Barcode Images to Excel

Turn barcode pictures into clean inventory rows. Barcode Images to Excel performs a barcode scan to Excel workflow from public image URLs, one uploaded image, or a ZIP archive of images. It detects common 1D and 2D formats and writes one structured dataset row per decoded symbol. The dataset can be downloaded directly as XLSX, CSV, JSON, or XML from Apify Console.

What does Barcode Images to Excel do?

The Actor:

• downloads public barcode images with bounded retries and timeouts;
• accepts an image uploaded with Apify's file picker;
• expands a ZIP archive for batch inventory imports;
• detects multiple barcodes in one image;
• recognizes QR Code, EAN, UPC, Code 128, Code 39, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec, and other formats;
• records the decoded value, symbology, image index, orientation, position, and source;
• keeps optional traceability rows when no barcode is found;
• returns per-image errors without discarding successful rows from the rest of the batch.

Decoding runs inside the Actor with ZXing WebAssembly. Images are not sent to a separate barcode-decoding service.

Who is this barcode scan to Excel app for?

• Warehouse teams converting label photos into receiving or stocktake rows.
• Inventory managers consolidating barcode values from many image files.
• E-commerce operators preparing SKU, UPC, or EAN values for spreadsheet imports.
• Quality teams finding unreadable labels while preserving the source file and error.
• Automation builders feeding decoded values into Make, Zapier, Google Sheets, Airtable, or an API.
• Developers who need a batch barcode scan online endpoint without operating image-decoding infrastructure.

Why use this Actor?

A phone scanner is useful for one physical label at a time. This Actor is designed for files that already exist and for repeatable batch jobs.

It provides:

1. URL, direct upload, and ZIP input routes.
2. Spreadsheet-ready output with stable field names.
3. Multiple-symbol detection for composite images.
4. Bounded input, download, archive, and memory limits.
5. Per-image traceability rather than an unexplained empty run.
6. Native Apify scheduling, API, webhooks, integrations, and dataset exports.

Supported barcode formats

You can leave formats empty to detect all supported formats or select a smaller set. Available selectors include:

• QR Code and Micro QR Code;
• EAN-13 and EAN-8;
• UPC-A and UPC-E;
• Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, and Codabar;
• ITF;
• GS1 DataBar and DataBar Expanded;
• Data Matrix;
• PDF417;
• Aztec;
• MaxiCode;
• all linear formats or all matrix formats.

Format filtering can reduce false candidates and speed up a known workflow.

What data does the Actor return?

Field	Type	Meaning
source	string	Original URL, upload label, or ZIP entry identifier
sourceType	string	url, uploaded_file, or zip_entry
imageIndex	integer	One-based position of the image in the run
fileName	string or null	File name when it can be inferred
barcodeIndex	integer or null	One-based symbol position within an image
status	string	decoded, no_barcode, or error
symbology	string or null	Detected format, such as QRCode or EAN13
value	string or null	Decoded barcode text
confidence	number or null	1 for a validated decode; null without a decode
error	string or null	Download, decode, or no-barcode detail
orientation	number or null	Barcode rotation in degrees
isInverted	boolean or null	Whether reflectance is inverted
position	object or null	Four barcode corner coordinates in image pixels
processedAt	string	ISO 8601 processing timestamp

confidence is deliberately binary. ZXing returns validated decoded symbols rather than a statistical probability, so the Actor does not invent a percentage.

How to run a barcode scan to Excel

1. Open the Actor in Apify Console.
2. Add public image URLs, upload one image, or upload a ZIP archive.
3. Optionally limit detection to the barcode formats you expect.
4. Choose the maximum images and symbols per image.
5. Click Start.
6. Open the run's Dataset tab.
7. Click Export and choose Excel or CSV.

The prefilled QR image is a live, working example.

Input parameters

Input	Required	Default	Description
imageUrls	conditionally	[]	Public HTTP(S) image URLs
imageFile	conditionally	none	One image uploaded through the file picker or its URL
zipFile	conditionally	none	ZIP archive of images uploaded through the file picker or its URL
formats	no	all formats	Barcode formats to detect
maxImages	no	100	Maximum images across every input route, from 1 to 500
maxBarcodesPerImage	no	20	Maximum decoded symbols per image, from 1 to 255
includeImagesWithoutBarcode	no	true	Emit a traceability row for images with no detected barcode
requestTimeoutSecs	no	30	Per-download timeout, from 5 to 120 seconds

At least one of imageUrls, imageFile, or zipFile is required.

