EDIFACT stands for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce, and Transport. It's the international standard for electronic business document exchange, developed by the United Nations and used by millions of organizations worldwide.
EDIFACT is a standardized format that allows businesses to exchange documents like invoices, purchase orders, and shipping notices electronically, without paper or manual data entry.
EDIFACT was developed in the mid-1980s by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) to create a single international standard for electronic data interchange. Before EDIFACT, different regions used incompatible EDI standards, making international trade difficult.
First EDIFACT standard published
Message types available
Daily transactions worldwide
EDIFACT works by converting business documents into a standardized electronic format that computers can process automatically. Here's the typical workflow:
Your system generates a business document (e.g., purchase order)
EDI software converts the document to EDIFACT format
The EDIFACT message is sent to your trading partner via secure networks
Partner's system automatically imports and processes the document
Accepted by trading partners in over 150 countries
Eliminates manual data entry mistakes
Documents processed in seconds, not days
Reduces paper, postage, and labor costs
Used in retail, automotive, healthcare, logistics
Complete electronic record of all transactions
| Standard | Region | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|
| UN/EDIFACT | Worldwide | International trade, Europe, Asia |
| ANSI X12 | North America | US & Canada domestic trade |
| TRADACOMS | United Kingdom | UK retail industry |
| VDA | Germany | Automotive industry |
EDIFACT includes over 200 standard message types. Here are the most commonly used:
If you're new to EDIFACT, here are some helpful resources:
Our free online tool helps you format and understand EDIFACT messages instantly.
Open EDIFACT Formatter →