How to Create a Digital Product Passport: Step-by-Step

You know you need a Digital Product Passport. The ESPR regulation is in force, delegated acts are rolling out, and the EU DPP Registry launches July 19, 2026 (update: it went live on 20 July 2026). But how do you actually create one?

This guide walks through the process from start to finish — practical steps, not theory.

Before You Start: The Prerequisites

1. Know Which Regulation Applies to You

DPP requirements are defined in delegated acts for specific product categories. Battery passports are mandatory from February 2027. The textile delegated act is expected in 2027 (indicative, per the Commission's working plan). If your product category does not yet have a delegated act, you can still prepare — the data requirements are largely predictable.

2. Have Your Product Identifiers Ready

Every DPP is built on a persistent unique product identifier. For most consumer products that means a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number). If you use EAN barcodes, you already have GTINs. If not, you can register with your national GS1 organization to obtain them. The GS1 Digital Link standard is the most common format, though not the only one: EN 18219 recognises five identifier schemes.

3. Understand Your Data Landscape

Know where your product data lives before trying to assemble passports. ERP, PLM, supplier portals, spreadsheets, certification databases — map it all.

Step 1: Assess Your Readiness

Before building anything, understand your starting position. A readiness assessment answers three questions:

1. Which regulations apply to your products? — Not every product needs a DPP today, but knowing the timeline is essential for planning.

2. What data do you already have? — Most companies already hold part of the required data. The assessment identifies specific gaps.

3. What is your timeline pressure? — A company facing the February 2027 battery deadline has different priorities than a textile brand preparing for 2028.

The DPP Readiness Assessment at dppagent.com provides this analysis for free, covering your product categories, data maturity, and supply chain preparedness.

Step 2: Collect and Structure Your Data

This is the most time-consuming step. A DPP is only as good as the data behind it.

Internal Data

Pull together everything you control directly:

• Product specifications — Dimensions, weight, materials, components
• Manufacturing data — Production location, date, batch/serial numbers
• Compliance documents — CE declarations, REACH compliance, test reports
• Care and use instructions — Maintenance, repair, safety information
• End-of-life information — Disassembly instructions, recyclability

Most of this exists in your ERP or PLM system, but it may not be structured consistently. A common challenge: material composition data exists in free-text product descriptions ("cotton/polyester blend") rather than as structured percentage fields ("Cotton: 65%, Polyester: 35%").

Supplier Data

This is where companies struggle. Your DPP needs upstream data that your suppliers hold:

• Raw material origins — Where were the base materials sourced?
• Processing details — What chemicals, energy sources, and processes were used?
• Certifications — Valid certification numbers and expiry dates
• Carbon footprint contributions — Per-stage environmental impact data

Start supplier engagement immediately. Send clear data requests with specific field requirements. Expect the first round to take 2-3 months for top-tier suppliers.

Third-Party Data

Some DPP data comes from external sources:

• LCA databases — For environmental footprint calculations
• Certification bodies — Digital certificate verification
• Regulatory databases — Substance of concern classifications

Step 3: Map Data to DPP Fields

The JRC published its DPP methodology in March 2026. It sorts candidate data into three priority levels — essential, strongly recommended and voluntary — for each product group. The binding fields come in each delegated act; until yours exists, a working split like this is a reasonable start:

• Likely essential — Product ID, manufacturer, material composition, compliance declarations
• Likely recommended — Carbon footprint, traceability, repair instructions
• Voluntary — Extended warranty, additional certifications

Map your collected data to these fields. Use a simple spreadsheet:

This mapping exercise makes your gaps visible and actionable.

Step 4: Choose Your DPP Platform

You need infrastructure to host, serve, and manage your passport data. Key requirements:

Must-Have Features

• GS1 Digital Link generation — Compliant URL format with your GTIN and serial/batch numbers
• QR code generation — Print-ready codes for your products
• EU DPP Registry integration — Connect to the central registry (live since 20 July 2026)
• Structured data hosting — Machine-readable format, not just a web page
• Access control — Different data views for consumers, businesses, and regulators

Nice-to-Have Features

• Brand domain support — Use your own domain (e.g., trace.yourbrand.com)
• Bulk import — Upload product data from CSV/Excel
• API access — Integrate with your ERP/PLM systems
• Template system — Reusable data structures for product categories
• AI-assisted field mapping — Automatically map your data fields to DPP requirements

DPP Agent provides all of the above. It is built specifically for DPP creation and management, running on Blippa's proven infrastructure.

Step 5: Create Your First DPP

With data collected and a platform selected, creating the actual passport follows this workflow:

5a. Set Up Your Product Template

Define the data structure for your product category. This template determines which fields appear in the passport, which are mandatory, and how data is displayed to different stakeholders.

5b. Import Product Data

Upload your product data — either manually for a pilot or via bulk import/API for production volumes. The platform validates data against the template and flags missing required fields.

5c. Generate GS1 Digital Links

The platform generates a GS1 Digital Link URL for each product (batch or serial level). This URL is the permanent address of the passport.

5d. Generate QR Codes

Export QR codes in print-ready format. Specify size, error correction level, and any visual customization (logo embedding, color). These go on your product labels, packaging, or documentation.

5e. Test Everything

Before printing QR codes on 10,000 care labels:

• Scan every QR code with multiple devices
• Verify all data fields display correctly
• Test access control levels
• Confirm the GS1 Digital Link resolves properly
• Check print quality at actual label size

Step 6: Register with the EU DPP Registry

Once a delegated act (or, for batteries, the Battery Regulation) requires a passport for your product, you must upload its unique identifiers to the EU DPP Registry (ESPR Article 13(4)). The registry stores identifiers — not the full passport data — and is used by the Commission, national authorities and customs. Update, October 2026: the registry went live on 20 July 2026.

Your DPP platform should handle registry integration automatically. If it does not, you will need to manage this connection yourself, which adds significant complexity.

Step 7: Maintain and Update

A DPP is not a one-time creation. Passports may need updates for:

• Ownership transfers — Product resale or rental
• Repairs and modifications — Service history
• Certification renewals — Updated validity dates
• Regulatory changes — New required fields from updated delegated acts
• State of Health — For batteries and durable goods with performance tracking

Build maintenance into your operational processes from the start.

Common Pitfalls

Starting too late with suppliers. Data collection from Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers is the longest lead time in the entire process. Start now.

Over-engineering the pilot. Your first DPP does not need to be perfect. Start with the data you have, identify gaps through practice, and iterate.

Treating DPP as a one-off project. DPP is an ongoing operational capability, not a project with an end date. Staff and budget accordingly.

Choosing the wrong data carrier. A QR code that points at a page that can move or disappear is not a persistent unique identifier, which ESPR Article 10(1)(a) requires. Ensure your platform generates codes under a recognised identifier scheme, such as GS1 Digital Link, from the start.

Get Started Today

The most important step is the first one. Take the free DPP Readiness Assessment at dppagent.com to understand your starting position, identify gaps, and get a practical action plan. From there, DPP Agent can take you from assessment to live passports.