This classification is originally standardized by the United Nations (UN) and has been established mostly in the US. . UNSPSC consists of more than 20,000 items for products and services.The 8-digit code is a result of the combination of the United Nations - Common Coding System (UNCCS) and of Dun & Bradstreet's Standard Product and Services Codes (SPSC).

This classification system consists of 5 hierarchy levels.
Each level contains a two-character numerical value and a textual description as follows:
XX Segment The logical aggregation of families for analytical purposes
XX Family A commonly recognized group of inter-related commodity categories
XX Class A group of commodities sharing a common use or function
XX Commodity A group of substitutable products or services