mashgin

Creator

How to use functional tags

Last updated on July 21, 2026

🏷️ Overview

Functional tags are added in Creator (creator.mashgin.com). They tell your kiosk to behave in a specific way when a tagged item is scanned — like requiring a cashier's approval or hiding an item from the customer's screen.

➕ How to Add a Functional Tag to an Item

Step 1. Log in to Creator

  1. Open your browser and go to creator.mashgin.com
  1. Sign in with your credentials

Step 2. Find the item you want to tag

You can find items in a few different ways:

  • Browse by name — use the search bar at the top of your pricebook
  • Browse by UPC — use the search bar at the top to enter the UPC
💡

The "By Tags" and Tags column views are the most efficient ways to manage tags across many items at once.

Step 3. Add the functional tag

  1. Click on the item's name to open its detail panel
  1. Scroll to the Tags field
  1. Type the exact tag name (e.g., age-verification-required) — spelling and hyphens must be exact
  1. Click Confirm or press Enter to save
🚨

Important: Functional tags must be typed exactly as shown in this guide — including lowercase letters and hyphens. A typo will cause the tag to not work.

📋 Available Functional Tags

⚠️

Each tag below changes how the item behaves at the kiosk when it is scanned. Review each one carefully before applying it to your items.

no-show

What it does: The item will not appear on the customer-facing Side UX screen when scanned, and will not print on receipts.

The item is still rung up and counted — it simply won't be displayed to the customer.

💡

Best used for: Condiments, bags, utensils, napkins, or any free add-on item you don't want to highlight on the customer's screen.

scan-required

What it does: Forces the item to be identified by barcode scan only, bypassing the kiosk's visual recognition cameras.

The customer must hold up the item's barcode to the scanner instead of simply placing it on the base.

💡

Best used for: Items that look too similar to other items, very small items that are hard to distinguish visually, or oversized items that don't fit well on the scanning base.

see-cashier

What it does: Blocks the customer from completing checkout when this item is on the tray. A message will appear on the screen directing them to see a cashier, who must resolve the item before the transaction can continue.

💡

Best used for: Items that are display-only, out of stock, or require special handling — like pre-ordered items, oversized items, or anything that needs staff review.

age-verification-required

What it does: Blocks the transaction until a cashier has verified the customer's age and approved the purchase. The kiosk will prompt the customer to wait for staff approval before checkout can continue.

💡

Best used for: Alcohol, tobacco products, lottery tickets, or any item that legally requires ID verification before purchase.

count-required

What it does: When the item is scanned, the customer is prompted on the Side UX screen to enter the quantity of that item they are purchasing.

  • If applied to an individual item, it asks how many of that specific item.
  • If applied to a container, it prompts for a count for every item inside that container.
💡

Best used for: Pizza slices sold in a shared box, grab-and-go items in mixed containers, or any situation where the kiosk can't automatically distinguish quantity.

rotate-item

What it does: When the item is scanned, a prompt appears on the Side UX screen asking the customer to rotate the item so its label or identifying sticker is facing the cameras.

This is used when the kiosk can identify the item visually, but needs to see a barcode or sticker that's only on one side.

💡

Best used for: Bottled or canned items where the label or ArUco sticker is on a specific side and not always visible when placed on the base.

💡 Tips

  • An item can have more than one functional tag — for example, an alcohol item could have both age-verification-required and scan-required if it also needs a barcode scan.
  • Functional tags take effect immediately after saving in Creator — no restart or sync needed.
  • Regular (non-functional) tags are still useful for reporting: they group items together in your End-of-Day reports under a category name. Functional tags serve a different purpose and the two can be used together.
  • If you're unsure which tag to use, contact Mashgin Support — we're happy to recommend the right tag for your use case.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

A functional tag doesn't seem to be working

Issue: An item has a functional tag applied but the kiosk isn't behaving as expected when the item is scanned.

Troubleshooting Steps:

  1. Go to creator.mashgin.com and open the item's detail panel.
  1. Check that the tag is spelled exactly as listed in this guide — lowercase, with hyphens in the right places (e.g., age-verification-required, not age verification required).
  1. Save the item and test again at the kiosk.
  1. If the tag is spelled correctly and still not working, contact Mashgin Support.

I accidentally applied a functional tag to the wrong item

Issue: A functional tag was added to an item by mistake and is causing unexpected behavior at checkout.

Troubleshooting Steps:

  1. Log in to creator.mashgin.com and open the item.
  1. Click the × next to the tag name to remove it.
  1. Click Confirm to save. The change takes effect immediately.

I need a behavior that isn't covered by any of these tags

Issue: None of the available functional tags match what you're trying to achieve.

Troubleshooting Steps:

  1. Contact Mashgin Support and describe what you need the kiosk to do.
  1. Our team can advise on whether a combination of tags or a different configuration can achieve your goal.

🔗 Related Articles

🖐️

Need help? Contact support at 📧 help@mashgin.com or call (855) 475-0889

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