EFI

External File Link Identification. The EDIFACT segment that points to an attached external file.

Definition

The EFI (External File Link Identification) segment references an external file linked to an EDIFACT message: file name, format, reference type (UNCL 1505 — text, image, binary). It allows attaching a non-EDIFACT document to a message while keeping the reference within EDIFACT syntax.

Origin

EFI is defined by UN/CEFACT and was added to the UNTDID to address the growing need to attach files (PDF invoices, inspection photos, scanned certificates) to structured EDIFACT messages, at a time when the AS2/MIME envelope was still rare.

Example in context

EFI+INVOICE-2026-0042.PDF+PDF:S3+1'

Here, INVOICE-2026-0042.PDF is the file name, PDF states the format, S3 indicates the storage system, 1 qualifies the file type (Document).

Related terms

• RFF — generic reference segment, an alternative when the file is not attached.
• UNTDID — the UN/CEFACT repository.
• Segment — the atomic unit of an EDIFACT message.