Overview
EDI is a standards-based format, meaning the structure and content is defined by third-party governing bodies. There are a variety of EDI standards; the ones you use are determined largely by your trading partners’ requirements, but also by your geographic location and preference. The two most common standards are ANSI X12 and EDIFACT.
All standards bodies issue periodic updates, meaning there are multiple versions of each EDI standard. A version is simply a new release with changed or added requirements. For example, ANSI X12 has versions ranging from the original 001000 to version 008060 released in 2025. EDIFACT has versions, also known as Directories, ranging from 88-1 released in 1988 to D.24A released in 2024.
You may use whichever version(s) of the standard are required by your trading partners or suit your business needs. It is quite common to use more than one version of a standard, for example some partners may send ANSI X12 version 004010 while others use version 005010.
There are hundreds of unique EDI transactions, each one performing a specific function. If a business transaction exists, there is a corresponding EDI document for it. Each EDI document has a unique ID, using a naming convention determined by the governing standard. For example, a purchase order is an “850” in the ANSI X12 standard, and an “ORDERS” in the EDIFACT standard.
ANSI X12
This is the EDI standard used primarily by North American companies. The American National Standards Institute developed ANSI X12 in 1979. X12 documents are named using three-digit numbers, with the first two digits often representing the industry the transaction is used in most frequently. For example, the 800 series is often used in manufacturing and retail, while the 900 series is used primarily in warehousing.
Glossary of X12 Documents
EDIFACT
This EDI standard is most widely used outside of North America. It was developed by the United Nations in 1987. EDIFACT transactions are classified by six-letter names which are usually shortened versions of the transaction's function. For example, "INVOIC" represents an invoice.