Self Check-in

Self Check-in lets attendees check themselves in to an Event — or to an individual Session — by scanning a QR code in the Blackthorn Event Navigator app. No staff member, line, or separate device is required: the attendee scans a code you've posted, and their attendance is recorded on their Salesforce records automatically.

Note: This is the attendee self-service experience inside the Navigator app. It is different from the staff-operated Blackthorn Mobile Check-in app, where a staff member scans each attendee's badge or ticket QR code. For the staff experience, see Session Check-in & QR Codes.

How it works

1. The Event Organizer posts an Event check-in QR code (and, optionally, a Session QR code for each session) where attendees arrive — for example at the entrance or on a session-room sign.
2. The attendee opens QR Scan on the More page in Navigator and scans the code.
3. Navigator records the attendee as Attended on the matching Salesforce record and shows a confirmation.

For attendees

Before you start

• The Event Organizer must have the Navigator app enabled for the Event, and you must be signed in and have the Event open in the app.
• Event check-in requires that you're a registered attendee for the Event.
• Session check-in requires that you're registered for that Session first.

Check yourself in

1. Open the More page in the Navigator app.
2. Tap QR Scan to open the scanner. Grant camera permission if prompted.
3. If needed, use the camera-switch control to toggle between the front and rear cameras.
4. Point the camera at the Event or Session QR code your organizer has posted.

Event check-in

When you scan an Event QR code, the app marks you as attended and shows a green confirmation. If you have already checked in, it shows an "Already Checked In" message instead.

Session check-in

When you scan a Session QR code, the app checks you in to that Session — as long as you are registered for it. Once checked in, a "Checked In" badge appears on the Session card in your Agenda and on the Session detail page.

If you are not registered for the Session you scanned, the app shows a "Not Registered" message with a link to open the Session details, where you can register first and then scan again.

The confirmation screen closes automatically after a few seconds and returns you to the More page.

If a scan doesn't work

The app shows a message when it can't complete a check-in, including when:

• The QR code is for a different Event than the one you have open in the app
• The QR code isn't a valid Navigator check-in code
• The Session couldn't be found, or you aren't registered for it
• There was a network error, or the scan timed out

Try again, or move closer and hold the camera steady so the full code is visible. Make sure you have the correct Event open in the app before scanning.

For Event Organizers

What you need

• Navigator enabled on the Event (see Additional Configurations when Creating an Event).
• Attendees registered for the Event (and, for session-level check-in, registered for the specific Session).
• A check-in QR code for the Event — and, optionally, one per Session — displayed where attendees arrive (entrance signage, session-room signs, printed handouts, or an on-screen slide).

Create and post the check-in QR codes

Navigator's QR Scan reads a check-in code that encodes a short text string. Generate a QR code from the appropriate string below (using any QR-code generator), then display it where attendees arrive — an Event code at the entrance for general check-in, and a per-Session code (for example on session-room signage) for any Session you want to track individually.

• Event check-in: checkin:event:<EventId>
• Session check-in: checkin:session:<EventId>:<SessionId>

Replace <EventId> and <SessionId> with the 18-character Salesforce record IDs for the Event and Session. For example, an Event check-in code would encode:

checkin:event:a1B5f000000XyZaEAK

Note: These check-in codes are scanned by the attendee in Navigator. They're different from an attendee's personal QR code (the QR_Code__c field on the Attendee record), which a staff member scans in the Mobile Check-in app.

How check-in is validated

• The Event encoded in the QR code must match the Event the attendee currently has open in the app; otherwise the scan is rejected.
• For session-level check-in, the attendee must already be registered for that Session, or they'll see a "Not Registered" message.
• Scanning a code the attendee has already used returns an "already checked in" result — attendance is not duplicated.

What gets recorded, and where to see it

You can report on these fields with standard Blackthorn Events reports to see who attended each Event and Session.

Metadata reference

Released in Navigator v1.6 (April 2026).