Workflows · Mobile
Barcodes
Print labels, scan from your phone, and link unknown codes to items — no special hardware required. On mobile, the camera turns into a full-screen scanner with a viewfinder overlay, and scan results open as a bottom drawer that confirms the action before committing.
Overview
Barcodes turn a phone camera into the only scanner your team needs. Print labels for items in your warehouse, then scan a code to look up the item, add it to a house, or assign the label to something new — no dedicated hardware required.
Every barcode points at one item in your inventory, but each item can carry several barcodes — useful when one piece ships with the manufacturer's tag and you also want a fresh sticker for the warehouse. Codes that aren't yet assigned still work; scanning one prompts you to link it to an existing item or create a new one on the spot.
QR codes and standard barcodes
Two formats are supported. QR codes are the default and recommended for new setups; standard barcodes match dedicated scanner hardware your team may already use.
QR Code is a 2D square that any phone camera can read, including the system camera app. Pick this if your team scans with phones — most setups should. QR labels also have a scannable variant that encodes a full URL, so a quick snap from the iOS or Android camera app jumps straight into Staging Assistant without first opening the app.
Standard Barcode is the traditional one-dimensional stripe pattern (Code 128). Pick this when you have an existing warehouse scanner gun or want compatibility with another system that already prints linear codes. Standard barcodes accept printable ASCII characters and need at least four characters per code.
A preferred format can be set company-wide from the barcode settings — that controls which format the print page and the Auto-generate on new items setting use by default.
Opening the scanner
Scanning starts from one of two places: the inventory page (look up or assign any item) or a house's items page (add or check out items for that house).
The inventory page header has a Scan link that opens the scanner with no extra context — anything you scan resolves to its item detail page if found, or the unknown-barcode dialog if not. From a house's items page, the equivalent is Scan Barcodes; codes you scan there add the matching item to the house instead of just opening it.
The scanner viewfinder
The scanner is full-screen so the camera fills the phone. A viewfinder overlay marks the active scan area, and a back button in the corner returns to the previous page.
Hold the phone over a label and the scanner reads QR codes and standard barcodes automatically — there's no separate format mode to switch. A short flash confirms each successful read, and the same code can't fire twice within a few seconds, so a label that stays in frame won't trigger duplicate dialogs.
What happens after a scan
The result drawer slides up from the bottom of the screen as soon as a code is read. Its contents depend on whether the code matches an item, and where you started scanning from.
When the scan resolves to a known item, the drawer shows the item's name, photo, and quantity, plus action buttons. Coming from inventory Scan, the buttons are Details and Edit — both jump to the item page. Coming from a house's Scan Barcodes, the drawer instead shows an Add to room selector and a quantity stepper — tap + to set how many go on hold for that room, then tap Done.
When the code doesn't match any item, the drawer shows the raw code and offers Associate with Existing Item and Create New Item. Associating opens an item search, tap the right item, and confirm. Creating opens the new-item form with the scanned code already filled in. Movers see only the associate option; see team for the full role rules.
Scanning many items in a row
When you're loading the truck, you don't want to reopen the scanner between every item. The house Scan Barcodes flow keeps the scanner active across multiple scans.
Open Scan Barcodes from a house
From the house's items page, tap Scan Barcodes. The scanner opens with the house already locked in as the destination.Scan a code
The result drawer slides up. Pick the room (or accept the default), tap + to set the quantity, then tap Done. The drawer closes and the scanner is ready for the next code.Scan the next item
Repeat for the rest of the load. The scanner remembers the last room selection, so a stack of items bound for the same room doesn't need re-scoping on every scan.Cancel an unknown scan to keep going
If a scan turns up an unknown code mid-flow, choose Cancel to dismiss the drawer without leaving the scanner. The viewfinder stays live for the next code.
For the checkout half of the truck-loading workflow — turning a stack of holds into checkouts — see holds and checkouts.
Editing barcodes from a phone
The item detail page on mobile shows the current barcode count as a tappable chip. Tapping it opens a scan-first drawer; from there you can scan a fresh code straight onto the item or jump to the full editor.
The drawer's primary action is the live camera, so the most common job (scan a new label and stick it on this item) takes a single tap and a single scan. Tap Edit Barcodes at the bottom of the drawer to open the full editor for codes you'd rather type, paste, or remove.
What's next
Once your items are labelled, barcodes plug into the rest of the product:
- Browse the inventory page to select which items need labels, then jump to the print workflow with your selection already loaded.
- Use holds and checkouts on mobile so movers can scan items in and out as the truck loads.
- Invite movers to your team with the Mover role, which can scan and assign codes without seeing financial fields or creating new items.