# What is “QR scavenger hunt”?

A QR scavenger hunt is a hunt in which participants find and scan placed QR markers, in a set or free order, to earn points and unlock the next clue.

Also called: QR hunt, scan-and-find hunt

SSociana team·19 Oct 2026·2 min read

## QR scavenger hunt in detail

QR scavenger hunts are the simplest form of the treasure hunt: print codes, place them, let people find them. Each QR scan records a checkpoint for that participant or team, and the organiser decides whether the order is fixed, which creates a path, or free, which creates a collection game. Scans earn points to the leaderboard and can reveal clues, riddles or AR content. Because QR is universal, there is little to explain, and because codes are cheap, a venue can host dozens. The risks are practical: codes photographed and shared by early finishers, weak signal at the venue, and printed codes damaged or removed. Mitigate with rotating or hidden placements, offline-friendly design where possible and hosts at key points. For incentive trips and cultural offsites, pair it with team scoring and a final reveal. Review the scan log afterwards to see which clues took longest and which were skipped.

## How Sociana uses it

QR hunts use the attendance and scan engine with sequence rules. Scan logs show checkpoints, times and teams, and can be exported after the hunt.

## Example

A cultural offsite ran a QR scavenger hunt for team engagement.

[Treasure hunts, QR scavenger hunts & AR cardsWhere this term lives in the Sociana app.See how it works](https://sociana.in/features/treasure-hunts-qr-and-ar/)

## Questions

What is the difference between fixed and free order?

Fixed order creates a path of ordered clues. Free order lets participants collect checkpoints in any sequence. Each QR scan records a checkpoint for that participant or team, and the organiser decides whether the order is fixed, which creates a path, or free, which creates a collection game.

How do I stop shared answers?

Use hidden or rotating placements, hosts at key points and unique clue content per team where it matters. Scans earn points to the leaderboard and can reveal clues, riddles or AR content. A QR scavenger hunt is a hunt in which participants find and scan placed QR markers, in a set or free order, to earn points and unlock the next clue.

What can the scan log tell me?

Which checkpoints took longest, which were skipped and how teams progressed, which helps tune future hunts. Review the scan log afterwards to see which clues took longest and which were skipped. Scan logs show checkpoints, times and teams, and can be exported after the hunt.

## Keep reading

[Treasure hunts, QR scavenger hunts & AR cards](https://sociana.in/features/treasure-hunts-qr-and-ar/)[QR attendance & activities](https://sociana.in/features/qr-attendance-and-activities/)[Cultural offsites & team activations](https://sociana.in/event-types/cultural-offsites/)[Treasure hunt](https://sociana.in/glossary/treasure-hunt/)[AR marker](https://sociana.in/glossary/ar-marker/)[Team leaderboard](https://sociana.in/glossary/team-leaderboard/)[How to run a QR scavenger hunt at a venue](https://sociana.in/guides/qr-scavenger-hunt-setup/)

[Back to Glossary](https://sociana.in/glossary/)

## Want this live at your event?

Our team writes the questions or prompts with you and runs them from the stage.

[Book a demo](https://sociana.in/contact/)[Talk on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)](https://wa.me/919145897433?text=Hi%20Sociana%2C%20I'm%20looking%20at%20QR%20scavenger%20hunt%20%28%2Fglossary%2Fqr-scavenger-hunt%2F%29%20and%20would%20like%20to%20know%20more. "WhatsApp · replies Mon–Sat, 10:00–19:00 IST")

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Canonical: https://sociana.in/glossary/qr-scavenger-hunt/
Publisher: Sociana by Alien Brains Private Limited (https://sociana.in/)