Maxanet's QR Code Bulk Photo Uploader is designed for auctions with hundreds or thousands of items where manually assigning photos to each item would be impractical. You print QR code lot labels, photograph each label first and then the item's photos, then upload a single ZIP file of everything to Maxanet. Maxanet reads the QR codes and automatically assigns subsequent photos to the correct items. This article walks through the full QR workflow from printing labels to uploading the ZIP.

Maxanet reads each QR code as you reach it in the ZIP and assigns every subsequent photo to that item until the next QR code is encountered.

In your Maxanet Admin panel, click the auction title and go to the Items tab. From the QR Actions dropdown menu, click Generate QR Codes if you have not yet created inventory descriptions, or click Download QR PDF if inventory already exists. If you are generating QR codes without inventory, you must specify a range — the first item number and last item number in the auction. The Download QR PDF option opens a ready-to-print page of labels. Maxanet recommends Avery Template #5160 sticker sheets (30 stickers per page) which are available from Amazon, Staples, OfficeMax, etc.

Use any camera — DSLR, mirrorless, point-and-shoot, or even a smartphone. For each item: take a close-up photo of the QR label first, making sure the QR code is in focus and fills most of the frame. Then take all the item photos (1 or 20, no limit). Move to the next item's label, photograph it, then its photos. Repeat until the entire auction is covered. Out-of-focus QR codes are the #1 cause of failed uploads, so double-check each label shot.

Important: you must ZIP the photo files themselves, not the folder containing them. Highlight every photo (select all), right-click, and choose Send To → Compressed Zip Folder on Windows or Compress X items on Mac. The resulting ZIP should contain the photos at the top level, not wrapped inside a subfolder.

Back in your Maxanet Admin panel, on the auction dashboard, use the QR Actions menu to upload the ZIP file. Maxanet will read each QR code, find the matching item, and assign the subsequent photos to it. Processing time depends on ZIP size — larger uploads take longer. When finished, review the assigned photos and adjust if needed. If there are any mistakes, simply fix the photos on your computer, re-ZIP, and upload again — the new ZIP overwrites the previous photos for any items covered.

No. You can generate QR codes for a range of item numbers first (using Generate QR Codes) and fill in descriptions later. Or, if inventory already exists, use Download QR PDF to print labels for your existing items.

Avery Template #5160 (30 labels per page) is the recommended template. It's widely available at office supply stores and on Amazon.

No documented limit. Photograph as many photos as you need per item between QR labels — Maxanet assigns all of them to the item whose QR code was most recently seen.

Usually out-of-focus label photos. Re-photograph the bad labels with a clearer, in-focus shot, add them to the ZIP, and re-upload. Maxanet's reader is strict about focus.

Yes. QR uploads add to an item's photo set — manually added photos stay in place. You can use both workflows on the same auction.

Very large ZIPs (multiple GB) may time out depending on your internet connection. Break extremely large auctions into multiple uploads if needed — the QR code system will correctly assign each batch to the right items.