Do I need an account to activate a tag?

Yes. For standard NFC tags the Free plan is enough to activate and manage the tag under Free limits. Routine Hub stickers use their own flow and allowance: Free keeps one Routine active, while Pro unlocks unlimited active Routines and deeper tracking.

What if I don't have a page yet?

Choose 'New page' during activation. Taproo creates a published page of the type you pick, links the tag to it and drops you into the editor. Nothing is lost if you close the tab — the page and the link are already saved.

Can I point a tag at a website instead of a Taproo page?

Yes. Choose 'A URL' and paste any address starting with https://. The tag still resolves through Taproo, so you can swap that address later without re-writing the chip.

It says the tag has already been activated

Each tag can only be claimed once. If you activated it yourself, sign in and change its destination from your dashboard. If you bought it second-hand or it arrived already claimed, email hello@taproo.com and we will release it.

I've reached my page limit on the free plan

Activation still works — choose 'One of my pages' or 'A URL' instead of creating a new page, or upgrade on the pricing page for more pages. No tag is ever wasted by a failed page creation.

Can I activate a tag on a phone?

Yes, the whole flow is designed for mobile. Tapping an unactivated Taproo tag with your phone opens the activation page with the tag number already filled in.

Help Centre · Setting up your tag

How to activate your NFC tag

Three minutes, one code, and your tag opens whatever you want — for good. Here is exactly what happens at each step.

Activate a tag now

What you need

Your tag number (like TAP0001) and 6-digit activation code — both printed on the card packed with your tag, and included in your activation email.
A Taproo account. The Free plan is enough to activate a standard tag and edit its page; Routine Hub has its own one-active-Routine Free allowance.

Step by step

1
Open your activation link
Tap the activation link in your order email, or go to taproo.com/activate and type the tag number (for example TAP0001) and the 6-digit activation code printed on the card that came with your tag.
2
Check the code
Press 'Check my code'. Taproo confirms the tag exists, is active and has not been activated before. Each tag can be activated once.
3
Sign in or create a free account
If you are signed out, create a free Taproo account or sign in. Your tag number and code are carried through sign-in, so you land back on the activation step automatically.
4
Choose what the tag opens
Pick one of three destinations: a brand-new Taproo page (choose the page type), one of your existing pages, or any https:// web address you already have.
5
Activate and finish your page
Press 'Activate tag'. If you created a new page you go straight to the editor to add your details; the tag already points at it, so anything you save appears immediately.
6
Tap the tag to test it
Hold your phone against the tag. It opens your destination. You can change that destination any time from your dashboard — the physical tag never needs re-writing. Switching between your own Taproo pages is unlimited on every plan.

The three destinations you can choose

New page

Pick a page type available on your plan. Free includes core page types; some experiences such as Menu and Review pages require Pro. We create the page, link the tag and open the editor for you.

One of my pages

Already built a page? Point the tag at it. Useful when you order several tags for the same destination, or replace a lost tag.

A URL

Send taps to any https:// address — your own site, a booking link, a Google review link. Free includes one tag pointed at an external web address and one change of that address; switching a tag between your own Taproo pages is unlimited on every plan, and Pro and Business remove the external limits.

Signed out, signed in, or brand new?

Already signed in: You go straight from the code check to choosing a destination.
Signed out with an account: Choose "I already have an account". After signing in you return to the same activation step with your tag and code still filled in.
Brand-new customer: Choose "Create a free account". Your workspace is created automatically, then you are returned to activation — no card details, no trial.
No page yet: Pick "New page". If you have hit your plan's page limit, activation still works — use an existing page or a URL, or upgrade for more pages.

Live example: your tag's two links

Every Taproo tag involves exactly two links. Type your own tag number below to see them, and what a tap resolves to once it is activated.

Tag number

Activation code

What should the tag open?

We create the page during activation and open the editor so you can fill it in.

Written on the chip (never changes)

https://taproo.com/t/TAP10001

One-time activation link (from your card or email)

https://taproo.com/activate?tag=TAP10001&code=470434

What a tap does after activation

Phone taps TAP10001https://taproo.com/t/TAP10001https://taproo.com/p/jane-smith

Change the destination later and only the last step changes — the chip is never re-written.

How the tag itself is programmed

Taproo products that use the standard activation flow are supplied with the Taproo tag link already written. Check the specific product/setup instructions if it uses a dedicated flow such as Routine Hub. If you are programming your own blank chips, or re-writing a tag from elsewhere, write the short link (taproo.com/t/TAG), never the activation link and never your final destination.

1. Read the tag first

Open NFC Tools and use Read. A Taproo tag already shows a taproo.com/t/… record — if it does, you are done, just activate it online.

2. Write a URL record

For blank chips choose Write → Add a record → URL and enter https://taproo.com/t/YOURTAG exactly as shown in your dashboard.

3. Verify, then lock only if sure

Read the tag back and check it opens the right page. Locking is permanent — the destination stays editable in Taproo either way, so most people leave it unlocked.

Full tap-by-tap instructions for iPhone and Android, chip capacities and read-back verification live in the NFC Tools app guide.

Activating several tags at once

Ordered a pack? Activate the first tag, then use Apply to all on the activation screen to point every tag in the same order at that destination in one go. You can still split them later — each tag keeps its own destination and its own tap count.

If something goes wrong

What you see	Why	Fix
Nothing happens when I tap	Phone NFC antenna is elsewhere, or the tag is on metal.	Move the phone slowly across the back/top of the tag, and lift the tag off metal surfaces.
"Tag not found"	Tag number mistyped, or the tag belongs to a different batch.	Copy the number straight from your card or email — letters and digits, no spaces.
"Already activated"	The code has been redeemed once already.	Sign in and change the destination from your dashboard, or email hello@taproo.com to release it.
Wrong code	Activation codes are 6 digits and tied to one tag.	Check you are pairing the code with the tag number printed alongside it.
Opens the old page	Phone or browser cached the redirect.	Pull to refresh, or open the short link directly in a private tab.

Changing it later

The chip stores a Taproo link, not your destination, so re-pointing a tag is a dashboard edit rather than a re-write. Update the linked page's content, or link the tag to a different page entirely — every tap after that goes to the new destination. If you would rather write your own URL onto the chip instead, follow our NFC Tools programming guide.

Questions

Hit an error we haven't covered? The full activation FAQ covers wrong or expired codes, tags that say they're already claimed or inactive, plan and page limits, and testing after activation.

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