EPCIS Data Formats: XML vs JSON

Comparing EPCIS XML and JSON formats, structure differences, and when to use each format.

Trace Hub Team January 01, 2024 Updated Jun 02, 2026 106 views

EPCIS Data Formats

EPCIS supports two data formats: XML (traditional) and JSON/JSON-LD (introduced in EPCIS 2.0). Understanding both is important for system integration.

EPCIS XML Format

The original and most widely supported format, EPCIS XML follows a well-defined schema:

Sample XML ObjectEvent:

<ObjectEvent>
  <eventTime>2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z</eventTime>
  <eventTimeZoneOffset>+04:00</eventTimeZoneOffset>
  <epcList>
    <epc>urn:epc:id:sgtin:0614141.012345.1</epc>
    <epc>urn:epc:id:sgtin:0614141.012345.2</epc>
  </epcList>
  <action>OBSERVE</action>
  <bizStep>urn:epcglobal:cbv:bizstep:shipping</bizStep>
  <disposition>urn:epcglobal:cbv:disp:in_transit</disposition>
  <readPoint>
    <id>urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.00001.0</id>
  </readPoint>
  <bizLocation>
    <id>urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.00001.0</id>
  </bizLocation>
</ObjectEvent>

EPCIS JSON-LD Format (EPCIS 2.0)

Introduced with EPCIS 2.0, JSON-LD provides a more modern, web-friendly format:

Sample JSON-LD ObjectEvent:

{
  "type": "ObjectEvent",
  "eventTime": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
  "eventTimeZoneOffset": "+04:00",
  "epcList": [
    "urn:epc:id:sgtin:0614141.012345.1",
    "urn:epc:id:sgtin:0614141.012345.2"
  ],
  "action": "OBSERVE",
  "bizStep": "shipping",
  "disposition": "in_transit",
  "readPoint": "urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.00001.0",
  "bizLocation": "urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.00001.0"
}