Barcode Scanner API: Integrate in Minutes with Orca Scan

The Orca Scan Barcode Scanner API lets you integrate barcode scanning into your systems through a single REST API. No device-specific code needed – just simple endpoints that work with any scanning device, from smartphones to professional hardware.

Getting Started with the Orca Scan Barcode Scanner API

You’re a developer who needs to add barcode scanning to your application, but writing native code for multiple devices is time-consuming and complex. Instead of managing different scanning libraries and hardware compatibilities, you can use our REST API to handle all scanning operations.

Your users capture data through the Orca Scan mobile app, while you focus on integrating the data through familiar REST endpoints – supporting everything from iOS and Android devices to professional scanning hardware.

Supported Devices and Hardware Compatibility

The Orca Scan barcode scanner app works with any:

iOS or Android smartphone or tablet
Barcode scanners from Honeywell, Datalogic, Zebra and others
Bluetooth scanner connected to an iOS or Android device

TIP: start with low cost smartphones, add enterprise scanners if needed.

Implementation Guide for the Barcode Scanner API

The Barcode Scanner API is a REST based API that can be accessed using any programming language. To get started:

Install the Orca Scan app on an iOS or Android device
Open the app and create a new sheet
Customise your data capture fields
Login to the Orca Scan web app
Go to Account Settings and copy your API key
Launch the command line on your computer
Run the following curl command to list your sheets

curl -X GET "https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets" -H "Authorization: Bearer API_KEY"

API Authentication and Security

The Barcode Scanner API is secured using HTTPS and requires an API key with each request. Please note: you must have a Business subscription to use this feature.

Orca Scan Endpoints and Methods

You can think of a sheet as a mini-database with its own unique configuration. The following endpoints let you manage sheets, rows, history, and user access.

Sheets

GET /sheets = get a list of sheets

# request
curl https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY"

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "_id": "62a3188f098a6343fe0d9c1b",
      "name": "Public API Owned",
      "isOwner": true,
      "canAdmin": true,
      "canUpdate": true,
      "canDelete": true,
      "canExport": true
    },
    {
      "_id": "62a31e89098a6343fe0d9c1e",
      "name": "Public API Readonly",
      "isOwner": false,
      "canAdmin": false,
      "canUpdate": false,
      "canDelete": false,
      "canExport": false
    },
    {
      "_id": "62a32045098a6343fe0d9c1f",
      "name": "Public API Can Update",
      "isOwner": false,
      "canAdmin": false,
      "canUpdate": true,
      "canDelete": false,
      "canExport": false
    },
    {
      "_id": "62a32061098a6343fe0d9c22",
      "name": "Public API Can Delete",
      "isOwner": false,
      "canAdmin": false,
      "canUpdate": false,
      "canDelete": true,
      "canExport": false
    },
    {
      "_id": "62a32112098a6343fe0d9c25",
      "name": "Public API Can Export",
      "isOwner": false,
      "canAdmin": false,
      "canUpdate": false,
      "canDelete": false,
      "canExport": true
    },
    {
      "_id": "62a3214f098a6343fe0d9c2a",
      "name": "Public API Can Admin",
      "isOwner": false,
      "canAdmin": true,
      "canUpdate": true,
      "canDelete": true,
      "canExport": false
    }
  ]
}

GET /sheets/:sheetId/fields = get a list of fields in a sheet

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/fields -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY"

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "key": "barcode",
      "label": "Barcode",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "key": "quantity",
      "label": "Quantity",
      "type": "integer",
      "required": false
    },
    {
      "key": "expires",
      "label": "Expires",
      "type": "datetime",
      "required": false
    },
    {
      "key": "photo",
      "label": "Photo",
      "type": "image"
    },
    {
      "key": "certificate",
      "label": "Certificate",
      "type": "attachment"
    }
  ]
}

GET /sheets/:sheetId/settings = get sheet settings

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/settings \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY"

// response
{
  "data": {
    "allowPublicExport": true,
    "publicExportUrl": "https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/sVVKYsnp-9b7Rl7i.json",
    "allowPublicEntry": false,
    "publicEntryUrl": "https://api.orcascan.com/v1/62a3188f098a6343fe0d9c1b",
    "allowWebHookIn": false,
    "webHookInUrl": "https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/XbC5Xc1CMgv9wq-C",
    "lookupUrl": "",
    "validationUrl": "",
    "webHookOutUrl": "",
    "secret": "",
    "dateTimeFormat": "(DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm:ss) 01/12/2019 13:30:00"
  }
}

PUT /sheets/:sheetId/clear = clear all rows in a sheet

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X PUT \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/clear

