GS1 Digital Link Generator
Turn a GTIN into a GS1 Digital Link URL and QR code. Add batch, expiry, serial and other qualifiers, set your own resolver domain, and test the result with a phone camera before the Sunrise 2027 move to 2D codes at the till.
By The eancheck teamPublished Updated
Qualifiers (GS1 Application Identifiers)
Click a chip to add or remove it. Batch, expiry and serial are selected by default.
Dates
Identifiers
3 of 12 qualifiers selected
Qualifier values
Fill in the values for the qualifiers you selected. Leave blank to omit a qualifier from the URL.
Digital Link URL
Enter a valid GTIN to generate a Digital Link…Downloads
PNG is exported at 1024×1024 px with medium error correction. SVG is scalable and ideal for print.
What is a GS1 Digital Link?
A GS1 Digital Link writes the GTIN of a product as a web address. Printed as a QR code, it can be read by a 2D scanner at the till and opened by any smartphone camera. The classic EAN-13 carries the same GTIN as bars for the till scanner.
The classic EAN-13 under a product tells the till which item to ring up and nothing else. A Digital Link, scanned by a 2D-capable register in QR or Data Matrix form, does the same job. Scanned with a phone, the same code opens the website of the brand owner, a traceability database, a recipe page or a recall notice.
The URL format is specified precisely by GS1 in the GS1 Digital Link standard. The GTIN travels as the path segment after /01/. That is the GS1 Application Identifier for "primary key is a GTIN". Batch (/10/) and serial (/21/) follow in the path, in that order. Data such as the expiry date goes after a question mark (?17=271231). A scanner can split the URL into AIs without guessing, and a person can paste it into a browser to see where it goes.
Resolver
The resolver domain
Every GS1 Digital Link starts with a resolver domain. In this example it is id.gs1.org, the reference resolver run by GS1. Printed packs should point at a domain the brand owns, such as mycompany.com, where a GS1-conformant resolver redirects each scan to the right page.
Segment: https://id.gs1.org
Click any segment above to learn what it does.
What Sunrise 2027 asks of retailers and brands
Sunrise 2027 is the GS1 goal for point-of-sale scanners worldwide to read 2D barcodes, including GS1 Digital Link URLs in a QR code, by the end of 2027. For retailers it means replacing or upgrading scanners that read only linear barcodes. It does not retire the EAN-13: during the transition the linear barcode stays on the pack next to the 2D code.
For a brand, adding a Digital Link takes more than a new symbol on the label. It needs new artwork with room for the 2D code, a field in the PIM for each qualifier you encode, and a resolver on your own domain that answers every scan with the right redirect. When you redesign a pack for any other reason, leave room for the 2D code next to the EAN-13, so the artwork does not have to be done twice. The barcode generator makes the EAN-13 or UPC-A for the same GTIN.
One scan of the 2D code can serve several readers. The till reads the GTIN, a phone opens the page of the brand, and a batch and expiry in the URL let a retailer find a recalled lot on the shelf.
Building a Digital Link, step by step
The form at the top of the page is split into two halves. On the left you describe the Digital Link you want to build; on the right you see the URL update in real time, ready to copy or export as a QR code.
Start with the GTIN
Paste or type your 8-, 12-, 13- or 14-digit GTIN into the GTIN field. By default the tool is in Manual mode. It validates strictly and shows an inline "Append check digit" button if you enter an incomplete payload (7, 11, 12 or 13 digits), or a "Clean & pad" button if the input contains non-digit characters. If you are not sure the number on the pack is right, test it in the check digit calculator before it goes into a URL.
If you are working through a spreadsheet of payloads without check digits, open the mode dropdown at the top-right of the GTIN field and switch to Auto-complete; the tool will append the correct check digit silently as you type. A 13-digit number is read as a complete EAN-13, so a wrong last digit shows an error; type a GTIN-14 with all 14 digits. Tolerant mode additionally strips non-digits and pads very short inputs with leading zeros. Your preferred mode is remembered across visits. For a whole column of GTINs, paste it into the bulk Digital Link generator, which builds one URL and one QR code per row.
Pick your qualifiers
By default the picker has batch, expiry and serial pre-selected. Click any other chip to add it (production date, sell-by date, consumer product variant, GDTI, and more), or click a selected chip to remove it. Your selection is remembered in localStorage so the picker is set up the same way on your next visit.
Fill in the values
Under the picker you will see one input per selected qualifier. The format hint on the right of each input tells you exactly what is expected. Most are alphanumeric with a length limit, while dates use YYMMDD. Invalid values are flagged inline. They are also silently dropped from the URL, so a half-filled form still produces a usable result for the fields that are valid.
