Standards

GS1 Digital Link

GS1 Digital Link (ISO/IEC 18975) encodes a GTIN — and optionally a batch, serial or expiry — into a web URL. A standard QR scanner opens that URL; the server behind it returns the DPP. It is the most widely-supported resolver pattern for consumer goods.

Anatomy of a URL

https://id.example.eu/01/09506000134352/10/LOT-042?ver=1

01/ — GTIN-14 (product identifier).
10/ — batch/lot (optional).
21/ — serial (optional).
17/ — best-before date (optional).
Query parameters carry non-identifier metadata (e.g., schema version).

Why it works

Every modern smartphone camera resolves QR URLs — no app install.
Content negotiation allows the resolver to serve a human HTML view to consumers and a JSON-LD view to scanners / APIs from the same URL.
The GTIN remains globally unique, decoupled from your marketing domain.

Operational rules

Pick a stable DNS host. Do not reuse your marketing site.
Honour the GS1 "long" and "short" URL forms. Support both.
Always respond with HTTPS; redirect HTTP.
Do not break old versions. The URL printed on a 2028 product must still resolve in 2038.

Reference: GS1 Digital Link standard.