POST /sheets = create a sheet

# request
curl -X POST \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    -d '{ "name": "My things", "templateName": "Inventory" }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets

// response
{
  "data": {
    "_id": "6664ff416518d60a3c1c700a",
    "name": "My things",
    "rows": 0
  }
}

PUT /sheets/:sheetId/rename = rename a sheet

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X PUT \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer orca_aYUClq9tI0oxqKPfXwVHo3mVy7v" \
    -d '{ "name": "New sheet name", "description": "Backup 27 May 2004" }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rename

DELETE /sheets/:sheetId = delete a sheet

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X POST \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId

Rows

GET /sheets/:sheetId/rows = get all rows

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows \ -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY"

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "_id": "62b8abeb1a3f8d11e2ad781e",
      "barcode": "6344554293308",
      "name": "Fantastic Cotton Gloves",
      "quantity": "20",
      "description": "Sit tenetur iusto error eum laboriosam laboriosam.",
      "date": "2017-01-01T18:38:17.000Z",
      "location": "52.4319404, 0.5114626"
    },
    {
      "_id": "62b8abeb1a3f8d11e2ad781f",
      "barcode": "8162055462301",
      "name": "Unbranded Frozen Table",
      "quantity": "71",
      "description": "Inventore aut rerum. Ea tempore error cupiditate",
      "date": "2017-01-14T04:10:16.000Z",
      "location": "51.6993409, 0.9225196"
    }
  ]
}

GET /sheets/:sheetId/rows/:rowId = get a single row

# request (replace :sheetId and :rowId)
curl https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows/:rowId \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY"

// response
{
  "data": {
    "_id": "62a322f13a2579cd32b66c14",
    "barcode": "barcode123456",
    "name": "Hello World"
  }
}

POST /sheets/:sheetId/rows = add row(s)

# if a barcode is not provided in the row data, it will be auto generated
#
# add a single row
# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X POST \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    -d '{ "barcode": "12345", "name": "Hello World", "photo": "base64..." }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows

// response
{
  "data": {
    "_id": "629d313d74e4a61bf1517d3a",
    "barcode": "12345",
    "name": "Hello World",
    "photo": "https://cdn.orca.storage/.../photo/jEIM9pSWdC2NG6HbmpebwA.jpg"
  }
}

# if a barcode is not provided in the row data, it will be auto generated
#
# by default, updates replace the entire row with the provided data. To update only specific fields while keeping the rest of the row unchanged, 
# include ?partial=true in the URL. This ensures that only the fields you provide are modified, while all other fields remain intact.
# i.e. https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows?partial=true
#
# add multiple rows (if a row already exists, it will be updated)
# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X POST \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    -d '[ { "barcode": "1234", "name": "Hello World", "photo": "base64..." }, { "barcode": "5678", "name": "Hello Again", "photo": "base64..." } ]' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "_id": "669fc3b9d74909b0542638c1",
      "barcode": "1234",
      "name": "Hello World",
        "photo": "https://cdn.orca.storage/.../photo/jEIM9pSWdC2NG6HbmpebwA.jpg"
    },
    {
      "_id": "669fc3b9d74909b0542638c2",
      "barcode": "5678",
      "name": "Hello Again",
            "photo": "https://cdn.orca.storage/.../photo/jEIM9pSWdC2NG6HbmpebwB.jpg"
    }
  ]
}

PUT /sheets/:sheetId/rows/:rowId = update a single row

# by default, an update replaces the entire row with the provided data. To update only specific fields while keeping the rest of the row unchanged, 
# include ?partial=true in the URL. This ensures that only the fields you provide are modified, while all other fields remain intact.
# i.e. https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows/:rowId?partial=true
#
# request (replace :sheetId and :rowId)
curl -X PUT \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    -d '{ "barcode": "789", "name": "Hello World", "photo": "base64..." }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows/:rowId

// response
{
  "data": {
    "_id": "629d313d74e4a61bf1517d3a",
    "barcode": "789",
    "name": "Hello World",
        "photo": "https://cdn.orca.storage/.../photo/jEIM9pSWdC2NG6HbmpebwA.jpg"
  }
}

PUT /sheets/:sheetId/rows = update multiple rows

# by default, updates replace the entire row with the provided data. To update only specific fields while keeping the rest of the row unchanged, 
# include ?partial=true in the URL. This ensures that only the fields you provide are modified, while all other fields remain intact.
# i.e. https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows?partial=true
#
# if a row does not exist, it will be added
# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X PUT \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    -d '[ { "barcode": "1234", "name": "Hello World", "photo": "base64..." }, { "barcode": "5678", "name": "Hello Again", "photo": "base64..." } ]' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "_id": "669fc3b9d74909b0542638c1",
      "barcode": "1234",
      "name": "Hello World",
        "photo": "https://cdn.orca.storage/.../photo/jEIM9pSWdC2NG6HbmpebwA.jpg"
    },
    {
      "_id": "669fc3b9d74909b0542638c2",
      "barcode": "5678",
      "name": "Hello Again",
            "photo": "https://cdn.orca.storage/.../photo/jEIM9pSWdC2NG6HbmpebwB.jpg"
    }
  ]
}

