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description: "What the ESPR regulation actually requires for updating Digital Product Passports — and how to correctly maintain registry entries, resolvers, and product data."
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# Keeping DPP Data Current: How the Update Process Works — qr3.app Blog

> What the ESPR regulation actually requires for updating Digital Product Passports — and how to correctly maintain registry entries, resolvers, and product data.

Canonical: <https://qr3.app/en/blog/howto-20260521/>

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May 21, 2026 4 min read [Tutorials](/en/blog/category/tutorials/) [digital-product-passport](/en/blog/tag/digital-product-passport/)[espr](/en/blog/tag/espr/)[dpp-update](/en/blog/tag/dpp-update/)[gs1-digital-link](/en/blog/tag/gs1-digital-link/)[batteriepass](/en/blog/tag/batteriepass/)[resolver](/en/blog/tag/resolver/)

# Keeping DPP Data Current: How the Update Process Works

What the ESPR regulation actually requires for updating Digital Product Passports — and how to correctly maintain registry entries, resolvers, and product data.

by **QR3 Redaktion**

![Keeping DPP Data Current: How the Update Process Works](https://qr3-blog-agent.meistern.workers.dev/cdn/blog/howto-20260521/hero.png)

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is not a static document. Create one and forget about it, and you risk compliance gaps — over a very long time horizon: the [ESPR Regulation (EU) 2024/1781](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1781) requires that registry entries remain available and up to date for at least **10 years after the last time a product is placed on the market**. This article explains what data layers exist, when each one needs to be updated, and how to implement the process cleanly from a technical standpoint.

---

## The Three Layers of a DPP — and Who Maintains Them

A complete DPP consists of at least three logically separate layers, each with its own update cadence.

### 1. Registry Entry (Identifier + Resolver)

The central DPP registry — whose implementing regulation the European Commission [published in draft form on April 29, 2026](https://research.hktdc.com/en/article/MTY3OTM1OTY5) — stores exclusively:

- the **Unique Identifier (UID)** of the product — in practice a [GS1 GTIN](https://www.gs1.org/) or an ISO/IEC 15459-compliant code,

- the **resolver endpoint**, i.e., the URL at which the actual passport content can be retrieved,

- the associated **commodity code**.

This layer changes infrequently. An update is primarily needed when the resolver endpoint changes — for example, because a company switches its DPP service provider or migrates a domain. Since the QR code on the physical product points to this entry, continuity of the resolver must be guaranteed without interruption.

### 2. Resolver Configuration (Link Routing)

The resolver translates an incoming scan into the appropriate destination URL — depending on context, language, or user role. Organizations using [GS1 Digital Link](https://www.gs1.org/standards/gs1-digital-link) can route to different datasets via structured link types (e.g., `gs1:sustainabilityInfo`, `gs1:epcis`).

Updates at this layer are needed when:

- new mandatory fields are introduced by delegated acts (e.g., the Textile and Battery regulations expected from 2026/2027 onward),

- destination URLs change,

- new language versions or market regions are added.

### 3. Product Data (the Actual Passport Content)

This is where the real substance lives: material composition, repairability index, carbon footprint, hazardous substance declarations, warranty information. This layer has the highest update frequency because it depends on real events in the product lifecycle.

---

## When Does DPP Data Need to Be Updated?

The ESPR regulation does not specify fixed update intervals. Instead, the principle of **data currency** applies: information must reflect the actual state of the product. This gives rise to several practically relevant triggers:

### Regulatory Changes

As soon as a delegated act introduces new data obligations, existing passports must be updated accordingly. This is not a theoretical future concern: the **battery** passport under the separate Battery Regulation applies from [18 February 2027](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023R1542), and for **textiles** adoption of the ESPR delegated act is provisionally planned for 2027.

For battery manufacturers, this means: starting **August 2026**, all batteries sold in the EU must carry labeling covering capacity, chemistry, and hazardous substances, and from **18 February 2027** a QR code — at the same time as the battery passport becomes mandatory for batteries for light means of transport, industrial batteries with a capacity of more than 2 kWh and electric vehicle batteries. The EU Battery Regulation is therefore one of the first real large-scale tests of the DPP update process.

### Product Changes

If a product's material composition changes — even when the GTIN remains the same — the DPP must be updated. The same applies to:

- new repair instructions or spare-part sources,

- revised warranty terms,

- updated safety data sheets.

### Recalls or Safety Warnings

Safety-relevant information must be entered promptly. The DPP is not a replacement for the RAPEX rapid alert system, but it is a complementary channel that can be used by both consumers and regulatory authorities.

---

## Technical Update Process: Step by Step

### Step 1: Clarify Identifiers and Versioning

Every change to passport content should be versioned. A combination of the following is recommended:

- **Product UID** (immutable, e.g., GTIN + serial number),

- **Passport version** (semantic version number or timestamp),

- **Reason for change** (regulatory, product-related, corrective).

```
{
  "uid": "urn:epc:id:sgtin:4012345.067890.1234567",
  "passVersion": "2.1.0",
  "lastModified": "2026-05-19T10:00:00Z",
  "changeReason": "battery-regulation-aug2026"
}
```

### Step 2: Update Only the Affected Data Layer

A common mistake is to rewrite the entire passport record when a regulatory update occurs. This increases the risk of errors and makes changes harder to trace. A better approach: use a modular data structure in which individual data fields can be updated independently.

