GS1 QR Codes - The Practical Guide and Tutorial

This article will explain to you what GS1 QR Codes are, how you can benefit from them, how they work and guide you how to create your first GS1 QR Code with our GS1 Digital Link Generator.

After reading this complete guide you know everything you need to know about GS1 QR Codes, their advantages and the usage.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of retail and supply chain management, the need for standardized, versatile, and information-rich labeling solutions is more critical than ever. Enter GS1 QR Codes - an innovation that not only meets these demands but is set to revolutionize how we capture and share data across global supply chains.

GS1 QR Codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode specifically designed to carry large amounts of information in a compact format. They are designed by GS1, which stands for Global Standards 1 and is a global non-profit network to develop and optimize standards for business processes. GS1 also developed the original barcode that you can see on every product in a store.

Unlike traditional barcodes that are limited to a simple string of
numbers (e.g. for the GTIN/EAN Code), GS1 QR Codes can encode comprehensive data, including product identifiers (like GTIN/EAN), expiration dates, batch numbers, and even URLs. This enhanced capability is made possible by the GS1 system, an internationally recognized set of standards for business communication, which ensures that these codes are universally understandable and usable across different systems and platforms.

In simple terms GS1 QR Codes are a fusion of the traditional barcode, you can see on every bottle of milk, with the capabilities of QR Codes to enhance to not only improve supply chain processes but also provide better customer experience with products.

As we look ahead to the future of retail and supply chain management, GS1 QR Codes are set to become a cornerstone of digital transformation, thanks in part to the Sunrise 2027 initiative. This industry-wide effort, led by GS1, aims to phase out legacy barcodes and fully transition to 2D barcodes like GS1 QR Codes by the year 2027. The initiative is driven by the growing need for more robust data capture capabilities that can accommodate the increasing complexity of global supply chains and consumer demand for more detailed product information. By adopting GS1 QR Codes, businesses can stay ahead of this curve, ensuring they are well-prepared for the future.

Integral to the functionality of GS1 QR Codes is the concept of the GS1 Digital Link. This technology bridges the gap between physical and digital realms, allowing GS1 QR Codes to serve as a gateway to a wealth of online resources. By scanning a GS1 QR Code equipped with a Digital Link, consumers and businesses alike can access a treasure trove of information—product details, usage instructions, promotions, and much more - all with a single scan. This not only enhances the consumer experience but also opens new avenues for customer engagement and data-driven decision-making.

Lets take a practical look at a GS1 Digital Link and answer the question how it is built and what its components are.

First of all, as the name implies, the GS1 Digital Link is, well, a link. So it has an URL (Unified Resource Locator).

Combining those elements you get the GS1 Digital Link URI/URL.

In the following you will learn how the parts of the GS1 digital links are arranged.

The Digital Link starts with a base domain, which is typically a company’s web domain. This domain will host the product’s web-based information.

Following the base domain, application identifiers (AI) can follow. These identify the entity.

The most common Application Identifiers are:

As you saw in the screenshot above, you always have a combination of 

/<Application Identifier>/<Value>.

For a list of all available Application Identifiers you can check out the GS1 Application Identifiers list: https://ref.gs1.org/ai/

Example: you want to use a product with the GTIN (EAN) 9506000134369 and Batch number 4711

Digital Link then is:

As you probably already have guessed: If you want to use batch information/ best before dates/serial numbers/etc., you need to create a separate GS1 QR Code for every batch/best before date/serial number/etc..

The advantages are that you can provide different information, tracking and monitoring per batch/best before date/serial number/etc.

The disadvantages are that you need to generate more GS1 QR Codes.

GS1 link types define the relationship between a product's digital identifier and the various kinds of web-based information that can be accessed about this product. This could include anything from the product description, nutritional details, allergen information, and user manuals to promotional content and certification data.

Below you can see a list of the common Link Types.

