Digital Product Passport
Which Data Fields Are Mandatory in a DPP?
What data goes into a Digital Product Passport? Identity, origin, composition, circularity and compliance fields, and how requirements vary by product group.
There is no single list of what a Digital Product Passport must contain. ESPR Annex III sets the frame, and the actual field set comes from each product group's delegated act. Even so, a core structure recurs across every draft and pilot.
The core headings
| Heading | Example fields | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | UPI, GTIN, model, batch, serial, production date | ERP / PLM |
| Origin | Production facility, country, operator identity (GLN/LEI) | ERP / supplier |
| Composition | Material shares, hazardous substances, recycled content | Supplier declaration |
| Circularity | Repairability, disassembly, spare parts, recycling | Design / engineering |
| Compliance | Declaration of conformity, test reports, certificates | Quality |
| Environmental | Carbon footprint, water and energy | LCA study |
Identity and origin
These are the most basic fields and the ones most often wrong. Model codes confused with SKUs, the same product carrying different codes in different systems, and production sites recorded as postal addresses rather than coded identities are all common. Using standard schemes such as GS1 GLN or GLEIF LEI for facility identity makes every later integration significantly easier. See EN 18219.
Composition: the hard part
Material shares, chemicals used and recycled content are the most labour-intensive part of a passport, because that data sits with the dyehouse rather than the garment maker, and with the cell manufacturer rather than the assembly line.
The practical approach: take your bill of materials down to material level first, then request declarations from suppliers. See preparing a bill of materials and proving recycled content.
Circularity fields
These come from the design team and typically exist in no system at all:
- Disassembly: which component comes apart with which tool?
- Spare parts: which parts are available, and for how long?
- Repair: is user repair possible, and is there a manual?
- Recycling: sorting instructions and material compatibility.
See circularity and recyclability and the Right to Repair Directive.
Compliance evidence
Certificates should sit in a passport as structured fields, not as attached PDFs: document type, issuing body, number, validity date and a verification link. Storing the PDF is not enough — machine readability comes only from fields.
Differences by product group
- Batteries: public-tier fields are enumerated in Annex XIII — chemistry, carbon footprint value and performance class, and recycled content shares for cobalt, lithium, nickel and lead. See Annex XIII data fields.
- Textiles: the JRC study and pilots point to ~126 candidate data points, with 25–30 shown to consumers. See textile DPP data points.
- Iron and steel: quality grade, scrap ratio and embodied carbon dominate. See DPP for iron and steel.
Scope and dates for your product group are in the timeline guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the definitive list of mandatory fields?
In your product group's delegated act. Until it is published, JRC preparatory studies and sector pilots are the best indication.
Can I leave a field blank if I do not know the value?
Leaving a mandatory field blank is non-compliance. Fields tied to an obligation that has not yet started to apply — some battery carbon fields, for example — can legitimately remain empty.
Do I have to publish fields that are trade secrets?
Only the fields the regulation designates as public go in the public tier. Formulations and supplier lists stay in restricted tiers. See protecting trade secrets.
Which language should I fill fields in?
Free-text fields must be in the languages of the markets you sell in. Prefer coded fields to reduce that burden. See multilingual passports.
