GS1 DIGITAL LINK SOLUTIONS
GS1 Digital Link Solutions. One Identity. Infinite Opportunities.
Ciphercode is a GS1 Digital Link solution provider helping brands turn GS1 Digital Link solutions into a scalable GS1 Digital Link platform. Connect QR Codes powered by GS1 to product data, authentication, traceability, regulatory services and consumer experiences—all from one scan.
FROM BARCODE TO DIGITAL CONNECTION
The Barcode Is Becoming a Digital Entry Point.
Traditional 1D barcodes primarily identify a product at the SKU level for point-of-sale and supply-chain processes. A GS1 Digital Link implementation extends standardized product identity to the web, allowing a GS1 QR code solution to connect the product with information and services for consumers, retailers, regulators and business systems. GS1 Digital Link changes product identity from a static barcode label into a web-addressable product record that can connect to data, services, compliance and customer experiences.
Identify
GTIN and GS1 product identity —
Give products globally understood identifiers.
Connect
GS1 Digital Link & Resolver —
Connect identity to the right digital resource.
Use
Business & Consumer Services —
Use the identity across commerce, compliance, traceability and engagement.
ONE CODE. MULTIPLE USE CASES.
Don't Build Another 'Single Purpose QR Code'.
A QR code is only the carrier. You need a system that connects standardized product identities with enterprise data, lifecycle events and the digital services required by different users.
Product Data
Specifications, ingredients, instructions and documents.
Authentication
Genuine-product verification and anti-counterfeit workflows.
Traceability
Product movement, lifecycle events and recall visibility.
Compliance
Regulatory information, reporting and market workflows.
Consumer Services
Warranty, registration, loyalty and product support.
Scan Intelligence
Location, scan behaviour, anomalies and market visibility.
Commerce
Connect identity to applicable billing and transaction services.
START WITH YOUR REQUIREMENT
What Do You Need Your Product Identity to Do?
Start with the commercial or regulatory outcome you need now. The same identity foundation can support additional services later on top it.
Prepare for 2D Barcodes
Move toward GS1-standard 2D product identification (QR codes) and Ambition 2027 readiness.
Explore 2D Readiness →Connect Product Data
Give consumers, retailers and partners access to current product information from the product itself.
Connect Product Data →Authenticate Products
Verify serialized identities through QR, scratch code, SMS, WhatsApp, web, mobile and other channels.
Explore Authentication →Improve Traceability
Connect product identities to supply-chain and lifecycle events.
Explore Traceability →Support DPP & EPR
Connect identity with product passport, sustainability, recycling and circularity information.
Explore Regulatory Services →Meet Regulatory Requirements
Support product identification, reporting and applicable market-specific compliance workflows.
Explore Compliance →Market & Scan Intelligence
See where products are scanned, apply geofencing where appropriate, monitor scan trends and surface anomaly signals.
Explore Scan Intelligence →ONE IDENTITY. DIFFERENT NEEDS.
One Scan Can Serve Different Users.
The value of Digital Link is not one destination. It is the ability to connect the same standardized identity to the information or service each context requires.
Know. Verify. Register.
Product information, authentication, warranty and support.
Identify. Billing. Info.
Product identity, point-of-sale and retail information.
Learn. Engage. Protect.
Scan intelligence, market visibility and engagement.
Trace. Investigate. Recall.
Distribution visibility, traceability and product lifecycle events.
Comply. Report. Evidence.
Applicable compliance information and regulatory reporting workflows.
Reuse. Recycle. Disclose.
DPP, EPR, recycling and sustainability information.
HOW IT WORKS
From Product Identity to Digital Service.
Build on standardized identifiers, connect the carrier to a persistent digital address, integrate enterprise data and route each request to the appropriate service. GS1 Digital Link connects systems and services rather than directly delivering every application; the identity layer creates a common entry point for product data, verification, compliance and enterprise workflows.
Identify
GTIN · GLN · SSCC · Serial IDs
Carry
2D Barcode (QR Code) · RFID · NFC
Resolve
GS1 Digital Link · Resolver · Routing · Access Rules
Connect
ERP · MES · PIM · PLM · Regulatory Systems
Use
Authentication · Traceability · Compliance · Consumer · Intelligence
THE RESOLVER
The Same Product. The Right Experience for Each User.
A GS1 Digital Link resolver can route the same standardized product identity to different resources based on the requested information or service. A GS1 conformant resolver helps the product code remain useful as destinations, content and business needs change. In practical terms, the resolver is the routing layer that decides which product data, verification or compliance service the user should reach.
What is a GS1 Digital Link Resolver? →GS1 DIGITAL LINK
Product + Authentication
Product + Commerce
Traceability + Visibility
Compliance Information
BEYOND IDENTIFICATION
Know More Than What the Product Says It Is.
A readable QR code confirms that a code can be read. It does not by itself prove that the physical product is genuine. A QR code alone is not authentication; it needs verification logic, authoritative identity records, and the right validation workflow to prove authenticity. Add unique authentication and verification workflows when the business requirement goes beyond identification.
