Overview of Check-In
CaptainBook provides a check-in system that lets your staff record guest attendance for each experience departure. You can check guests in manually from the dashboard or use QR code scanning for a faster, contactless process. Check-in data is recorded against each booking, giving you a clear picture of actual attendance.
Accessing the Check-In View
To access check-in, navigate to a specific availability or departure from the Calendar or Manifest view. The check-in view will display all bookings for that departure with their current check-in status.
You can also access check-in directly from individual booking detail pages.
Manual Check-In
Manual check-in allows staff to mark guests as checked in directly from the dashboard. To check in a guest manually:
Open the check-in view for the relevant departure.
Find the guest in the participant list.
Click the Check In button or toggle next to their name.
The guest's status will update to checked in, and a timestamp will be recorded.
You can also check in multiple guests at once if a group arrives together, or check in an entire booking with a single action.
QR Code Check-In
QR code check-in provides a fast, contactless way to verify and check in guests. Here is how it works:
When a booking is confirmed, CaptainBook generates a unique QR code for the booking (included in the customer's confirmation email or ticket).
At the experience location, staff open the QR Check-In page on their device.
The customer presents their QR code (on their phone screen or printed ticket).
Staff scan the code using their device's camera.
CaptainBook validates the booking and automatically marks the guest as checked in.
The QR check-in page is designed to work on mobile devices, making it convenient for field staff who may be at outdoor locations or away from a desktop computer.
Check-In Status Indicators
Each guest in the check-in view displays a clear status indicator:
Not checked in — the guest has not yet arrived or been recorded.
Checked in — the guest has been successfully checked in, with the time of check-in recorded.
No-show — the guest did not attend (this can be marked after the experience if the guest never arrived).
Check-In Permissions
Access to check-in features is controlled by user permissions:
Administrators, managers, and reservation roles can check in guests across all experiences.
Limited roles may only be able to check in guests for their own assigned experiences or bookings.
Ticket and check-in permissions specifically govern who can access and use the check-in functionality.
Post Check-In Actions
After check-in is complete, CaptainBook can trigger additional actions depending on your configuration:
Attendance notifications — automated messages can be sent after check-in (for example, a welcome message or post-experience survey).
Workflow triggers — check-in events can trigger workflow automations for downstream processes.
Reporting data — check-in records feed into your reports, giving you accurate attendance figures for analysis.
Tips for Check-In
Test QR scanning on your devices before the first use to ensure camera permissions are set up correctly.
Use manifests alongside check-in — print or display the manifest to cross-reference guest names during check-in.
Mark no-shows after the experience to keep your attendance records accurate.
Encourage customers to have their QR code ready by mentioning it in pre-experience communications.