GS1 Digital Link

GS1 Digital Link

gs1-digital-link/" class="glossary-term-link" data-term="GS1 Digital Link" data-definition="Web URI format for GS1 identifiers." data-category="Integration">GS1 Digital Link is a standard that embeds GS1 identifiers -- such as GTIN, SSCC, and GIAI -- into web-compatible URIs. By encoding GS1 keys as URLs, Digital Link bridges the gap between RFID-encoded EPCs and the web, enabling any GS1 identifier to serve as a gateway to product information, traceability data, and consumer-facing content.

URI Structure

A GS1 Digital Link URI follows a structured format that encodes the GS1 key type and value directly in the URL path. For example, a product with GTIN 00614141123452 and serial number 6789 has the Digital Link URI:

https://id.gs1.org/01/00614141123452/21/6789

The path segments (/01/ for GTIN, /21/ for serial) correspond to GS1 Application Identifiers, the same numbering system used in barcodes and EPC encoding. This means a single serialized identifier can be consistently represented across barcodes, RFID EPCs, QR codes, and web URIs.

Connection to RFID

For RFID systems, GS1 Digital Link provides a resolver mechanism: given an EPC read from a tag, the system can construct the corresponding Digital Link URI and resolve it to retrieve product data. The Tag Data Translation library converts binary EPCs to GS1 element strings, which map directly to Digital Link path segments.

This capability is central to the Digital Product Passport initiative, where an RFID tag on a product must link to a cloud-hosted record containing sustainability and traceability data. The Digital Link URI serves as the persistent, web-resolvable identifier for that record.

Resolver Architecture

A GS1 Digital Link resolver is an HTTP service that accepts a Digital Link URI and redirects or responds with the appropriate content based on the request context. The resolver can serve different content types based on the client: a consumer scanning a QR code might receive a product information page, while a supply chain system querying via API might receive EPCIS event data or a JSON-LD product description.

Organizations can operate their own resolvers (branded domains) or use the GS1 global resolver. The resolver infrastructure is designed for decentralized operation using the ONS (Object Name Service) system, allowing any GS1 member to host authoritative data for their products.