Check-in App Guide

Your staff's new best friend on event day. The Event Karma check-in app turns any smartphone into a badge scanner—no special hardware, no training videos, no "let me call IT." If your team can use a camera app, they can use this.

Native iOS App Available

This guide covers the Web PWA (works on any phone). For iPhone/iPad users, we also have a native iOS app with faster scanning, voice notes, and VIP alerts. See the iOS App Guide.

Three Ways to Check In Attendees

Mode	Best For	The Experience
Scanner	Staff walking the floor	Point phone at QR code, hear beep, move on
Kiosk	Self-service stations	Mount tablet, attendees scan themselves
Lookup	No-QR-code situations	Search by name/email, tap to check in

Most events use Scanner as the primary method, with Lookup as backup for attendees who lost their pass email.

Getting Started

First-Time Setup (2 minutes)

Open pass.eventkarma.ai in Safari (iOS) or Chrome (Android)
Tap Browse Events and select your event
Choose your mode (Scanner, Kiosk, or Lookup)
Crucial step: Add to Home Screen

Why "Add to Home Screen" Matters

The app works fine in a browser, but Add to Home Screen:

Makes it feel like a native app (no browser chrome)
Loads faster
Won't accidentally get closed when switching apps
Looks more professional to attendees

iOS: Tap Share (box with arrow) → Add to Home Screen Android: Tap Menu (three dots) → Add to Home Screen

Brief Your Staff

Include "Add to Home Screen" in your pre-event briefing. The 30 seconds it takes saves fumbling at the registration desk.

Scanner Mode

The workhorse. This is what your staff will use 95% of the time.

How It Works

Point phone camera at attendee's QR code
Hold steady for half a second
Scanner auto-detects and processes
Success feedback: green screen + haptic buzz + attendee name
Ready for the next scan

That's it. No buttons to tap. No menus to navigate. Point, wait, done.

Understanding the Screen

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│  Event Karma Check-In       │
│  [Your Event Name]          │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│                             │
│    ┌─────────────────┐      │
│    │                 │      │
│    │  Camera View    │      │
│    │   (live feed)   │      │
│    └─────────────────┘      │
│                             │
│  Scanned: 127  |  Queued: 0 │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│  Last: Sarah Chen           │
│  sarah@acmecorp.com         │
│  Acme Corporation           │
│  [Add Note for SDR]         │
└─────────────────────────────┘

Scanned = Total successful check-ins Queued = Scans waiting to sync (see Offline Mode)

Success States (What the Colors Mean)

Feedback	What It Means	What to Do
Green + Name	New check-in recorded	Great! Next attendee.
Green + "Already checked in"	They scanned earlier	Still fine—no duplicate created
Red + Error message	Something went wrong	See error, use Lookup if needed

Pro Tip: The "Already Checked In" Message Is Fine

It means the system is working. Attendees might scan twice (forgot they did it, different entrance, etc.). No duplicate records are created—Event Karma handles it.

The "Add Note" Feature (Your SDRs Will Thank You)

After scanning someone, you'll see Add Note for SDR. This is powerful:

Staff taps the button
Types a note: "Decision maker. Interested in enterprise. Wants demo next week."
Taps Save
Note appears as a Task on the Lead/Contact in Salesforce
SDRs see it in the activity timeline when they follow up

Brief your staff: "If someone mentions budget, timeline, authority, or asks for a demo—tap Add Note." Those 10-second notes dramatically improve follow-up quality.

Offline Mode (WiFi Goes Down—It Happens)

Event WiFi is unreliable. We know. Event Karma works offline.

When you lose connection:

Yellow banner appears: "Offline - Scans will sync when connected"
Keep scanning—everything queues locally
Counter shows "Queued: X" instead of uploading
No data lost

When connection returns:

Scans auto-sync in background
Or tap Sync Now to push immediately
Queued counter goes back to 0

Pro Tip: Test Offline Before the Event

Turn off WiFi, scan a test pass, turn WiFi back on, verify it synced. Better to know it works than hope it works.

Kiosk Mode

Self-service check-in for high-volume events. Mount a tablet, let attendees scan themselves, free up staff for conversations.

When to Use Kiosk

Trade shows with constant flow
Conferences with 500+ attendees
Events where you want staff greeting, not scanning
Multiple entrance points with limited staff

Physical Setup

Get a tablet stand (chest height works best)
Secure the tablet (venue security, cable lock, or staff nearby)
Position in well-lit area (camera needs good light)
Test camera angle with an actual QR code

Lock the Tablet to Kiosk Mode

Prevent attendees from accidentally (or intentionally) navigating away:

iPad (Guided Access):

Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access → On
Open pass.eventkarma.ai in Safari, select Kiosk mode
Triple-click side button → Start Guided Access
Set a PIN only staff knows

Android:

Use device management or a kiosk app (many free options)
Or simply tape a "Please don't touch—scan only" sign

The Attendee Experience

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│                             │
│    Scan Your Pass           │
│                             │
│    ┌─────────────────┐      │
│    │                 │      │
│    │  Camera View    │      │
│    │                 │      │
│    └─────────────────┘      │
│                             │
│  Hold QR code to camera     │
│                             │
└─────────────────────────────┘

        ↓ After scan ↓

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│                             │
│         ✓                   │
│                             │
│    Welcome, Sarah!          │
│                             │
│    Acme Corporation         │
│                             │
│    You're checked in        │
│                             │
└─────────────────────────────┘

Screen auto-resets after 5 seconds, ready for the next attendee.

