What the scanner reads
The barcode on a LEGO box is an EAN or UPC code — a retail product code, not the set number. Brickonomy looks that code up against a marketplace barcode index to find the exact set or figure it belongs to.
When the code is a known match, you go straight to the set page and can add it to your collection in one tap. When it is not indexed, Brickonomy offers its best guesses and asks you to confirm, so a wrong item never lands in your collection silently.
Getting a clean scan
Most failed scans are lighting or focus problems rather than software ones.
- Fill roughly half the frame with the barcode
- Avoid direct glare on glossy cardboard — angle the box slightly
- Flatten creased or curved labels with your thumb
- Give the camera a second to focus before moving
When there is no barcode
Second-hand sets often arrive with no box at all. In that case use the set number printed on the instruction booklet, or search the catalogue by name. If you only have the built model, the photo identifier can suggest a match from pictures instead.
Reviewing what you scanned
Every scan is kept in your scan history with what it matched and whether the match was confirmed or a guess. If something was logged wrongly, you can remove it from your collection there rather than hunting through your shelves.