The short version
The barcode on a product today (UPC/EAN) holds one thing: a number. GS1 Digital Link is the global standard for putting that same number inside a web address, carried in a QR code — so one code works for both machines and people.
An EasyLink code contains an address like:
https://506.link/01/09506000134352
A retail scanner reads the
01/…part and extracts the GTIN — exactly what it gets from a traditional barcode today.A phone opens the address, and the 506.link resolver sends the shopper wherever you've chosen — usually your product page.
What is Sunrise 2027?
GS1 Sunrise 2027 is the retail industry's target for point-of-sale systems worldwide to scan 2D barcodes (QR codes with GS1 Digital Link, and GS1 Data Matrix) alongside traditional barcodes by the end of 2027. Retailers are upgrading scanners now, and brands are being asked to add 2D codes to packaging. Your existing 1D barcodes keep working — Sunrise adds the 2D capability rather than replacing anything.
What's a GTIN?
The Global Trade Item Number is the number inside your barcode — a UPC (12 digits), EAN (13 digits), EAN-8, or GTIN-14. GTINs are licensed from GS1 by the brand owner. In Shopify, the GTIN lives in each variant's Barcode field, and that's what EasyLink reads.
QR code or Data Matrix?
EasyLink generates both:
QR code — what shoppers recognise and phones scan effortlessly. The default for most labels.
GS1 Data Matrix — a denser symbol common in retail/healthcare supply chains, ideal for very small labels. EasyLink automatically switches to Data Matrix when a label is too small for a reliably scannable QR code.
Both carry the same Digital Link address and both are Sunrise-compatible.
Extra data in a code
Beyond the GTIN, a Digital Link can carry a batch/lot number, serial number, and expiry date. You can add these on any product's code page — useful for traceability, recalls, and sectors that require them.