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How to get exact GPS location of QR Code scans

  • Updated

Exact GPS Data is an analytics feature provided by Scanova QR Code Generator. 

Using this feature you can view and get the exact geo-location (exact map coordinates) and address of the scanning device that was used to scan your Dynamic QR Codes.

You can watch below the demo video on How to get the Exact GPS Location of QR Code scans:

A. Enable GPS Data feature for a Dynamic QR Code

Firstly, please note that this feature is available to Scanova users with Pro subscription only.

By default, every Dynamic QR Code is enabled for general scan tracking. However, GPS Data is an advanced feature and needs to be enabled either during creation of a Dynamic QR Code or updating an existing Dynamic QR Code. 

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to enable the GPS Data feature: 

a. For a new Dynamic QR Code

  1. Using Scanova QR Code Generator, create a Dynamic QR Code of your choice
  2. During QR Code generation, in the QR Code Settings step, check the Get exact GPS location of scan option and proceed 

b. For existing Dynamic QR Codes

  1. Go to My QR Codes > Select Dynamic QR Code of choice
  2. From the QR Code Page, go to Advanced Settings by clicking on View/Edit
  3. Enable feature by checking the Get exact GPS location of scan option and save changes

Note that users will need to give location permission in order to access their location.

B. Using the GPS Data feature

Once the feature has been enabled, here is what will happen:

  1. Say you have printed the Dynamic QR Code in a magazine advertisement
  2. When a reader scans the QR Code using her smartphone and attempts to view linked content, the mobile browser will launch
  3. The browser will then prompt the user to grant permission to access exact geo-location. This is typically a pop-up with the buttons—Allow, Deny. The design can vary by browser to browser
  4. If the user selects Allow, then Scanova will record their exact GPS location and the user will be redirected to the linked content specified by you
  5. If the user selects Deny, Scanova will not be able to record their exact GPS location, and the user will be redirected to the linked content specified by you
  6. If the user takes no action, Scanova will not be able to record their exact GPS location, and the user will be redirected to the linked content specified by you in a few seconds
  7. From the Analytics section, you can now view and download data for all acquired data

C. View and Download GPS Data

Here is how you can view and download the exact GPS data of Dynamic QR Codes: 

  1. Go to Analytics
  2. Choose the QR Code and time period of choice. Note that the chosen QR Code/s should have GPS Data feature enabled to view and download required data
  3. Once data is loaded, you can view the map chart under Scans by GPS Location section. For each scan, a marker is placed on the map. This chart will help you analyze the scan locations at an aggregate level
  4. For exact location data, export the Analytics in Excel. 

In the GPS Location sheet in the downloaded workbook, you will get the following columns of data: 

  1. Tracking ID (Unique ID of scan)
  2. IP Address
  3. Is From QR Scan (Data from QR Code or URL)
  4. Created
  5. URL Hash (Hash of Dynamic QR Code URL)
  6. QR Code Name
  7. Browser Family
  8. Browser Version
  9. Device Family
  10. Device Type
  11. OS Family
  12. OS Version
  13. Address
  14. Area Code
  15. City
  16. Country Code
  17. Country
  18. Continent Code
  19. Latitude
  20. Longitude
  21. Postal Code
  22. Region
  23. Exact GPS (User permission)
  24. User Agent

Hope this helps. If you still have any further questions regarding this topic, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@scanova.io.