Data-plate scanning

Typing model and serial numbers off a grimy nameplate is slow and error-prone. With data-plate scanning, you point your camera at the equipment’s nameplate and FieldLabel reads it for you, prefilling the new asset form so you can confirm and save.

Pro+ plan

AI data-plate scanning is a Pro+ feature. If you’re on a lower plan, the Scan data plate button is labeled Scan data plate (Pro+) and sends you to the subscription page. Compare plans →

What it does

When you scan a nameplate, FieldLabel:

• Reads the photo and extracts the Model Number, Serial Number, Date of Manufacture, and a Description.
• Matches any other text on the plate against your org’s custom asset fields by name and fills those in too.
• Saves anything it found that didn’t match a field as Additional plate info on the asset, so nothing is lost.
• Uses the photo you took as the asset’s image.

You always review and confirm everything before the asset is created — the scan prefills the form, it doesn’t submit it for you.

How to scan a data plate

The scanner lives on the New Asset screen.

1. Go to Assets in the org navigation, then click New Asset.

2. In the New Asset header, click Scan data plate.

3. Take a photo of the equipment’s data/nameplate. On a phone or tablet this opens the rear camera; on a desktop it opens a file picker (JPEG, PNG, or WebP).

4. Wait for the scan to finish. If it’s taking a while, you can click Cancel to stop it.

5. Review the prefilled Model Number, Serial Number, Date of Manufacture, Description, and any custom fields. A confidence badge (high, medium, or low) tells you how carefully to double-check the results.

6. Check the Other info from the plate card for anything the scan picked up that didn’t match a field — this is saved with the asset as Additional plate info.

7. Pick the Customer and confirm the Unit Number (both required), then click Create Asset.

Reviewing the results

The scan does the heavy lifting, but the nameplate, lighting, and wear all affect accuracy, so a quick review is always worth it.

• Confidence badge — A high badge means the text came through cleanly; medium or low is your cue to read each field against the actual plate before saving.
• Editable fields — Every prefilled value is fully editable. Fix typos, clear anything wrong, and add anything the scan missed.
• Additional plate info — Extra text the scan captured appears here and is saved with the asset. You can edit or remove these rows later from the asset’s Edit screen.

Tip

Get the whole nameplate in frame, fill it with the plate, and avoid glare. A straight-on, well-lit photo gives the best read — and doubles as a clear reference image on the asset.

On mobile vs. desktop

The feature works the same on both, with one difference in how you supply the photo:

• Mobile — Tapping Scan data plate opens your device’s rear camera so you can shoot the plate on the spot. This is the typical field-technician flow.
• Desktop — The button opens a file picker. Choose an existing JPEG, PNG, or WebP image of the nameplate.

Good to know

• The customer is set once when you create the asset and can’t be changed later, so pick the right one before saving.
• There’s no way to manually add brand-new Additional plate info rows — they only ever come from a scan. You can edit or delete existing ones afterward.
• Data-plate scanning needs AI configured on the FieldLabel server. In the rare case it isn’t, the scan returns an error; you can still create the asset by hand.

Related

• Assets (equipment) — everything you can do with an asset.
• Custom asset fields — define the fields that scans match against (Pro).
• File uploads & storage — connect the storage that scanning relies on.