Verify
Validate product identity against authoritative product and serialization records.
Protect
Support overt, covert and multi-channel authentication approaches appropriate to the product.
Detect
Identify unusual scan patterns, repeated verification attempts and location anomalies for investigation.
Verification Channels
MARKET & SCAN INTELLIGENCE
Turn Every Scan Into Market Visibility.
Understand where product interactions occur, identify unusual scan behaviour and create stronger visibility across markets and channels where location data and applicable permissions are available.
Understand where product interactions occur.
Flag scans inside or outside defined market or distribution areas.
Surface unusual patterns, repeat scans and exceptions for investigation.
Learn how products are interacting across regions and market channels.
Product Scans
128,460
Across 18 marketsVerified
96.8%
Successful responsesAnomaly Signals
214
Require review
Signals
● Repeated scans
● Outside market
● Velocity spike
ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION
Built to Work With the Systems You Already Operate.
GS1 Digital Link should connect your product architecture—not create another isolated data silo.
BUILT FOR REAL PRODUCT ENVIRONMENTS
Start From the Product Environment You Already Have.
Extend Existing Product Identity Beyond Serialization.
Connect serialized product identities with authentication, product information, traceability, recall and other digital services while respecting established pharmaceutical coding and reporting environments.
Explore Pharmaceutical Solutions →Build More Value Around the Same Product Identity.
Connect product information, authentication, DPP, EPR, warranty, engagement, commerce workflows and market intelligence through one standards-based identity foundation.
Discuss Your Use Case →GS1 AMBITION 2027
Preparing for the Next Generation of Barcodes?
GS1's Ambition 2027 calls for retail point-of-sale systems globally to be capable of reading and processing defined GS1-standard 2D barcodes(QR Codes) by the end of 2027. For brand owners, the decision is not simply whether to print a QR code—it is which identity, carrier, data and digital services should support the product now and in the future. GS1 Ambition 2027 matters because it frames the buyer decision around 2D barcode readiness, product architecture and long-term service extensibility.
REGULATORY & PRODUCT SERVICES
One Identity. Different Regulatory Applications.
Use standardized identity as infrastructure for relevant product-information, reporting, traceability and circularity workflows. Exact obligations depend on product, market and jurisdiction.
Digital Product Passport
Connect product identity to lifecycle, sustainability and compliance information.
EPR & Packaging
Support packaging, recycling and producer-responsibility information services.
Pharmaceutical Identification
Extend existing identity and serialization into digital verification and information services.
Medical Device Identification
Connect standardized device identity to appropriate online information services.
Regulatory Reporting
Connect product and lifecycle data to applicable reporting and evidence workflows.
Product & Recycling Information
Deliver market, safety, use, disposal and circularity information from the product.
IMPLEMENTATION SCOPE
Choose More Than a QR Code Generator.
The right implementation depends on how far the product identity must extend—from a basic scan destination to enterprise, lifecycle, compliance and trust services.
| Capability | Basic QR Solution | GS1 Digital Link Solution | Full Product Identity Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| QR code generation(Enterprise Scale) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GS1 identifiers | △ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GS1 Digital Link | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Resolver & routing | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Enterprise integration | △ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Product data services | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Serialization | — | △ | ✓ |
| Traceability | — | △ | ✓ |
| Product authentication | △ | △ | ✓ |
| Multi-channel verification | △ | — / △ | ✓ |
| DPP / EPR services | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scan & geo intelligence | △ | △ | ✓ |
| Anomaly detection | — | △ | ✓ |
| Regulatory reporting | — | △ | ✓ |
| Global compliance workflows | — | △ | ✓ |
DESIGN FOR WHAT COMES NEXT
One Product Shouldn't Need a New Code for Every New Requirement.
Start with a standardized identity. Connect the information, services and verification your products need today—and extend them as markets, regulations and customer expectations change.
IMPLEMENTATION JOURNEY
Start With the Requirement You Have Today.
A practical path from present codes and systems to an extensible GS1 Digital Link implementation.
Assess
Products(SKUs), GTINs, existing QR codes, markets, systems and use cases.
Define
Identity, QR structure, serialization and required services.
Connect
Resolver, product data, enterprise systems and APIs.
Configure
Authentication, compliance, consumer and intelligence workflows.
Deploy
Launch on selected products, brands, plants or markets.
Expand
Add new services without rebuilding the identity foundation.
GS1 DIGITAL LINK GUIDE
Need to Understand GS1 Digital Link Before You Decide?
Learn how GS1 Digital Link works, what a resolver does, how QR Codes powered by GS1 differ from conventional QR codes, Ambition 2027, DPP, regulatory applications and implementation choices.
START WITH YOUR PRESENT ENVIRONMENT
Let's Review What Your Product Identity Needs to Do.
Whether you're preparing for 2D barcodes, implementing GS1 Digital Link, adding authentication, connecting product data, supporting regulatory requirements or looking for better visibility from product scans, the discussion begins with your existing products and systems. The right GS1 Digital Link provider can help align the GS1 Digital Link platform to your current product architecture and future requirements.