Set a custom resolver domain
Expand the "Advanced: resolver domain" setting to replace id.gs1.org with your own domain, and do it before anything goes to print. id.gs1.org is the GS1 reference resolver; brands publish their Digital Links on a domain they own. Any domain you configure persists across visits, so you can produce hundreds of links for the same brand without retyping.
Copy or download
Once the URL previews on the right, use the Copy button to put it on your clipboard, or click PNG or SVG under the QR code to download it at print-ready resolution: 1024×1024 PNG or a scalable SVG. Everything happens in your browser; no data is sent to any server.
What can follow the GTIN
A Digital Link can carry more than the GTIN. GS1 Application Identifiers (AIs) are codes of two to four digits defined in the GS1 General Specifications; each one attaches a specific kind of data (a batch number, an expiry date, a serial number, a net weight) to the primary identifier. A Digital Link URL is a GTIN followed by a sequence of AIs and their values. To read the AIs on an existing carton label first, use the GS1-128 parser.
Not every AI is permitted in the primary path of a Digital Link. The specification distinguishes between qualifiers (AIs that refine the primary key, like 22 for consumer product variant, 10 for batch, and 21 for serial) and data attributes (AIs that add context, like 17 for expiry or 11 for production date). The generator supports both. The table below lists every AI it can add, with its format rule and an example value.
Every qualifier this tool supports, with format rules and example values. Search by code or name, or filter by category.
| AI | Name | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| (22) | Consumer Product Variant Identifies a variant of a consumer product (limited edition, regional SKU, seasonal pack) that shares a base GTIN with other variants. | Up to 20 alphanumeric characters | LIMITED2026 |
| (10) | Batch or Lot Number Identifies a batch or lot of items produced under similar conditions. Essential for traceability, recalls, and quality assurance. | Up to 20 alphanumeric characters | ABC123 |
| (21) | Serial Number Uniquely identifies an individual item. Combined with a GTIN it forms a serialised GTIN (SGTIN), enabling item-level tracking. | Up to 20 alphanumeric characters | SN00042 |
| (11) | Production Date The date the item was produced, in YYMMDD format. Use 00 for the day if only the month is known. | YYMMDD (6 digits) | 260115 |
| (13) | Packaging Date The date the item was packaged, in YYMMDD format. | YYMMDD (6 digits) | 260116 |
| (15) | Best Before Date The date up to which the item retains its optimal quality. Not the same as expiration: the item is still safe after this date. | YYMMDD (6 digits) | 261231 |
| (16) | Sell By Date The date by which the item should be sold by the retailer, in YYMMDD format. | YYMMDD (6 digits) | 270601 |
| (17) | Expiration Date The date after which the item should no longer be consumed or used, in YYMMDD format. | YYMMDD (6 digits) | 270401 |
| (235) | Third Party Controlled Serialised Extension Serialised extension controlled by a third party, used to extend a GTIN with a serial reference managed outside the brand owner's system. | Up to 28 alphanumeric characters | TPX-9912 |
| (253) | Global Document Type Identifier Identifies a specific document (tax certificate, shipping notice, permit) with an optional serial component. | 13 digits plus up to 17 optional alphanumeric characters | 9506000134352DOC01 |
| (254) | GLN Extension Component Extension to a Global Location Number that identifies a sub-location within the parent GLN (dock door, storage bay, loading bay). | Up to 20 alphanumeric characters | BAY-12A |
| (8006) | Identification of a Trade Item Piece Identifies an individual piece of a larger trade item. 18 digits: 14 for the GTIN, 2 for the piece number, 2 for the total number of pieces. | 18 digits (GTIN-14 + piece number + total pieces) | 095060001343520102 |
Showing 12 of 12 qualifiers.
Classic barcode or Digital Link?
Both. The classic EAN-13 is read at every till, and a Digital Link is printed next to it rather than in its place. The table below shows what each one does better and where the transition is not finished.
| Dimension | Classic EAN-13 / UPC-A | GS1 Digital Link |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol type | 1D linear barcode | 2D QR code or Data Matrix |
| Scan with a smartphone | Only with a barcode scanner app | Yes, any camera app |
| Opens a web page | No | Yes, direct URL resolution |
| Batch, expiry and serial data | Requires a separate GS1-128 label | In the URL as AIs (10, 17, 21 and others) |
| Data capacity | 13 numeric digits | Thousands of characters |
| Consumer engagement | None; the camera app does not open anything | Scan with a phone to open a destination URL |
| Retailer POS support | Read at every till | Rolling out, Sunrise 2027 target |
| Primary use case | Checkout only | Checkout, a web page for shoppers, traceability |
A smaller demo: watch the URL change
The mini demo below has three fields, GTIN, batch and expiry, and rebuilds the URL as you type. Use it to see how each value lands in the path before you work with the full form at the top.
