Quick start

This guide walks you through scanning and packing your first order with Scanpacker. You’ll learn the basic workflow for using barcode scanning to fulfill orders.

Time to complete: About 5 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Installed Scanpacker from the Shopify App Store (installation guide)
• At least one test order in your Shopify store to practice with
• Barcodes assigned to your products (learn how to add barcodes)
• A barcode scanner (USB, Bluetooth, or just use your phone’s camera)

Don’t have a test order? Create one in your Shopify admin or use an existing unfulfilled order.

Step 1: Find your test order

1. Go to your Shopify admin
2. Navigate to Orders
3. Click on an unfulfilled order you want to use for testing

You should see the order details page with the customer information and items.

Step 2: Open the order in Scanpacker

From the Shopify order page, click the More actions menu (three dots) and select Fulfill with Scanpacker.

You’ll be taken to Scanpacker’s order page where you’ll scan items to pack the order.

Step 3: Start packing the order

Click the Start Shipping button.

The page switches to scanning mode and you’re ready to start scanning items.

Note: Starting an order reserves it for you so other team members won’t accidentally work on the same order. You can read more about how this works in the order queue documentation.

Step 4: Scan your items

Now for the fun part — scanning items to pack the order.

Using a physical barcode scanner

If you have a USB or Bluetooth scanner connected:

1. Pick up the first item from your shelf
2. Scan its barcode with your scanner
3. You’ll see the quantity increase by one
4. Repeat for each item in the order

Using your phone or tablet camera

Don’t have a physical scanner? No problem:

1. Click the Camera button at the top of the page
2. Point your device’s camera at the barcode
3. Wait for the barcode to be detected (usually instant)
4. The quantity increases by one automatically
5. Repeat for each item in the order

Tip: The camera scanner works best in good lighting. Hold your device steady about 6 inches from the barcode.

Step 5: Complete the order

Once you’ve scanned all items:

1. Double-check that all quantities are correct
2. Click Create Fulfillment

That’s it! Your order is now marked as fulfilled in Shopify, and the customer will receive a shipping notification.

What happens if I scan the wrong item?

Scanpacker will warn you immediately if you scan an item that’s not part of the order. Simply scan the correct item instead—no harm done!

Next steps

Now that you’ve packed your first order with Scanpacker, you’re ready to:

• Set up your barcode scanners for faster scanning
• Learn about the camera scanner for mobile packing
• Understand the order queue for managing multiple orders
• Explore advanced features like batch packing and custom workflows

Questions? Check out our FAQ or contact support.