Barcode scanning

Overview

The barcode step type opens the device's rear camera in scan mode. When a valid code is detected, it's automatically captured — no button tap required. The decoded value becomes the step's answer and is included in the webhook payload.

This eliminates manual data entry errors on inspection workflows. A VIN typed manually might have a transposition error; a VIN scanned directly from the dashboard sticker is guaranteed accurate.

Supported formats

TDL configuration

{
  "id": "s-vin1",
  "type": "barcode",
  "label": "Scan vehicle VIN from dashboard sticker",
  "hint": "The VIN sticker is on the driver's side dashboard, visible through the windshield.",
  "required": true
}

The barcode type has no additional config options. Set required: true to prevent step completion without a successful scan.

Answer shape

{
  "s-vin1": {
    "value": "1HGCM82633A004352",
    "at": "2026-05-22T09:00:00Z"
  }
}

The scanned value is always a string, regardless of the content encoded in the barcode.

Car rental use case

Place a barcode step at the start of every pre-rental and post-rental checklist: "Scan vehicle VIN." Your backend receives the VIN via step.completed webhook and can immediately validate it matches the booked vehicle, log the inspection against that specific vehicle in your fleet system, and detect if the wrong vehicle is being checked out.

Asset management use case

Attach QR code stickers to equipment, appliances, or rooms. Include a barcode step to scan the asset tag before inspecting it. Your backend links the inspection data to the correct asset record without manual ID entry.

When to use barcode steps

Use barcode steps whenever you need to capture an identifier that's already encoded on a physical object — vehicles, assets, packages, property keys. Don't use them as a substitute for text entry when no barcode exists; the executor will be stuck on the step.

Combining with photos

Add a photo overlay to a barcode step to capture both the scanned value and visual confirmation:

{
  "id": "s-vin1",
  "type": "barcode",
  "label": "Scan vehicle VIN",
  "required": true,
  "photo": { "min": 1, "max": 2 }
}

The executor scans the VIN and takes a photo of the VIN sticker. Both the decoded string and the photo appear in the step.completed webhook.