To communicate your product’s environmental, social, and supply chain impact through the Retraced Digital Product Passport (DPP), several in-platform requirements must be completed.
This article explains each step and clarifies how DPP activation, inheritance, and badges behave within the new product hierarchy: Style → Variant → SKU
DPP Visualization Options
Retraced offers two ways to display your Digital Product Passport:
1. QR Codes (Offline)
QR codes can be printed and attached to products (e.g., on labels or packaging).
To share your QR codes with a labeling or packaging provider:
You can export your products via Excel
The corresponding DPP link is included in the export
This link can be converted into a QR code by your labeling provider
In the near future (planned for mid-2026), QR code URLs will also be accessible via the public API, allowing automated retrieval and integration into external labeling workflows.
2. Webshop Components (Online)
Retraced widgets can be embedded on your product detail pages.
Webshops call product data using SKU identifiers. You may use either option or both.
1. Creating and Managing Your Network
In order to digitize your product's journey, you first need to create your network by linking your company to its network partners that participate in the production of your products (styles, variants, SKUs).
There are two options to do so: Linking to existing company profiles or creating new ones if your network partner does not have a profile in Retraced yet. Both options are documented in our help center.
After doing so, you need to decide if you would like to be fully or half transparent about your product's environmental and social impact and supply chain. While full transparency means disclosing the style's journey including information about suppliers (e.g. supplier name, address, description, pictures) and their certificates, half transparency will give consumers limited information. In case, you opt for half transparency, make sure that the supplier profiles are customized according to your preferences.
2. Creating and Managing Your Products (Styles, Variants, SKUs)
Most likely, you would like to create the digital passport for many/all styles. Hence, we recommend bulk-importing your styles by using our in-platform wizard. Note that mandatory product information includes the style code, name and type. While the remaining are optional. Nevertheless, for the passport, we suggest the following product information: Description, Images and Material composition.
It is possible to create styles one-by-one. This option is suitable if only few styles must be created.
In case, style information needs to be updated, you can do so by going into the style profile > clicking the pencil icon (for editing) or save time by updating styles in bulk (see section "How to clear or override values")
More information about products (styles, variants, SKUs) can be found here.
3. Creating Product Maps (Supply Chain Maps)
Once products are created, you must map their supply chains. This is done manually.
For our traceability and supply chain mapping clients: In case, you have traced supply chains and product maps are not needed, those can also be used. More about it in the section below.
More information about product maps can be found here.
4. Linking Products to Supply Chains
Each product level (Style, Variant, SKU) can be linked to a supply chain. For more detail on the linking process follow this guide.
By default:
Variants and SKUs inherit the supply chain from their parent
If overridden, they can use their own specific supply chain
Example: A blue variant may use a different dyeing facility than a red variant and could have a separate product map.
5. Activating DPP Stories (Story Active)
In order to create a DPP which will publicly show your products DPP relevant info you need to toggle on the story. Linking a supply chain is a required prerequisite. You must also activate the DPP story (Story Active toggle). You can see this toggle in the edit menu of a product. As of March 2026 this is only available for styles but will soon follow for variants and SKUs.
Important: Story Active Is NOT Inherited
DPP activation is controlled independently per product level.
This means:
Activating Story Active on a Style does not automatically activate Variants or SKUs
Each level must be activated intentionally
Why this matters:
QR codes typically link to the Style
Webshops often request SKU-level DPP data
If a SKU is not activated, the webshop widget may not display a DPP
During product migration, certain legacy products may have been auto-activated. However, going forward, activation must be managed per level.
Only activated products will display a DPP publicly.
6. Claiming Badges
Badges summarize sustainability achievements in a consumer-friendly way.
Examples include:
Fair Working Conditions
Sustainable Materials
No Hazardous Chemicals
In total, there are 10 different badges which are either automatically triggered (depending on the approved and valid certificates and memberships of your suppliers and your own company) or can be manually claimed by your own company.
Badges are awarded based on:
Valid certificates
Verified documentation
Supplier data
Manual claims (where applicable)
Badge Behavior Across the Style, Variant, SKU Hierarchy
Badges are not dynamically inherited across levels. This means:
A Style’s badges do not automatically update or apply to Variants and SKUs
Each level’s badges reflect its own certificate and supply chain configuration
During migration, some badges may have been copied from Style to child levels.
However, going forward:
Badge eligibility depends on the data at that specific level
If a Variant or SKU has a different supply chain or composition, badge eligibility may differ
Example: If one color uses a restricted dye, it may not qualify for the same chemical-related badge as another color.
Certificate Dependency
Certain badges require:
Valid transaction certificates
Supplier certifications
Your company listed correctly as buyer where required
If certificates expire:
Matching badges are automatically removed
Uploading new certificates restores eligibility
Always ensure badges are recalculated when new proof is added.
7. Integrating Your Webshop
Important considerations:
Shopify typically uses SKU identifiers
QR codes often link to Style-level DPP
Ensure the correct level is Story Active
If a webshop calls a SKU-level DPP:
That SKU must have Story Active enabled
Otherwise, no DPP will display
Integration requires:
CORS whitelisting of your webshop domain (done by Retraced)
Implementation on your side
If components do not appear, refer to the troubleshooting guide.