For a list of all available Link Types you can check out the GS1 Link Type list: https://www.gs1.org/voc/?show=linktypes

Maybe you already thought: "Alright, but since a QR Code can only point to one link. So how does all this Link Type stuff work?"

The different Link Types are the reason we are using Dynamic QR codes in combination with a GS1 Resolver Technology.

How does it work?

Well, first of all, the GS1 QR Code that is going to be on your product points to the GS1 Digital link we just discussed before.

And here comes the magic. Behind the GS1 Digital Link is sitting a server that resolves the scan dependent on which Link Type should be used. It then redirects to the correct URL or data in the correct language, geo-location, etc.

This server that resolves the scan to the correct target URL is called a GS1 Resolver (GS1 Digital Link Resolver).

After QR Code scans are resolved they are forwarded by the GS1 Resolver to the final target page.

The service that is hosting this web pages or provides the data is called GS1 Information Hoster.

Dependent on your setup the GS1 Information Hoster can be your Webshop, your CMS or a third-party service that provides and hosts this data.

We provide the full spectrum of QR Code generation, Digital Link building, Resolver and Information Hosting as a one-stop-shop solution. For more information go to our GS1 Solution page.

By integrating GS1 QR Codes into your operations, you are not just keeping pace with technological change—you are positioning your business at the forefront of innovation, ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow's retail and supply chain environment.

First of all you need to enter our Portal.

If you already have an account then please log in with your credentials. If you don't have an account yet then just register for a free account.

Once you are logged in just pick the menu QR Codes on the left and then click on Create QR Code.

Next, choose the type GS1 from the list.

Now, enter the basic data of the GS1 QR Code: EAN/GTIN Code and the target page you want the user to land after he scanned the QR Code. Click on the button Create QR Code to save the QR Code.

If you now scan the GS1 QR Code you will land on the product page.

Notice: In your case you are, of course, redirected to the URL you entered before. That's most certainly not going to be the yellow gumboot product page we are using here as an example.

Alright, now we have successfully created and scanned a GS1 QR Code. But what if you want to not only an english version of the product page but also other languages?

Don't worry, thats what Rules are for!

In order to add some rules we first must edit our GS1 QR Code. Just click on the menu QR Codes. You now see the GS1 QR Code we just created. Now click on Edit to add new rules.

We now can add different rules that are applied when scanning the GS1 QR Code. In this case we want to provide a German Product Information Page. Therefore choose German (or whatever language you want to use) in the language dropdown and choose pip (Product Information Page) as the link type. Click on Save changes.

The link type pip (Product Information Page) is the default link type and always gets redirected to if no specific link type is requested by the user or by the app the user scans the GS1 QR Code in.

In contrast, if the user for example uses a Allergene App, the allergene app will let the GS1 Resolver know that the user wants to see a Allergene Information Page instead of the Product Information Page.

If we now scan the GS1 QR Code on a phone that is configured in German we will get redirected to the German product page.

Alright, congratulations. We now are able to provide different Product Pages to our users dependent on which language they prefer.

Please remember that there are different ways you can host your Product Pages. They can be either in your E-Commerce Webshop, in your Content Management System (CMS) or you can use a third party provide like us to show those landing pages.

The important thing is that you first have a Product Page and then point to it in the GS1 QR Code.

After successfully creating rules to display different language versions of product pages, its now time to explore what other link types we can use.

When you edit the QR Code again via the menu QR Codes and then clicking on Edit and clicking into the link type dropdown field you see the list of possible link types.

There are dozens of GS1 Link Types available. We already discussed them earlier in this article.

In the same way we created a Product Information Page (pip) in different languages before you can also create different pages for, lets say, Allergene Information, Instructions, etc.

Just pick the link type you want to use, specify a language and enter the target URL you want a user to be redirect to in that case.

The Default URL will always be used if the specific Link Type and Language Rule can not be found.

That's it. Congratulations, you now know everything you need to know about GS1 QR Codes and also how to create them.

If you want to check out the full potential of using GS1 QR Codes in your company check out our GS1 QR Code Solution page.