Scan & Generate
Free GS1 Digital Link QR Code Generator
Enter a GTIN plus optional batch, expiry, and serial number to generate a standards-compliant GS1 Digital Link QR code — the same 2D format behind GS1 Sunrise 2027 and the EU Digital Product Passport.
Enter your complete barcode number (check digit included). It will be zero-padded to a 14-digit GTIN automatically. Need to calculate a check digit first? Try the EAN-13 Barcode Generator or the Barcode Validator.
Optional GS1 Qualifiers
Use GS1's global resolver (default) or replace with your own product-page domain if you host resolution yourself.
What Is a GS1 Digital Link QR Code?
A GS1 Digital Link QR code encodes a normal-looking web URL that also carries structured product identifiers — your GTIN, plus optional batch/lot, expiry date, and serial number. Any phone camera can open it like a regular link, while GS1-compliant systems can read the same code as a checkout barcode and a compliance data carrier.
This is the technology behind two major 2026–2027 shifts covered on our blog: GS1 Sunrise 2027, where retailers are upgrading checkout scanners to read 2D codes, and the EU Digital Product Passport, which requires a scannable data carrier on many product categories starting in 2026.
GS1 Application Identifiers Used
| AI | Meaning | Path/Query |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | GTIN (product identifier) | Path — required |
| 10 | Batch / lot number | Path — optional |
| 21 | Serial number | Path — optional |
| 17 | Expiry date (YYMMDD) | Query — optional |
Why Not Just Use a Regular QR Code?
A plain URL QR code only opens a page. A GS1 Digital Link code follows a defined structure so retail scanners, supply-chain systems, and regulators can extract the GTIN, batch, and serial programmatically — while still working as a normal clickable link for shoppers. One code, three audiences.
Who This Is For
- Small brands preparing for GS1 Sunrise 2027 — move new SKUs to 2D-first packaging
- Manufacturers scoping the EU Digital Product Passport — build a compliant data carrier ahead of your category's deadline
- Anyone testing GS1 Digital Link structure before committing to a full compliance platform
This tool builds a correctly structured GS1 Digital Link URI and QR code for testing and small-scale labeling. It does not verify that your GTIN is officially licensed with GS1, and it is not a substitute for full Digital Product Passport compliance software for regulated categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a GS1 Digital Link?
GS1 Digital Link is a standard way of expressing GS1 identifiers as a web URL, such as https://example.com/01/09506000134352. Because it is both a valid product identifier and a working link, one QR code can serve a checkout till and a shopper's phone at the same time.
How is this different from a normal QR code with a link in it?
A normal QR code holds an arbitrary URL that only your systems understand. A Digital Link encodes the GTIN in a standardised path structure, so any compliant system can extract the product identifier from it without knowing anything about your website.
Do I need a GS1 membership to use this?
To publish codes on real products, yes — the GTIN must be issued to your company through GS1, because it has to be globally unique. You can generate and test Digital Link URLs with any number, but only a properly issued GTIN is valid in trade.
What domain should I use in a Digital Link?
Normally your own brand domain, so the code resolves to a page you control. GS1 also operates resolver infrastructure that can redirect a Digital Link to the right destination, which is useful when several parties need to serve data about the same product.
Is a Digital Link QR code the same as GS1 DataMatrix?
No. They are different carriers for different jobs. GS1 DataMatrix encodes a compact element string and is used where space is tight or products are regulated. A Digital Link is a URL, usually in a QR code, aimed at consumer scanning as well as point of sale.
Will Digital Link QR codes work at checkout before 2027?
Only where the retailer's point-of-sale system has been upgraded to read 2D barcodes. GS1 Sunrise 2027 is the industry milestone for that capability, which is why most products currently carry both a traditional barcode and a 2D code during the transition.
Scan GS1 Digital Link Codes Instantly
The Scan & Generate app reads GS1 Digital Link QR codes, EAN-13, UPC-A, Data Matrix and nine other formats — 13 in all — with a searchable scan history for every product you check.