> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.closient.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Barcode Scanning

> How to use the scanner for product lookup, data capture, and inventory management.

Closient's scanner lets you look up products by barcode, capture product data from images, and enrich your catalog with AI-extracted information.

## Scan Modes

| Mode                    | Description                                                                        |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Barcode Scan**        | Point your camera at a 1D barcode (UPC/EAN) or 2D barcode (QR code, Data Matrix)   |
| **Product Photography** | Take a photo of the product — AI extracts name, brand, ingredients, and other data |
| **Both**                | Capture barcode and product photos in the same session                             |

## Starting a Scan Session

Open the **Scanner** from the Dashboard sidebar or navigate directly to the scanner page. Select your scan mode and point your device's camera at the product.

### Barcode Scanning

When you scan a barcode:

1. The raw barcode value is captured (UPC, EAN, GS1 Digital Link, etc.)
2. If it's a GTIN, it's normalized to GTIN-14
3. Closient looks up the product in the catalog
4. If found, the product details are displayed immediately
5. If not found, you can create a new product from the scan

### GS1 Digital Link QR Codes

When scanning a GS1 Digital Link QR code, Closient extracts all encoded Application Identifiers:

* **AI 01** — GTIN (product identifier)
* **AI 10** — Batch/lot number
* **AI 21** — Serial number
* **AI 17** — Expiry date
* And more (SSCC, GLN, etc.)

This data is parsed and attached to the scan capture for traceability and inventory purposes.

## AI Vision Extraction

When you capture a product photo, Closient's vision AI analyzes the image to extract:

* Product name and brand
* Net content and weight
* Ingredients list
* Nutritional information
* Certifications and labels
* Country of origin

Extracted data is presented as **enrichment proposals** — suggested field values that you review and accept or reject before they're applied to the product record.

<Tip>
  For best results, capture clear photos of the front label, back label (ingredients/nutrition), and any certification marks.
</Tip>

## Scan Session Lifecycle

| Status        | Meaning                                |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| **Active**    | Session is open, captures can be added |
| **Completed** | All captures processed, session closed |
| **Expired**   | Session timed out without completion   |

Each capture within a session progresses through:

| Status         | Meaning                              |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| **Pending**    | Awaiting processing                  |
| **Looking up** | Searching the product catalog        |
| **Enriching**  | AI extracting data from images       |
| **Resolving**  | Matching to existing products        |
| **Completed**  | Product identified and data attached |
| **Not found**  | No matching product in the catalog   |

## Bulk Scanning

For inventory audits or catalog building, use **Both** mode to rapidly scan multiple products. Each scan creates a separate capture within the same session, so you can review them all together when done.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Managing Products" icon="box" href="/user-guides/managing-products">
    Manage products discovered through scanning.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Searching for Products" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/user-guides/searching-products">
    Find products at nearby stores.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>