Kiosk Tips

Have staff nearby for attendees who can't find their pass (they'll need Lookup)
Test the lighting at the actual venue before doors open
Consider multiple kiosks if you expect more than 50 people arriving at once
Print a small sign explaining what to do: "Scan your QR code pass here"

Lookup Mode

For when QR codes aren't an option. Attendee deleted the email, phone died, printed pass got coffee-stained—it happens. Lookup lets staff find anyone by name or email.

How to Search

Type attendee's email or name in the search box
Results appear as you type (instant filtering)
Tap the correct person
Confirm check-in
Done—they're checked in

The Walk-In Registration Superpower

Someone shows up who isn't on the list? Register Walk-in handles it:

Tap Register Walk-in at the bottom of Lookup
Fill in:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Email
- Company
Check the consent box
Tap Register & Check In

What happens in Salesforce:

New Lead created
Lead added to Campaign
Campaign Member status set to Checked-In
All in one tap

Pro Tip: Walk-in = New Lead

Every walk-in who wasn't pre-registered is someone who showed up organically. That's valuable. Event Karma captures them as new Leads so sales can follow up.

Search Tips

Email is most reliable (exact match)
Name search is fuzzy (finds "John" if you type "Jon")
Company search works too if you know the domain
If you can't find them, try Register Walk-in—they may not have been on the original list

Best Practices

Before the Event

Task	Why It Matters
Test scan with a real pass	Catch config issues before they're urgent
Verify camera permissions	Different phones, different settings
Add to home screen on all devices	Faster, more reliable
Brief staff on all three modes	Someone will need Lookup
Charge backup device	Murphy's law applies to batteries

During the Event

Task	Why It Matters
Monitor offline status	Catch WiFi issues early
Sync queued scans periodically	Don't let the queue grow too large
Use "Add Note" for hot leads	Your SDRs will love you
Handle walk-ins promptly	Don't let them wait—they're excited to be there

After the Event

Task	Why It Matters
Review Publish dashboard	See the full picture
Apply guardrails	Filter before it hits Salesforce
Publish within 24 hours	Strike while the iron's hot
Verify in Salesforce	Spot-check a few records

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Camera won't start	Check browser permissions. Try Safari (iOS) or Chrome (Android).
Scan not registering	Clean camera lens. Improve lighting. Hold steady.
"Token expired"	Attendee's pass link expired. Use Lookup instead.
"Campaign Member not found"	Email not in Campaign. Use Register Walk-in.
Wrong event showing	Go back to Setup, select correct event.
"Offline" but WiFi is on	Toggle airplane mode. Or the API might be having issues—scans will queue.
Notes not saving	Check Salesforce connection in admin portal.
Kiosk screen went black	Battery saver kicked in. Adjust display settings.

Quick Reference Card

Print this for your event binder:

EVENT KARMA CHECK-IN QUICK REFERENCE

SCANNER:
  Point → Wait → Green = Done
  Yellow banner = Offline (keep scanning)
  Add Note = Creates Task in Salesforce

KIOSK:
  Attendee shows QR → Camera reads → Welcome screen
  Resets in 5 seconds

LOOKUP:
  Search by email/name → Tap person → Confirm
  Walk-in? → Register Walk-in button

TROUBLE?
  Camera won't work → Check permissions
  Can't find person → Try Register Walk-in
  Offline → Keep going, will sync later

SUPPORT: support@datakarma.ai

Ready to dive deeper? Check out the Staff Training Guide for a print-ready briefing document, or the Publish Guide for what to do after the event.

Three Ways to Check In Attendees​

Getting Started​

First-Time Setup (2 minutes)​

Why "Add to Home Screen" Matters​

Scanner Mode​

How It Works​

Understanding the Screen​

Success States (What the Colors Mean)​

The "Add Note" Feature (Your SDRs Will Thank You)​

Offline Mode (WiFi Goes Down—It Happens)​

Kiosk Mode​

When to Use Kiosk​

Physical Setup​

Lock the Tablet to Kiosk Mode​

The Attendee Experience​

Kiosk Tips​

Lookup Mode​

How to Search​

The Walk-In Registration Superpower​

Search Tips​

Best Practices​

Before the Event​

During the Event​

After the Event​

Troubleshooting​

Quick Reference Card​