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A practical walkthrough

How GS1 Digital Link Works: From GTIN to First Scan in Five Steps

A plain-English tour of how a brand goes from a raw product number to a live GS1 Digital Link 2D barcode on pack, then to first scans landing in the analytics dashboard. No GS1 certification needed, no new equipment, no jargon.

Try it free Walk the steps
1
WorkspaceOne brand, one stable hostname
2D
One code on packRetail point-of-sale and shopper scan
∞
Lifetime URLStable for the life of the GTIN
~20 minMedian first publish
Step 01

Validate the GTIN

We start with the universal product identity

Every product has a GTIN, the global trade item number GS1 allocates. We validate the mod-10 check digit so the number you carry forward is the one retailers will recognise at point-of-sale. Brands typing in a GTIN get inline feedback, not a silent failure on save.

  • Mod-10 check digit validation, inline
  • Accepts GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13 and GTIN-14
  • Locked once published so the public URL is stable
More on GTINs
Designer's desk with packaging mockup boxes and a printed artwork sheet showing a 14-digit GTIN
01Validate the GTIN
Step 02

Build the Digital Link URL

GTIN becomes a real, resolvable web address

Behind the scenes we wrap the validated GTIN in the GS1 Digital Link URL pattern, /01/{gtin}, anchored to your workspace's stable hostname. This is the link that your QR code will encode and the link the consumer's phone will open. It survives every change you make to the public passport later.

  • Standards-compliant /01/{gtin} routing
  • Stable URL for the lifetime of the SKU
  • Resolves to the right batch when batch lookups are configured
About GS1 Digital Link
Two hands working at a laptop showing a URL builder mockup for a GS1 Digital Link
02Build the Digital Link URL
Step 03

Generate a print-ready QR

PNG, SVG or PDF, with optional retail frames

Click export and the platform generates the 2D code that encodes the Digital Link URL. Vector formats for packaging artwork, high-resolution PNG up to 1200px for digital. Frame variants for retail label, ticket and shelf-edge applications. Frame, error correction and quiet zone settings all sit one level deep.

  • Vector exports for packaging artwork (SVG, PDF)
  • High-resolution PNG up to 1200px for digital and signage
  • Plain, retail, label and ticket frames in one click
Try the free generator
Flat lay of a printed 2D barcode artwork sheet with design swatches, wooden stamp and fountain pen
03Generate a print-ready QR
Step 04

Send to print

Pack design, proof, plate, run

Drop the SVG or PDF into your packaging artwork the way you always have. The QR sits anywhere on the pack the design allows, with quiet-zone breathing room your printer will recognise. We document size, contrast and reflectance guidelines that a 2D-capable retail scanner will accept on first read.

  • Print-spec documentation for size and contrast
  • Quiet zones, error correction levels explained
  • Works with existing printer workflows, no special equipment
Plan your Sunrise 2027 migration
Artisan packaging studio with a finished cream cardboard box of granola showing a small printed 2D barcode
04Send to print
Step 05

First scan, first signal

Live at retail, in homes, in cafes

The first time a shopper or a retail scanner hits your code, the platform records the scan, geo-resolves it, and aggregates it into your analytics. The shopper lands on your verified product passport. Every later scan adds to the same workspace dashboard, with country, city, device, browser and referrer breakdowns.

  • First-party scan analytics, no ad trackers
  • Country, city, device, browser, referrer breakdowns
  • Layered scan actions for loyalty, giveaways, feedback
Learn about scan analytics
Young woman in cream cardigan scanning a 2D barcode on a glass jar of pasta sauce in a supermarket aisle
05First scan, first signal
Before you start

What a brand needs to begin

Three small pieces of information will get you to a published product in minutes. The platform fills in the standards-compliance layer for you.

A GS1-allocated GTIN

Already on your existing 1D barcode artwork. We validate it, you bring it.

Product details

Name, description, key claims, ingredients, an image or two. Add more later.

Your packaging artwork

Drop the exported SVG into your existing pack design. No new equipment.

Once you are live

Layers you can add over time

Publish first, deepen later. Each layer slots into the same product record without changing the QR on pack.

+1

Richer passport

Multiple images, ingredients and material breakdowns, certifications, retailer pills, ESPR-aligned fields.

Open passport module +2

Batch & Origin traceability

Tie LOTs to raw materials, suppliers, shipment events and EUDR origin evidence. Same code, batch-aware.

Open traceability module +3

Scan actions

Loyalty enrollment, giveaways, retail promos, impact and feedback campaigns. Layered above the public passport, not in front of it.

Open scan actions +4

Scan analytics

Country, city, device and referrer breakdowns. CSV export. First-party logging, no ad trackers.

Open analytics module
FAQ

Quick answers

How long does it take to publish a first product?
Most brands have their first product live in under twenty minutes from signup. Validating a GTIN and exporting a print-ready QR takes a few seconds. Filling in the public passport with images, ingredients and certifications is the longer step, but you can publish a minimal page first and add to it over time.
Do I need to migrate every SKU at once?
No. Most brands run a phased rollout. Pick a few hero SKUs to migrate first, validate the workflow with your printer, then expand. The platform is happy whether you have one product or ten thousand on the same workspace.
What if my printer has not seen GS1 Digital Link before?
We export the same plain PNG, SVG or PDF a printer already knows how to handle. The standards-compliance lives inside the URL the QR encodes, not in the printing artwork. Send the SVG or PDF to your printer the way you always have.
How does it work at retail point-of-sale?
Modern 2D-capable scanners read the GS1 Digital Link URL and extract the GTIN at the till, the same way they would read a 1D EAN barcode today. By Sunrise 2027 most of the worldwide grocery point-of-sale fleet is expected to support 2D, so the same code on pack does double duty.
Do I need to allocate new GTINs?
Only if you do not already have one for the SKU. GTIN allocation is GS1's role in your country, not ours. We validate the check digit, format the URL and generate the code. If you bring an existing GTIN we will use it.

Read next

Platform overviewAll six modules in one place: identity, passport, traceability, engagement, analytics, trust.Read more Sunrise 2027 readinessPlan your packaging migration to 2D barcodes before retail point-of-sale flips.Read more EU Digital Product PassportHow the platform aligns with ESPR delegated acts.Read more Free GS1 Digital Link generatorBuild your first URL and QR before signing up.Read more
Ready to walk the steps

Your first product page can be live before lunch

Five active product pages on the free plan, no credit card. Real GS1 Digital Link from the very first scan.

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