How to add barcode or QR code scanning to your bot? – Fastory

The barcode scan option lets your participants scan a product or a loyalty card directly from your bot. You can check whether the code is eligible and trigger an Instant Win.

What is it for?

When creating your bot, you can ask participants to enter or scan a barcode. Each participant then finds out whether their product is on the list of codes you have defined and, if so, whether they can take part in the Instant Win. It is an ideal mechanic for tying a participation to a real purchase or a loyalty card.

Set up the barcode scan

1. Add the barcode question

Add a new question in the bot.

Select Barcode from the dropdown menu.

Write the message shown to participants, as well as the error message that will appear if the scanned code is invalid.

2. Import your CSV file into your bot

From your studio:

Open the Bot tab and choose your bot.

Select the message containing the barcode question.

In the Code section, import your CSV file containing the barcodes you want to make eligible for the game.

3. Understand the behavior in the bot

When a participant reaches this question, a button appears inviting them to scan a barcode. Clicking this button opens a webview where the participant can scan their barcode or QR code.

4. Retrieve your participants' barcodes

You can retrieve all the barcodes submitted through the game. To do so:

Go to the Audience page.

In Edit table, select the Code column.

Click Export.

Limit each code to a single use

You can enable an option that grants access to the content or the game only once per code. In practice, after a barcode or QR code has been scanned to enter the conversation with the bot, a participant who tries to reuse the same code receives a message telling them it has already been used. As a bonus, you can also choose to hide the code in the bot conversation.

Encrypt codes for extra security

For security reasons, you can encrypt the code transmitted during the scan. Please note: if you enable this option, the CSV file you download will not give you access to the actual code scanned by the participant. An encrypted code looks like this, for example: 9716d4f3869f8d528e449415c67501f5dc88e340af554c907517893599036611.

Best practices

Write a clear error message to guide participants whose code is not recognized.

Check the content of your CSV file before importing it, so that only genuinely eligible codes are accepted.

Enable single use to prevent the same code from being used for multiple participations.

Only enable encryption if you do not need to retrieve the actual code in your export, since it will no longer be readable.

Test the scan on mobile before publishing, because that is where your participants will scan their code.

Concrete use cases

If you want to reward a product purchase

Import the barcodes of the relevant products into your bot. Participants scan their product's code and find out whether they are eligible for the Instant Win.

If you want to energize a loyalty program

Have your participants scan their loyalty card to verify their membership in the program before giving them access to the game or content.

If you want to guarantee a single participation

Enable single use for codes: each barcode or QR code can only open the conversation with the bot once, which limits multiple participations.

FAQ

What is the barcode scan option for in a Fastory bot?

It lets your participants scan a product or a loyalty card from your Fastory bot, to check whether their code is eligible and, if it is, take part in the Instant Win.

What type of file should I import to define the eligible codes?

You import a CSV file containing the barcodes to make eligible, directly in the Code section of the relevant message in your bot.

How do I retrieve the codes scanned by my participants?

Go to the Audience page of your Fastory studio, select the Code column in Edit table, then click Export.

Can I prevent the same code from being used multiple times?

Yes. By enabling the single-use option, a participant who tries to reuse an already scanned code receives a message telling them that this code has already been used.

What happens if I enable code encryption?

The code transmitted during the scan is encrypted for security reasons. In return, the CSV file you export will not contain the actual code scanned by the participant, but its encrypted version.

How does the participant actually scan their code in the experience?

When they reach the barcode question in the bot, a button appears and opens a webview where they can scan their barcode or QR code.