Input example

{
  "imageUrls": [
    "https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=220x220&data=SKU-INV-0042"
  ],
  "formats": ["QRCode"],
  "maxImages": 100,
  "maxBarcodesPerImage": 20,
  "includeImagesWithoutBarcode": true,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 30
}

Output example

This record comes from the prefilled input:

{
  "source": "https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=220x220&data=SKU-INV-0042",
  "sourceType": "url",
  "imageIndex": 1,
  "fileName": "create-qr-code",
  "barcodeIndex": 1,
  "status": "decoded",
  "symbology": "QRCode",
  "value": "SKU-INV-0042",
  "confidence": 1,
  "error": null,
  "orientation": 0,
  "isInverted": false,
  "position": {
    "topLeft": { "x": 0, "y": 0 },
    "topRight": { "x": 219, "y": 0 },
    "bottomRight": { "x": 218, "y": 218 },
    "bottomLeft": { "x": 0, "y": 219 }
  },
  "processedAt": "2026-08-05T15:10:34.866Z"
}

Coordinates vary with image dimensions and detected symbol boundaries.

How much does it cost to decode barcode images?

Pricing uses one small Start event plus one Barcode row event for each decoded or traceability row saved. The current source configuration starts at $0.003 per run and $0.002 per row on the Bronze tier, with lower row prices on higher usage tiers.

Example source-price estimates on Bronze:

Workload	Estimated Actor charge
1 image producing 1 row	$0.005
10 images producing 10 rows	$0.023
100 images producing 100 rows	$0.203

One image can contain multiple symbols and therefore produce multiple rows. A no-barcode or error traceability row is also one Barcode row. Apify platform usage can be billed separately according to your plan. Always check the live pricing panel because tier eligibility and prices can change.

ZIP batch workflow

Use zipFile when your inventory photos are already in a folder:

1. Put supported image files into a ZIP archive.
2. Upload the ZIP with the Actor's file picker.
3. Set maxImages to the batch ceiling you want.
4. Keep includeImagesWithoutBarcode enabled for reconciliation.
5. Export the dataset as XLSX.
6. Filter status = decoded for import and inspect other statuses separately.

Nested ZIP paths are accepted, while directory entries and unsupported files are ignored.

Scheduling recurring inventory imports

Apify schedules can run the same input hourly, daily, weekly, or on a custom cron expression. For a recurring workflow:

• point imageUrls or zipFile at public files generated by your upstream system;
• create an Apify schedule;
• connect the finished dataset to a webhook, Make, Zapier, or your own API;
• use source, imageIndex, and value as reconciliation keys;
• retain status and error so unreadable labels remain visible.

The Actor does not compare historical runs or maintain an inventory database. Perform deduplication and change comparison in the downstream spreadsheet or pipeline.

Export to Excel, Google Sheets, or a data pipeline

For Excel, use the Dataset Export menu and select XLSX. For Google Sheets, connect the Apify integration or Make/Zapier and map value, symbology, fileName, and status columns. For a custom pipeline, retrieve dataset items as JSON or CSV after the run finishes.

Keep source in downstream tables so staff can trace a value back to its image.

Run through the Apify API with cURL

Replace YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN with a secret environment value:

curl -X POST \
  "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/automation-lab~barcode-images-to-excel/runs?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN&waitForFinish=120" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "imageUrls": [
      "https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=220x220&data=SKU-INV-0042"
    ],
    "formats": ["QRCode"]
  }'

Fetch dataset items using the defaultDatasetId returned by the run. Do not commit API tokens to source control.

