Devices
A Device is a physical phone or tablet running the CapySays Collector app, placed at a Location to gather real-time customer feedback. Each device is issued a unique token that it uses to communicate with the CapySays API — so the app on the hardware and the record in your workspace stay in sync automatically.
Device Lifecycle
Devices move through a defined set of states from first visit through end of life:
UNREGISTERED → ACTIVE ↔ INACTIVE
↓
RETIRED (via replacement)
Unregistered
When a browser first visits your device URL (/d/<token>), CapySays automatically creates a new Unregistered device record. Nothing is linked to your organization yet.
The Collector displays a set of magic words — a short, unique phrase such as "brave purple elephant". These words are your one-time code for linking that hardware to your workspace. Keep them visible on screen while you complete registration on your computer.
Active
Once registered and linked to a Location, the device is Active. The Collector loads your configured screens and begins displaying them to customers. Active devices send periodic heartbeats to report that they are online and reachable.
Inactive
An Active device can be temporarily disabled without losing its configuration. While Inactive, the Collector does not display feedback screens and no feedback is collected. Re-enabling the device returns it to Active immediately.
Retired
When a device is replaced by newer hardware, the old device is moved to Retired. It no longer collects feedback, but all of its historical feedback data is preserved. The Retired device record also shows which device replaced it.
Registering a Device
Role required: Owner or Manager
Registration links a piece of hardware to your workspace and assigns it to a Location.
- On the physical device, open a browser and navigate to your device URL.
- Note the magic words shown on the Collector screen.
- In CapySays, open the Workspace sidebar and click Link Device.
- Type in the magic words exactly as shown on the device.
- Select the Location where the device will be placed.
- Enter a name for the device (e.g., "Front Desk Tablet") and an optional description.
- Click Link.
The physical device updates automatically — no page refresh needed. It will begin showing the Collector and any screens you have configured for that location.
Plan limits: Your plan enforces a maximum number of active devices. If you have reached your limit, you will be prompted to upgrade before completing registration.
Managing a Device
Role required: Owner or Manager
Click any device in the Workspace sidebar to open its Device Management page. The page uses a split layout:
- Left panel — Edit device settings and configure screens.
- Right panel — A live phone-frame preview that updates as you make changes.
From this page you can edit:
- Name — A human-readable label for the device.
- Description — Additional notes about the device.
- "Where is it" note — A freeform field for physical location details (e.g., "Near the entrance, charging dock on the shelf").
Configuring Device Screens
A device can display multiple screens to customers, presented in priority order. Screens are configured from the Device Management page.
Click Add Screen to create a new screen.
Screen Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Rating | Presents customers with a rating prompt. The most common screen type. |
| Message | Displays a message or announcement to customers. No input is collected. |
| QR Code | Shows a scannable QR code, for linking to a survey, menu, or external URL. |
Screen Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The question or prompt shown to customers (e.g., "How was your experience today?"). |
| Priority | Screens with a higher priority value appear earlier in the sequence. |
| Active | Toggle to show or hide this screen without deleting it. |
| Schedule Mode | Controls when this screen is displayed (see below). |
| Rating Mechanism | The input style for Rating screens (see below). |
| Show Staff | Whether to display a staff member selector on this screen. |
Schedule Modes
- Always — The screen is always visible when the device is active.
- Time Range — The screen is shown only during specific hours and days of the week. Set a start time, end time, and which days apply.
- Activity Linked — The screen appears only when a specific Activity is in session at the location.
- Location Calendar — Follows the location's activity calendar automatically.
Rating Mechanisms
Choose the input style for Rating screens:
- 5 Stars
- 3 Emoji
- 5 Emoji
- Thumbs Up / Down
- NPS 0–10
Rating Dimensions
Each Rating screen can collect feedback across multiple dimensions — specific aspects you want customers to evaluate, such as "Cleanliness", "Service", or "Value". Each dimension records its own independent score.
From the screen editor, you can:
- Add a new dimension
- Edit a dimension's label
- Remove a dimension
- Reorder dimensions by dragging
Moving a Device
Role required: Owner or Manager
To relocate a device to a different Location within your organization:
- Open the Device Management page for the device.
- Select Move to another location.
- Choose the target Location from the list.
- Confirm the move.
The device retains all its screens and configuration. Feedback collected after the move is associated with the new location.
Replacing a Device
Role required: Owner or Manager
If a device breaks or you want to upgrade to new hardware, use the Replace flow to transfer the configuration and preserve historical data.
- On the new hardware, open a browser and navigate to your device URL.
- Note the magic words shown on the new device's screen.
- On the old device's Management page, click Replace.
- Enter the magic words of the new device.
- Confirm the replacement.
What happens automatically:
- All screens and rating dimensions are cloned to the new device.
- The new device becomes Active at the same location.
- The old device is moved to Retired — its historical feedback data is preserved and remains accessible in reports.
Installing as a PWA
The CapySays Collector can be installed to a device's home screen as a Progressive Web App (PWA). This provides a fullscreen, app-like experience with no visible browser chrome — ideal for a kiosk setup.
To install:
- Open the Collector URL in the device's browser.
- Use the browser's "Add to Home Screen" option (the exact label varies by browser and OS).
- Launch the app from the home screen icon.
The PWA also enables background sync, which improves reliability when the device has intermittent connectivity. Feedback collected while offline is queued locally and synced automatically when the connection is restored.