User Guide

This guide covers every feature in OpenBin. If you haven't set up OpenBin yet, start with the Getting Started guide.

How OpenBin Works

OpenBin organizes physical storage using a simple hierarchy:

Location → Area → Bin → Items

• A Location is a shared workspace (e.g. "Home", "Workshop"). All data lives inside a location.
• An Area is an optional sub-zone within a location (e.g. "Garage", "Closet") for grouping bins.
• A Bin represents a physical container — a box, drawer, or shelf. Each bin gets a unique QR code.
• Items are the individual things stored inside a bin.

Typical Workflow

1. Register and create or join a location
2. Create bins for your physical containers
3. Print QR labels and attach them to your bins
4. Scan a label to instantly see what's inside

Core Features

Get started with the essentials.

• Bins — Create and manage bins with items, tags, notes, and visual appearance
• QR Scanning — Scan QR labels with your camera or look up bins by short code
• Search & Filter — Find bins by name, items, tags, area, or color; save filter presets
• Dashboard — Overview of stats, pinned bins, recent scans, and saved views

Organize & Customize

Structure your inventory and make it your own.

• Locations & Areas — Create shared workspaces, organize bins into zones, manage members
• Photos — Attach photos to bins, generate thumbnails, use photos with AI
• Print Labels — Generate and print QR label sheets in multiple formats and styles
• Bulk Operations — Multi-select bins for batch tagging, moving, editing, or deleting

AI & Automation

Let AI help manage your inventory.

• AI Features — Photo analysis, natural language commands, and inventory search
• Bulk Add — Upload photos and let AI create bins in batch
• API Keys — Create long-lived tokens for scripts and automation
• MCP Server — Connect AI assistants like Claude directly to OpenBin

Data Management

Import, export, and manage your data.

• Import & Export — Back up and restore your data as JSON, ZIP, or CSV
• Items & Tags — Browse and manage all items and tags across your location
• Account & Profile — Avatar, display name, email, and password management
• Keyboard Shortcuts — Navigate and act quickly with keyboard shortcuts