You can use QR codes to look up records on a miniExtensions login page or search for records inside a Portal or Interface.
The right method depends on what your QR code contains and where you scan it.
Which scanning method should I use?
What your QR code contains | Where to scan it | What happens |
A login-field value, such as an employee ID or email address | The Form or Portal login page | The value is entered into the login field and used to look up the matching record or user |
A searchable record value, such as a product SKU | The search bar inside a Portal or Interface | The value is entered into the search bar and the view filters to matching records |
A URL pointing to a form or record | Your phone’s camera app | You can follow the link to open that page in your browser |
A QR code is a way of storing a value. Scanning it inside miniExtensions reads that value into the selected field or search bar.
Scan a QR code on the login page
Use this method when your QR code contains the value of a configured login field.
For example, if your Form uses Employee ID as its login field, a code containing EMP-1042 can look up the record whose Employee ID is EMP-1042.
Enable the scanner
For a Form, open Share in the Builder toolbar. For a Portal, open Users & Login.
Select the login field.
Enable Allow users to scan barcodes & QR codes.
The login field does not need to be an Airtable barcode field.
Use the scanner
Open the Form or Portal login page on your device.
Use the camera icon for the login field.
Scan your QR code.
The scanned value is used for the login-field lookup. Any other configured login requirements still apply.
The code must contain the login-field value. If the field expects EMP-1042 but the code contains a full URL, scanning it will enter the URL instead of the employee ID.
Scan a QR code to search inside a Portal or Interface
Use this method when you want to find records in a displayed table.
For example, a code containing SKU-1042 can search for a product with that SKU.
Enable the scanner
Open the table’s settings.
Go to User Actions.
Make sure Search bar is enabled.
Enable Allow QR code scanning to find records.
Use the scanner
Open the table in your Portal or Interface.
Click the camera icon in the search bar.
Scan the QR code.
The scanner fills the search bar with the code’s contents. The view then filters to matching records.
This searches the table; it does not follow a link encoded in the code or automatically open a particular record.
What if my QR code contains a URL?
Scan it with your phone’s camera app and follow the detected link.
For example, a code containing a miniExtensions Form edit-record URL can open that record’s form in your browser.
Scanning the same code inside a login field or portal search bar enters the full URL as text. It does not extract an employee ID, SKU, or other record value from the link.
Why am I getting “no record found”?
First, check what the QR code actually contains.
Then try entering that same value manually:
On a login page: Enter it into the configured login field. It must match the corresponding value stored in Airtable.
In a portal search bar: Search for it manually. Use a value that can be found in the displayed table.
For example, if your product’s SKU is SKU-1042 but the QR code contains a URL, the portal searches for the URL. Having the QR image attached to the Airtable record does not make the URL match that product’s SKU.
Choose the scanning method that matches your existing code’s contents.
Why can’t I see the camera icon?
The login-page scanner and portal-search scanner have separate settings.
For login scanning, enable scanning on the specific login field.
For portal or interface searching, enable both Search bar and Allow QR code scanning to find records in the table’s User Actions settings.
Enabling one scanner does not enable the other.