QR & Barcode Reader question type
About the QR & Barcode Reader
With the "QR & Barcode Reader" question type, codes can be captured easily via camera or keyboard entry — right inside the questionnaire. This is especially useful when specific objects, invitations, or respondents need to be identified unambiguously.
Respondents can either type in a code manually or — if camera access is allowed — scan the code directly with their smartphone or laptop camera. This simplifies capture and avoids typos.
Typical scenarios include:
- Capturing participation codes on invitation cards
- Product codes in consumer diary studies
- Visitor or access control at events
- Capturing patient codes or sample numbers in medical studies
- Internal inventory taking by staff (e.g. scanning devices or serial numbers)
- Traceability in A/B tests or random group assignments
If no camera is available, a photo of the code can be uploaded instead.
Supported code formats:
- 1D Product: UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13
- 1D Industrial: Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, Codabar, ITF, RSS-14
- 2D Codes: QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec, PDF 417
Settings for the QR & Barcode Reader question type
The settings panel offers various customization options:
Input Size:
- Narrow (about 1/4 of the questionnaire width)
- Medium (about 1/2 of the questionnaire width)
- Wide (full questionnaire width)
Note: on smartphones in portrait mode, the field is automatically shown at full width.
Value types (input types) for validation:
- Text – Free entry with no restriction
- Number – Numeric input only
- Phone Number – Valid phone numbers only
- E-mail – Valid email addresses
- Web address (URL) – Valid website links
- Card Number – Digits only; other characters are removed automatically
- Pattern (regex) – Free validation with regular expressions (e.g.
^[A-Z]{2}\d{6}$for two uppercase letters followed by six digits, or^[A-ZÄÖÜ]{1,3}-[A-Z]{1,2} \d{1,4}E?$for German license plates)
- Input Field Settings
Input Field Settings
Depending on the selected value type, different additional functions are available:
- Highlight item: Emphasizes the input field with a colored background. Useful in longer questionnaires for orientation, or for particularly important entries.
- Field Placeholder: A gray hint text inside the input field, e.g. "Please enter code" or "Scan invitation card".
Additional options depending on the input type:
Text: Initial value: handy for typical answers, or to carry values over via piping from previous questions, contact lists, or the URL.
→More on piping
Number: Limit to a minimum and maximum value, set the number of decimals.
Regex: Enter a regular expression for targeted validation — ideal for experienced users who need full control over the input pattern.
Example of a QR & Barcode Reader question
To help you picture what this question type looks like in practice, here's a typical example:
The respondent can type in the code or use the scan button to capture it with the camera. If the device doesn't support a camera, a photo of the code can be uploaded instead.
Note: On the first scan attempt, the browser asks for permission to access the camera. This permission must be granted so the camera can be used to scan QR codes or barcodes.
Note: Modern browsers often block camera access when the questionnaire is opened inside an embedded iframe — as is the case in this example.
To test the full functionality of the question (including the camera scan function), please open the example in a new window (click here).