Note: This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. For a legally binding assessment, please consult a qualified lawyer.
TL;DR
- The nested label is a simplified, compact graphic element of the EU GARAN label - for digital use only, never for print.
- At its core it shows only the guarantee duration (XX); the full GARAN label must appear on the first click, mouse roll-over or tap.
- It is always displayed in colour and should be accompanied by accessible text plus a link or mouseover effect.
- For the GARAN label online, the EU guidelines name several placements: product image, product gallery, product description, or the nested label - plus checkout and the confirmation email.
- Important for sellers: you do not have to actively research whether a producer offers a durability guarantee - the information comes from the producer.
What is the nested label?
The full GARAN label is fairly large: title, shield logo, QR code, calendar symbol, brand, model and the language line in all 24 EU official languages. On a product card in a grid, in a mobile view or in a carousel, there simply is no room for that.
This is exactly what the European Commission's practical guidelines (April 2026) provide the nested label for: a simplified graphic element that serves, in digital environments only, as the "entry point" to the full label. The guidelines explicitly mention it for space-limited contexts.
Visually, the nested label is a slim horizontal strip: the number of years (XX) with the calendar symbol, next to the GARAN wordmark with the tick-mark and the EU shield logo. On a product card in a shop it works like a compact badge right at the product image.
The rules in detail:
- The nested label is used digitally only - it cannot be printed and used in a physical shop.
- It is always displayed in colour and follows the same colour and typography rules as the full label.
- It has exactly one editable element: the letters "XX", replaced by the guarantee duration in years.
- If the nested display is used, the full GARAN label must appear in its entirety on the first mouse click, mouse roll-over or tactile screen expansion.
- The nested label should always be accompanied by accessible text and a link or mouseover effect leading to the full label.
The principle is the same as for the harmonised notice, which can be shown collapsed or as a popup: a compact entry point on the page, the full official graphic one click away.
Placing GARAN online: the options in the guidelines
For digital display of the GARAN label, the principle is: the label must remain associated with the specific product and be clearly visible before purchase - regardless of screen size, platform or sales channel. As examples for the product page, the guidelines name:
- As part of a product image - if the label is shown on a product photo, the image should open in a larger, zoomable view.
- As a standalone image in the product gallery.
- In the product description.
- As a nested label with a click through to the full label.
Two more stations in the purchase flow come on top:
- Checkout: the GARAN label should be shown directly before the consumer places the order on the checkout page.
- Confirmation email: the guidelines recommend including the label in the order confirmation as well (referencing the contract confirmation duty of the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU).
In general, online: colour version preferred, legible at default size, and a clickable link to the same destination as the QR code should always be available.
GARAN in advertising and marketing
The guidelines explicitly address promotional contexts too: the GARAN label can be used in homepage banners, product carousels, emails, third-party placements, videos and printed flyers. Two conditions:
- The label may appear only for products that are actually covered by a producer's durability guarantee - free of charge, for the entire good, longer than two years.
- In layouts with several products (e.g. a banner with multiple items), the label must not be used in a way that suggests all shown products are covered - unless that is actually the case.
Anyone who scatters the GARAN label across the whole shop as a generic "quality seal" is using it wrongly - it is always product-specific.
Who does what? The producer supplies, the seller displays
The guidelines assign the roles clearly:
The producer voluntarily decides whether to offer a durability guarantee (free, entire good, more than two years). If so, they should make that information available to the seller, describe the exact terms in the guarantee statement (in Germany: § 479 BGB), and may also place the label on the product or its packaging themselves.
The seller displays the GARAN label prominently and in a way that makes clear which product benefits from the guarantee. And - for many the most important clarification in the guidelines: sellers should not have to actively seek such information, for example by researching product-specific websites. No producer information, no GARAN label - in that case only the harmonised legal-guarantee notice appears.
By the way, producers and sellers may continue to offer other types of guarantees - as long as they cannot be confused with the GARAN durability guarantee.
Implementation in Shopify
The EU warranty label for Shopify ships both displays: with a stored manufacturer guarantee, the full GARAN label appears automatically on the product page - optionally as the nested variant, where the compact element sits on the page and the full official label appears on the first click, exactly as the guidelines describe. You maintain brand, model and duration per product (bulk CSV supported); everything else stays unaltered and official. The design rules behind this are explained in EU warranty label do's & don'ts.
FAQ
Is the nested label mandatory? No. It is one of several permitted display options for space-limited digital contexts. What matters is that the GARAN label - where such a guarantee exists - is shown prominently and product-specifically.
May I print the nested label? No. The guidelines make clear the nested variant is digital-only - for physical retail, the full label applies (at least 95 × 100 mm).
What happens on click on the nested label? The full GARAN label must appear in its entirety on the first click, roll-over or tap - with all fixed elements including the QR code and the language line.
Do I as a seller have to research manufacturer guarantees? No. The guidelines state that sellers should not have to actively seek this information - it comes from the producer.
Can I use GARAN for my own store guarantee? No. The label stands exclusively for the producer's free durability guarantee of more than two years covering the entire good. Your own seller guarantees are possible but must not carry the GARAN label.
Further reading:
- EU warranty label for Shopify
- GARAN label explained: the EU label for manufacturer guarantees
- EU warranty label do's & don'ts: the official design rules
- Guarantee statement per § 479 BGB: mandatory content
- EU warranty label: mandatory from 27 Sept 2026
Primary legal sources: Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 · Directive (EU) 2019/771 · § 479 BGB · Your Europe - Commercial guarantee of durability