The GS1 Digital Link standard allows you to connect your product with information about it available online. As a brand owner or retailer, you can use established GS1 standards as a gateway to additional product information such as promotions, traceability information, safety information and much more.
The major advantage of GS1 Digital Link is that is its flexibility. Where a regular web link typically only points to a specific web page, the GS1 Digital Link can connect to several sources of information targeting both businesses and consumers.
GS1 Digital Link
A product with a QR code containing a GS1 Digital Link has a GS1 identifier in the link (such as a GTIN, Global Trade Item Number). You can also choose to add more details to the link, such as batch or serial numbers, allowing both businesses and consumers to access more information about the specific product.
A QR code with a GS1 Digital Link directs the one scanning the product directly to relevant online information about the product, and you can link to an unlimitied number of information sources – from one single QR code. The same QR code will, in the near future, also be able to be scanned at the checkout, which does not need an internet connection, and serve the same purpose as the traditional barcode does today. This is both efficient and takes up less space on the packaging.
What is a resolver?
GS1 Digital Link can refer user querys to multiple sources, which means different types of users can get the answer to their specific query. For users to receive relevant information, GS1 Digital Link needs to know the context in which the query is made. For example, the type of information the user wants, which language the user speaks, for which country the information should apply, and so on. There are several sources of information that a product can be related to.
The solution to this is a resolver. A resolver can be described as a signpost directing querys to the right source.
Link types
For the resolver to know which information a query should be directed to, the information needs to be categorised. This is done using link types.
An example of a link type is Product page, which links a GTIN to a page containing general information about a product. This is the link type most commonly used as the default link for the product.
The default link is the URL the resolver refers to when there is no request for a specific link type. For example, when the QR code is scanned with the camera on a smartphone.
Other link types allow you to add more URLs to the same GTIN, leading to safety information, videos, certifications and much more. You can find all the link types supported by GS1 here.
Benefits of using a resolver
There are several benefits for suppliers or brand owners when managing URLs with a resolver:
- You only need one barcode on a product’s packaging is sufficient, as a 2D code (e.g. a QR code) with GS1 Digital Link can be used for multiple purposes.
- You can change the default link without having to update the QR code on the product packaging. If you want the QR code to temporarily lead to a different URL, such as during a campaign, it is technically relatively easy to manage.
- You can manage links to multiple URLs from a single GS1 identifier. The resolver ensures that users are linked to the appropriate URL. For example, the link type Recall can lead to information about a potential product recall.
- You mainatain control of the information and can use global standards to share URLs relevant to that product. It provides system developers who need data sources for a specific type of information (for example, ingredients) with an open registry of URLs that you have defined for your product.
You can either have your own resolver solution or use GS1 Sweden’s resolver and our Link management service.