DELETE /sheets/:sheetId/rows/:rowId = delete a single row

# request (replace :sheetId and :rowId)
curl -X DELETE \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows/:rowId

DELETE /sheets/:sheetId/rows = delete multiple rows

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X DELETE \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    -d '[ rowId1, rowId2 ]' 
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows

History

GET /sheets/:sheetId/history = get sheet history

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/history \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY"

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "_id": "66678a4627b78f52140c12bc",
      "barcode": "clx9ljgms0000z0dr0fop94zq",
      "name": "new row",
      "quantity": 20,
      "_change": "add",
      "_changedBy": "public-api-user@orcascan.com",
      "_changedOn": "2024-06-10T23:20:38.704Z",
      "_changedUsing": "",
    },
    {
      "_id": "66678a4627b78f52140c12bd",
      "barcode": "clx9ljgms0000z0dr0fop94zq",
      "name": "updated row",
      "quantity": 99,
      "_change": "update",
      "_changedBy": "public-api-user@orcascan.com",
      "_changedOn": "2024-06-10T23:20:38.740Z",
      "_changedUsing": "",
    }
  ]
}

GET /sheets/:sheetId/:rowId/history = get row history

# request (replace :sheetId and :rowId)
curl https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows/:rowId \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY"

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "_id": "66678a4627b78f52140c12bc",
      "barcode": "clx9ljgms0000z0dr0fop94zq",
      "name": "new row",
      "quantity": 20,
      "_change": "add",
      "_changedBy": "public-api-user@orcascan.com",
      "_changedOn": "2024-06-10T23:20:38.704Z",
      "_changedUsing": "",
    },
    {
      "_id": "66678a4627b78f52140c12bd",
      "barcode": "clx9ljgms0000z0dr0fop94zq",
      "name": "updated row",
      "quantity": 99,
      "_change": "update",
      "_changedBy": "public-api-user@orcascan.com",
      "_changedOn": "2024-06-10T23:20:38.740Z",
      "_changedUsing": "",
    }
  ]
}

Users

GET /sheets/:sheetId/users = get users

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/users -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY"

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "_id": "5f36ac26cdd51800ccdea10b",
      "email": "jenny@orcascan.com",
      "owner": false,
      "canUpdate": true,
      "canDelete": true,
      "canExport": true,
      "canAdmin": true
    }
  ]
}

POST /sheets/:sheetId/users = add a user to a sheet

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X POST \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
        -d '{ 
        "email": "new.user@example.com", 
        "canUpdate": true, 
        "canDelete": true, 
        "canExport": true, 
        "canAdmin": false 
      }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/users

// response
{
  "data": {
    "_id": "666b3d5f266e7bedc98a733f",
    "email": "new.user@example.com",
    "canUpdate": true,
    "canDelete": true,
    "canExport": true,
    "canAdmin": false
  }
}

PUT /sheets/:sheetId/users/:userId = update a user in a sheet

# request (replace :sheetId and :userId)
curl -X PUT \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
      -d '{ 
        "email": "new.user@example.com", 
        "canUpdate": true, 
        "canDelete": true, 
        "canExport": true, 
        "canAdmin": false 
      }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/users/:userId

// response
{
  "data": {
    "_id": "666b3d5f266e7bedc98a733f",
    "email": "new.user@example.com",
    "canUpdate": true,
    "canDelete": true,
    "canExport": true,
    "canAdmin": false
  }
}

DELETE /sheets/:sheetId/users/:userId = remove a user from a sheet

# request (replace :sheetId and :userId)
curl -X DELETE \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/users/:userId

Hooks

GET /sheets/:sheetId/hook-events = get list of supported events

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
            https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/hook-events

// response
{
  "data": [
    "rows:import:append",
    "rows:import:replace",
    "rows:add",
    "rows:update",
    "rows:delete",
    "columns:clear",
    "sheet:clear",
    "sheet:settings:update"
  ]
}

GET /sheets/:sheetId/hooks = get all hooks on a sheet

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
            https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId

// response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "_id": "66b33ed93f843a1fa88836b6",
      "eventName": "rows:add",
      "sheetId": "62a3188f098a6343fe0d9c1b",
      "targetUrl": "https://example.com/add",
    },
    {
      "_id": "66b33ed93f843a1fa88836b7",
      "eventName": "rows:update",
      "sheetId": "62a3188f098a6343fe0d9c1b",
      "targetUrl": "https://example.com/update",
    },
  ]
}

GET /sheets/:sheetId/hooks/:hookId = get an existing hook

# request (replace :sheetId and :hookId)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
            https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/hooks/:hookId

// response
{
  "data": {
      "_id": "66b33ed93f843a1fa88836b6",
      "eventName": "rows:add",
      "sheetId": "62a3188f098a6343fe0d9c1b",
      "targetUrl": "https://example.com/add",
    }
}

POST /sheets/:sheetId/hooks = create a new hook

# request (replace :sheetId)
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
  -d '{ "eventName": "rows:add", "targetUrl": "https://example.com/add" }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/hooks

// response
{
  "data": {
      "_id": "66b33ed93f843a1fa88836b6",
      "eventName": "rows:add",
      "sheetId": "62a3188f098a6343fe0d9c1b",
      "targetUrl": "https://example.com/add",
    }
}

PUT /sheets/:sheetId/hooks/:hookId = update an existing hook

# request (replace :sheetId and :hookId)
curl -X PUT \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
  -d '{ "eventName": "rows:update", "targetUrl": "https://example.com/update" }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/hooks/:hookId

// response
{
  "data": {
      "_id": "66b33ed93f843a1fa88836b6",
      "eventName": "rows:update",
      "sheetId": "62a3188f098a6343fe0d9c1b",
      "targetUrl": "https://example.com/update",
    }
}

DELETE /sheets/:sheetId/hooks/:hookId = delete an existing hook

# request (replace :sheetId and :hookId)
curl -X DELETE \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
	https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/hooks/:hookId

Status Codes and Error Handling

The following HTTP status codes indicate the success or failure of a request:

Status	Message	Description
`200`	Ok	Request successful
`400`	Bad request	Your request is missing data
`401`	Unauthorized	You do not have permission to access this resource
`403`	Forbidden	You do not have permission to access this resource
`404`	Not found	The requested URL was not found
`409`	Conflict	The item you attempted to create already exists
`500`	Server Error	Something unexpected happened
`501`	Not implemented	The requested action is not supported
`503`	Service Unavailable	Exceeded maximum number of requests per second

All HTTP errors include a JSON body structured as follows:

{
  "status": 400,
  "error": "Bad request",
  "message": "Invalid API key"
}

API Usage Guidelines and Rate Limit

You can send a maximum of 15 requests per second, exceeding this limit will result in a HTTP 503 Service Unavailable response.

Orca Scan Barcode Scanner API FAQs

How do I upload a file?

Add a photo or attachment field to your sheet and provide the file content as a base64 string:

curl -X POST \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer API-KEY" \
    -d '{ "barcode": "12345", "photo": "base64..." }' \
    https://api.orcascan.com/v1/sheets/:sheetId/rows

What file types does the photo field support?

You can upload .jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .webp, .tiff and .svg files to a photo field.

What files types does the attachment field support?

You can upload .doc, .docx, .csv, .txt, .ppt, .pptx, .pdf, .xls, .xlsx and .mp4 files to an attachment field.

Does the API scrape barcodes?

The Orca Scan API doesn’t scrape barcodes – instead, it provides access to barcode data that’s captured through our mobile app. Your users scan barcodes using either iOS/Android devices or professional scanning hardware, and the API lets you retrieve and manage this scanned data in your applications.

Is the API simple to use?

Yes – the Orca Scan API is a standard REST API that uses familiar HTTP requests and returns JSON responses. To get started, your users install our mobile app for barcode capture, while you use standard GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE endpoints to access the data. You’ll need an API key (included with Business subscriptions) to begin making requests.

Does the API auto-populate fields?

Yes – when barcodes are scanned through our mobile app, you can customise field types (string, integer, datetime, etc.) that automatically structure your data. The Orca Scan API gives you immediate access to this structured data, and you can use webhooks to automatically receive updates in your system whenever new scans occur.

What barcode types does the API support?

Our API supports various barcode formats, including QR codes and Code 128. QR codes are versatile 2D barcodes that can store up to 7,089 numeric or 4,296 alphanumeric characters. Code 128 is a high-density linear barcode that can encode up to 128 characters, including letters, numbers, and special characters, making it particularly useful for logistics and inventory management. Your users can scan these barcode types through our mobile app, and the API will process the data consistently.

As with everything at Orca Scan, our Barcode Scanner API will evolve based on your feedback. If you have any issues, suggestions, or something is not quite clear, chat with us live.

Ready to start scanning?

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