Edit any field below and the Digital Link URL is rebuilt as you type.
Digital Link URL
https://id.gs1.org/01/09506000134352/10/LOT2026A?17=261231This demo uses auto-complete mode: short GTINs get a check digit appended automatically. The form at the top of the page has strict validation and QR export; for a list of GTINs, use the bulk Digital Link generator.
Frequently asked questions
What does a GS1 Digital Link look like?
Like a web address: https://id.gs1.org/01/09506000134352/10/ABC123. A GS1 standard defines how a GTIN, plus an optional batch, expiry, serial and other qualifiers, is written as a URL. Printed as a QR code, it opens a web page on any smartphone camera, and a till with a 2D-capable scanner reads the GTIN from the same code.
Is GS1 Digital Link replacing the classic EAN-13 barcode?
Not yet. Sunrise 2027 is the GS1 goal for point-of-sale scanners worldwide to read 2D codes, including GS1 Digital Link QR codes, by the end of 2027. Until tills everywhere can do that, the EAN-13 is the barcode every till reads. Brands add the Digital Link QR code next to the existing EAN-13 on the pack rather than replacing it.
Can I use my own domain instead of id.gs1.org?
Yes, and on printed packs you should. id.gs1.org is the reference resolver run by GS1. Brands point their Digital Links at a domain they own, such as example.com, and run a conformant resolver there that sends each scan to the right page. The 'Advanced: resolver domain' setting in the form shows the URL with any domain you type, so you can check it before artwork goes to print.
What qualifiers can I add to a Digital Link URL?
Batch or lot (AI 10), expiration date (AI 17) and serial number (AI 21) are pre-selected in the picker. The generator also covers consumer product variant (22), production, packaging, sell-by and best-before dates (11, 13, 16, 15), TPX (235), GDTI (253), GLN extension (254) and ITIP (8006). The GS1 General Specifications define many more AIs; the GS1-128 parser reads more than 120 of them and exports a Digital Link URL.
Does the GTIN need to be padded to 14 digits?
Yes. The GS1 Digital Link standard writes the GTIN in the URL path as 14 digits. The generator adds the leading zeros to a GTIN-8, GTIN-12 or GTIN-13 before it builds the URL, so the EAN-13 9506000134352 appears as /01/09506000134352. Type the number as it is printed on the pack; the padding is automatic.
How is a Digital Link scanned?
At the till it needs a scanner that reads 2D codes. An older laser scanner reads only linear barcodes such as the EAN-13, so it cannot read a QR code. A shopper needs no special app: the camera app on a smartphone reads the QR code and offers to open the URL. Test both before print: one scan at a 2D-capable till and one with a phone.
What is the difference between a qualifier and a data attribute?
Qualifiers (like batch and serial) refine the primary identifier and must appear in the canonical URL path in a specific order. Data attributes (like expiry and weight) carry additional context and go in the query string after a question mark, for example ?17=271231. The standard sets this split (GS1 Digital Link URI Syntax, sections 4.9 and 4.10); a URL with the expiry date in the path does not follow it.
Does the generator remember my resolver domain?
Yes, in your own browser only. The GTIN input mode, the qualifier selection and the resolver domain are kept in localStorage on your device, so they are filled in on your next visit. The URL and the QR code are built in the browser and nothing is sent to a server. To forget the settings, clear the site data for eancheck.com in your browser.
How big should a Digital Link QR code be on the pack?
No smaller than 14.6 by 14.6 mm for a short URL. The GS1 General Specifications set the module size, the X-dimension, for QR codes scanned at retail point of sale at 0.396 to 0.990 mm. GS1 UK works out that a 29-module code at the minimum, with its 4-module quiet zone, measures 14.6 mm square. Every batch, date or serial in the URL adds modules, so the code grows with each one. Send the SVG to print so it stays sharp.
Is a Digital Link QR code different from an ordinary QR code?
Yes, in what it holds. The symbol is the same. An ordinary QR code holds any web address, and a till cannot find a product in it. A Digital Link QR code holds a URL in the GS1 pattern, with the GTIN after /01/, so a 2D-capable till reads the GTIN and a phone opens the page. GS1 UK warns that a QR code holding GS1 element strings such as (01)09506000134352 is not a Digital Link either.
By The eancheck teamPublished Updated
Questions or corrections? Email the eancheck team.