for each system.
Step 10: Request a GS1-compliant resolver service to scan your created link before rolling out the standard on your barcodes. Ensure it shows accurate product information as expected. Check the link on mobile devices to ensure compatibility and correctness.