Thought my idea was easy now need help to know if its even possible

[mitch.deetlefsdi5naq]

Hi there complete newbie to Thunkable but the software looks amazing and I’d really like to use it in my business. I am looking to create an app to help my company make faster decisions and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

the basics of it is that want to be able to scan the bar code of a product and from there it will tell my employ all the ingredients in that product and if any of the ingredients are the same ingredients found on a master list.

the result would be a pop up or new page showing the employee that the barcode you scanned contains nothing on the master list or it contains 30 grams copper witch is one of the items on the master list that we are currently trying to avoid on our new project.

hope that makes sense

[tatiang]

It’s absolutely possible. Is it easy? I’d say no, not if you’re new to Thunkable. I was going to suggest you set aside about 15 hours to make this. When I asked ChatGPT about it, it had a similar response:

Estimated Time to Build: 12–18 hours total

Split across beginner-friendly phases over a few days or weeks.

---

PHASE 1: Learn Thunkable Basics – 3–4 hours

Step	Task	Time
1	Sign up for Thunkable, create first project	15–30 mins
2	Follow tutorials: layout, buttons, inputs, lists	1–2 hours
3	Learn how to preview your app on your phone	15 mins
4	Explore sample projects (especially barcode scanner)	1 hour

Outcome: You’ll be able to navigate Thunkable, use components, and preview/test apps.

---

PHASE 2: Build a Barcode Scanning Prototype – 2–3 hours

Step	Task	Time
1	Add Barcode Scanner component	15–30 mins
2	Store test product barcodes and ingredients in a simple table (Airtable or Google Sheets)	1–1.5 hours
3	Display product name and ingredients after scanning	1 hour

Outcome: You scan a code, and the app shows you the ingredients for that product.

---

PHASE 3: Set Up the Master List Comparison – 3–4 hours

Step	Task	Time
1	Create your master list (e.g., items to avoid like copper) in the same sheet/database	30 mins
2	Add logic to check if any ingredients in scanned product match the master list	2–3 hours
3	Show the result: safe or alert with reason	30–60 mins

Outcome: You scan a barcode and get a decision screen — whether the product is clean or contains something from the master list.

---

PHASE 4: Polish, Test, and Share – 3–5 hours

Step	Task	Time
1	Clean up layout and test edge cases	1 hour
2	Test with multiple users (optional)	1–2 hours
3	Set up sharing via Thunkable or publish to devices	1–2 hours

Outcome: A simple but functional app that your team can use on phones.