If you work via an API, use HTTP `PATCH` instead of `PUT`:

```
PATCH /api/v1/dpp/{uid}/sections/battery
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "capacityWh": 42.5,
  "chemistry": "LFP",
  "hazardousSubstances": ["Li", "P"],
  "carbonFootprintKgCO2e": 18.3
}
```

### Step 3: Ensure Resolver Availability

An update that takes the resolver temporarily offline is critical from a compliance perspective. The ESPR's 10-year availability requirement leaves no room for downtime without a fallback. Recommended practices include:

- **Blue-green deployment** for resolver updates,

- monitoring of the resolver endpoint with alerting on HTTP error codes ≥ 400,

- regular verification that the endpoint registered in the registry is actually reachable.

### Step 4: Bulk Updates for Large Product Portfolios

Anyone managing hundreds or thousands of products cannot avoid a structured [bulk import](/dpp-practice) process. The key principle: changes should be processed as **differential updates** (delta imports) rather than full imports, in order to minimize error sources and preserve audit trails.

A typical CSV format for a delta update might look like this:

```
uid,field,newValue,effectiveDate,changeReason
urn:epc:...:001,capacityWh,42.5,2026-08-18,battery-reg-2026
urn:epc:...:002,chemistry,NMC,2026-08-18,battery-reg-2026
```

---

## Special Considerations for Textiles and the Fair Trade Debate

For textile manufacturers, the ESPR timeline brings particular challenges. The Fair Trade Movement has called in its recommendations on the delegated act for textiles for the DPP data architecture to be manageable for **SMEs and smallholder farmers in third countries** as well. This has direct implications for the update process: when supply chain data originates from actors who have no direct API access, robust manual or semi-automated data entry pathways are essential.

This illustrates that the update process is not only a technical question but also an **organizational one**: Who is authorized to change which data? Who validates changes? How are suppliers integrated into the process?

---

## GS1 Digital Link as an Update Enabler

The GS1 General Assembly 2026, focused in Warsaw on the global transition to 2D barcodes, underscores this point: GS1 Digital Link is the preferred mechanism for linking product identities to current content. The key advantage for the update process: the QR code on the product remains unchanged — only the content behind the resolver changes. This is precisely what makes retroactive updates to products already sold on the market possible at all.

With the **Sunrise 2027 deadline** for 2D barcodes in retail approaching, the point at which brands can no longer defer GS1 Digital Link QR codes is drawing near — both for retail compliance and for DPP requirements.

---

## Conclusion: Update Capability Is Not a Feature — It's a Requirement

The ESPR regulation treats the DPP as a living document. Anyone planning an implementation today must build update processes in from the start: versioned data structures, modular APIs, stable resolvers, and clear governance rules for data changes. The first dates — the battery passport from 18 February 2027 and the planned adoption of the ESPR delegated act for textiles in 2027 — are close enough that technical preparation should begin now.

## Sources

- [Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1781)

- [Proposed EU Rules Clarify Operation of Digital Product Passport Registry](https://research.hktdc.com/en/article/MTY3OTM1OTY5)

- [GS1 Digital Link Standard](https://www.gs1.org/standards/gs1-digital-link)

- [Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023R1542)

- [Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation - Working Plan](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/de/ip_24_1781)

- [GS1 General Assembly 2026 - Warsaw](https://www.gs1.org/events/2026/general-assembly)

## Related posts

- [![](https://qr3-blog-agent.meistern.workers.dev/cdn/blog/regulation-20260712/hero.png) Regulation EU Digital Product Passport 2026: Where the Battery Pass and ESPR Stand Now Webinars, open-source tools, new standards: the state of the EU Digital Product Passport in July 2026 — concise and source-based for practitioners.](/en/blog/regulation-20260712/)
- [![](https://qr3-blog-agent.meistern.workers.dev/cdn/blog/regulation-20260621/hero.png) Regulation Digital Product Passport 2026: What the ESPR Actually Requires A deep dive into the ESPR regulation, the Digital Battery Passport, and real-world implementation challenges — with concrete requirements instead of marketing promises.](/en/blog/regulation-20260621/)
- [![](https://qr3-blog-agent.meistern.workers.dev/cdn/blog/regulation-20260620/hero.png) Regulation Digital Product Passport 2026: What the ESPR Actually Requires ESPR, Battery Passport, EmpCo: A clear-eyed overview of the current regulatory status of the Digital Product Passport — no marketing hype, just the facts.](/en/blog/regulation-20260620/)
- [![](https://qr3-blog-agent.meistern.workers.dev/cdn/blog/dpp-en-standards-18216-18223-20260617/hero.png) Industry News First European Standards for the Digital Product Passport Published CEN and CENELEC have published the first six EU standards (EN 18216–18223) for the Digital Product Passport. What they require — and what that means for manufacturers.](/en/blog/dpp-en-standards-18216-18223-20260617/)

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