How do I scan a barcode online?
To scan a barcode online, open FixDoks's Barcode Scanner and click Scan with camera, or upload a photo or screenshot of the barcode. The barcode reader detects the format by itself (EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, ITF, Codabar, GS1 DataBar, QR, Data Matrix, PDF417 or Aztec) and shows the number or text with its type, ready to copy. It runs entirely in your browser.
Barcode Scanner at a glance
| Reads | EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, ITF, Codabar, GS1 DataBar, QR, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec |
|---|---|
| Input | Phone or laptop camera, uploaded photo, screenshot or pasted image |
| App needed | No, it works in the browser |
| Processing | In your browser; your files are not uploaded |
| Price | Free to use, no watermark |
| Download | First download free, then ₹49 for 2 months of unlimited downloads (US$3 outside India) |
| Files at once | 1 free, up to 30 with a plan |
| Works on | Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone |
How to use Barcode Scanner Online
- Click Scan with camera and allow camera access, then hold the barcode inside the frame.
- Or click Upload image to read a barcode from a photo or screenshot. You can upload several images at once.
- The barcode number and its type appear below. Click Copy to paste it into a spreadsheet, billing software or a search box.
Scan barcodes online, from the camera or an image
This free online barcode scanner reads barcodes in two ways. Point your phone or laptop camera at the barcode and the number appears as soon as it is in focus. Or, if the barcode is in a photo, a screenshot, a supplier's WhatsApp image or a scanned page, upload the image (or paste it with Ctrl+V) and the barcode reader finds the code in it. You can upload several images at once. There is no app to install and nothing to sign up for.
The result shows the barcode number or text and the barcode type, with a Copy button so you can paste it into a spreadsheet, billing software, an inventory list or a search box.
Barcodes this scanner reads
- Retail: EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A and UPC-E, the barcodes on almost every packaged product.
- Books: ISBN barcodes, which are EAN-13 codes starting with 978 or 979.
- Logistics and industry: Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, ITF and ITF-14, Codabar, and GS1 DataBar (used on fresh food and coupons).
- 2D codes: QR Code, Data Matrix, PDF417 and Aztec, found on medicine packs, boarding passes, ID cards and shipping labels.
The scanner detects the type automatically. You do not need to choose it first.
Useful ways to use it
- Stock taking: scan items one by one on a laptop with a webcam and copy the numbers into a sheet, without buying a handheld scanner.
- Checking your own labels: after printing barcodes from the barcode generator, confirm they scan correctly and carry the right number before a large print run.
- Reading a barcode from a photo: a supplier sends a picture of a pack on WhatsApp, and you need the EAN number for your listing or billing software.
- Books: scan the ISBN on the back cover to catalogue a home or school library.
Tips for 1D (line) barcodes
Line barcodes are harder to read with a camera than QR codes, because the bars are thin and all the information runs in one direction.
- Hold the barcode horizontally across the frame, filling most of its width.
- Get close enough that the bars look sharp, but not so close that the camera cannot focus. Most phones focus well from about 10 cm.
- Light it evenly. Shadows across the bars or glare on shiny plastic cause failures.
- Curved surfaces like bottles and cans: rotate the product so the barcode faces the camera flat.
- For uploaded images, crop close to the barcode and make sure the full width, including the white margins, is included. Rotated images are also tried automatically.
How it works
All scanning happens in your browser. On browsers with a built-in barcode detector, such as Chrome on Android and macOS, FixDoks uses it because it is fast. On other browsers, including Safari and Firefox, it uses ZXing, a widely used open source barcode library. Your camera feed and images are never uploaded.
What the number means
A barcode only contains a number or short text. It does not contain the product name or price. Shops look the number up in their own database to find the price. For retail products, the first digits of an EAN-13 identify the GS1 member organisation that issued the number: 890 is GS1 India, for example. This shows where the number was registered, not necessarily where the product was made.