The van has gone. You want a cup of tea, a phone charger and clean bedding. Around you are twenty boxes marked “kitchen”, “bedroom” and “miscellaneous”. Moving box labels should help you find the right box when you are tired and everything looks the same. With TidyBox, a QR label opens that box's contents on your phone. Photograph what you pack, add a useful item list and arrive with a packing inventory you can actually use. Less searching means one less thing to remember on moving day.
Print your own moving labels or choose ready-made labels for 10 moving boxes. Start with the boxes you will need first.
Make a record before you seal the box
The useful moment is when everything is still visible. Put a label on the box, scan it with your phone camera and open the TidyBox page in your browser. No app installation is needed. An unclaimed label can be used without registration; claim your collection when you want to control access.
- Label one box. Give it a clear name such as “Kitchen — mugs and kettle”. Keep its QR code flat and visible.
- Photograph the contents. Take a clear picture before adding the final protective layer. Photograph important objects separately if they would otherwise be hidden.
- Choose photos or an item list. Keep photos as a visual record, or use AI recognition to create an editable list from them. You can also enter items yourself.
- Check the list. Correct names, quantities and anything AI missed. Use words you would search for later, such as “USB-C laptop charger”.
- Save, check and seal. Open the record once more to confirm it matches the box, then seal the box and move on.
Photos and searchable items do different jobs. A photo helps you recognise what you packed when you open the box page. A saved item name lets collection search find it. A photo-only record does not automatically make every pictured object searchable: add names manually or review and save the AI list. Small accessories hidden under clothes will still need your attention.
Watch the scan-and-add tutorial before packing your first box:
Transcript
Find the charger without opening six boxes
A TidyBox collection links a set of boxes with one shared search. When your moving labels belong to the same collection, open any box page and search that collection for “charger” or “bedsheet”. The result points you to the box containing the saved item. You do not need to scan every carton to discover which one to open.
Think about the search while you pack. “Cables” is easy to type now but less helpful on arrival than “monitor power cable” and “printer USB cable”. If two people pack in parallel, agree on simple names for shared things. The collections guide shows how linked boxes and collection search work.
Keep related boxes together in a collection and use locations to describe where they belong. For a household move that might be “New flat / Kitchen”; for an office, “Second floor / Accounts”. A location is information you enter and update, so record the destination that will help the person unpacking.
Tell everyone where each box should go
A useful box name can carry three practical clues: destination, person or team, and when to open it. For example, “Bedroom — Maya — first night” or “Office — Alex — monitor cables”. Put a short destination on the physical label too, so a helper can carry the box to the right room without opening a phone.
“First night” is your naming convention. You decide which boxes get that name and which travel within easy reach. Pack a first-night box with bedding, towels, toiletries and chargers; keep everyday essentials you need during the journey with you. Record the actual items so you can search for them later. There is no need to invent a complicated numbering scheme on the busiest day of the move.
For an office relocation, use the same idea for departments, workstations and equipment owners. Keep a monitor's power supply and adapter clearly identified, even if they travel in separate boxes. For an international move, agree on recognisable room and item names with whoever receives the shipment. TidyBox has a multilingual interface; your own consistent descriptions make the handover clearer.
Share the inventory and stay in control
An unclaimed label is open: anyone who scans it can see and edit the contents. When you are ready to manage access, open one of your collection's boxes, choose the claim option, and sign up or log in. Claiming a box in an unclaimed collection links the whole collection to your account, so you do not have to claim each label separately.
Choose the collection's access setting, then invite the people helping with the move. You can grant view access to someone who only needs to find boxes, or editing rights to a partner adding items and updating locations. Invited people use their accounts to access what you shared. Private access keeps the contents available to you and the people you invite. You can change or remove grants later; see the access guide.
Watch how to claim a collection and share it:
Transcript
Keep a useful record of fragile belongings
Before wrapping a ceramic vase, photograph it clearly enough to show its visible condition, then record which labelled box it goes into. If it arrives damaged, take new photographs of the damage, the box and the packaging before discarding anything. Keeping the before-and-after pictures with the box reference makes the situation easier to explain to the mover or insurer.
These photos can support a damage report or claim. They do not establish responsibility on their own or guarantee compensation. Keep the moving company's paperwork and follow its reporting process as well. The everyday benefit remains simple: you have a record to consult instead of relying only on memory.
This moving-workflow video shows how recording contents fits into packing and handover:
Choose labels that fit your move
If you have a printer, create a printable collection. Print the PDF on self-adhesive sheets, or use ordinary paper, cut out the labels and attach them securely to your boxes. Choose a layout that matches your paper and printer; label-roll formats are available for thermal printers too. Extra copies of one code go on different sides of the same box. Keep each QR code flat, visible and clear of folds.
Prefer ready-made stickers? The TidyBox moving kit contains 30 stickers for 10 boxes: 10 unique QR codes, three copies of each. Put matching copies on three sides so a label is easier to reach when boxes are stacked. The standard 24-label set contains 24 unique codes, suitable for 24 separate boxes or containers with one sticker each. Both are physical paper labels for dry indoor use.
Do I need an app or account to scan?
No app is needed: the page opens in your phone's browser. Unclaimed labels work without registration. An account is needed to claim a collection and manage invitations; access to claimed boxes depends on the owner's settings. You need an internet connection to use the web app.
Can I use just photos?
Yes. Keep a visual inventory and scan the box to see its photos. To find individual objects by name across the collection, also save item names, entered manually or checked after AI recognition.
Can I keep using the labels after moving?
Yes. Update the contents and location when a box becomes storage for decorations, spare bedding or office supplies. Keep its record in step with what is actually inside.
Where should I start?
Choose one box you will need soon after arrival. Label it, record its contents and try finding an item before you pack the rest. Print your moving labels, order the 10-box moving kit, or create your account to organise the move with your household or team.