Run with JavaScript

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('automation-lab/barcode-images-to-excel').call({
    imageUrls: [
        'https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=220x220&data=SKU-INV-0042',
    ],
    formats: ['QRCode'],
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Run with Python

import os
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient(os.environ['APIFY_TOKEN'])
run = client.actor('automation-lab/barcode-images-to-excel').call(run_input={
    'imageUrls': [
        'https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=220x220&data=SKU-INV-0042'
    ],
    'formats': ['QRCode'],
})
items = client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items
print(items)

Use with Apify MCP

Add this Actor to Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http apify \
  "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=automation-lab/barcode-images-to-excel"

Claude Desktop setup

Add this remote server to Claude Desktop's MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=automation-lab/barcode-images-to-excel"
    }
  }
}

Cursor setup

In Cursor, open Settings → Tools & MCP → New MCP Server and use the same https://mcp.apify.com?tools=automation-lab/barcode-images-to-excel URL.

VS Code setup

In VS Code with MCP support, add an HTTP MCP server named apify with the same Actor-specific URL in your workspace MCP configuration.

Example prompts:

• “Decode the QR image at this public URL and return the value and format.”
• “Process these inventory label image URLs and give me CSV-ready rows.”
• “Run the barcode image batch and list every file that had no readable barcode.”

Limits and safety

• A run accepts at most 500 images.
• Each image is limited to 15 MB.
• A downloaded ZIP is limited to 40 MB.
• Expanded ZIP image data is limited to 40 MB in total.
• Up to 255 symbols can be requested per image.
• URLs must use HTTP or HTTPS.
• Localhost, private-network addresses, credential-bearing URLs, and private DNS targets are blocked.
• Redirect targets are validated before download.
• Password-protected archives are not supported.
• SVG and PDF inputs are not image inputs; convert them to PNG or JPEG first.

These limits protect run memory and reduce accidental downloads.

Image quality tips

For better decoding:

• keep the entire barcode and its quiet zone visible;
• avoid severe blur, glare, shadows, and perspective distortion;
• use sufficient pixel resolution;
• avoid aggressive JPEG compression;
• crop extremely large photos around the labels when possible;
• select the expected formats for a known label system;
• use a straight-on image for dense 1D barcodes.

The decoder tries rotations, inversion, and more intensive detection, but it cannot reconstruct missing bars or modules.

Failure behavior

A bad URL or unreadable image does not discard successful images from the batch. The Actor saves an error or no_barcode row when traceability is enabled.

The complete run fails with a non-zero status when:

• no input route is supplied;
• numeric limits are invalid;
• the selected format is unsupported;
• no supported images exist in the provided sources;
• Actor storage or charging fails.

Inspect the error field and run log before retrying.

Legality and responsible use

Only submit images you are authorized to process. Barcode values can contain internal inventory identifiers, URLs, contact details, or other sensitive text. Control dataset access, token permissions, and retention according to your organization's policy.

The Actor does not look up product owners, prices, or personal information. It only decodes symbols present in supplied images. Public-URL access must comply with the host's terms and applicable law.

Frequently asked questions

Does it create an actual Excel file?

Apify's dataset export creates XLSX directly. The Actor stores normalized rows so you can also export CSV or JSON without rerunning image decoding.

Can one image contain several barcodes?

Yes. Increase maxBarcodesPerImage; each detected symbol becomes its own row with the same imageIndex and a different barcodeIndex.

Why is confidence always 1 or null?

The decoder provides validated results, not probability scores. 1 means a barcode was successfully decoded; null means there is no validated decode.

Why did I get no_barcode?

Check cropping, focus, glare, resolution, and the selected format filter. Try leaving formats empty if the symbology is unknown.

Why did I get a download error?

Confirm that the file is publicly accessible without cookies or login and is within the size limit. Private network and credential-bearing URLs are intentionally rejected.

Can it scan a PDF?

Not directly. Convert PDF pages to PNG or JPEG images first, then provide the images or a ZIP archive.

Does it identify the product behind a UPC or EAN?

No. It extracts the code value. Use a product lookup service or the related UPC lookup Actor for enrichment.

Related Actors by automation-lab

• Barcode Generator creates barcode PNG or SVG assets for labels and tests.
• UPC Barcode Lookup enriches a decoded UPC with product information when available.

Use Barcode Images to Excel first when your source is an image; add lookup only when product enrichment is required.