Publish Docs

Device Setup

This guide walks you through registering a new display device with Publish.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • A display device (TV/screen) running the Publish TV app
  • The device powered on and connected to the internet
  • A store already created in Publish (Admin only)
  • A device group with available screen slots

Registration Process

Step 1: Get the Registration Code

When your device starts up, it will display a registration screen showing:

  • A QR code you can scan with your phone
  • A 6-character code (letters and numbers)

The code uses characters 2-9 and A-Z (excluding I, L, O to avoid confusion).

Step 2: Enter the Code

You have two options:

Option A: Scan the QR Code

  • Use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code
  • This opens the registration page with the code pre-filled

Option B: Manual Entry

  1. Go to /register in your browser
  2. Enter the 6-character code shown on your device using the individual character inputs
  3. The code verifies automatically when you enter all 6 characters

You can also paste a complete code directly into the form.

Step 3: Select Store, Device Group, and Screen Slot

After the code is verified:

  1. Select a Store - Choose the physical location where this device is installed
  2. Select a Device Group - Choose which group of screens this device belongs to (the first group is auto-selected)
  3. Select a Screen Slot - Choose which slot within the device group to assign this device to
    • Slots marked (Available) are empty and ready for a new device
    • Slots marked (In Use) already have a device assigned
  4. Click Add Device

Note: If you select a slot already in use, you’ll see a warning that the existing device will be replaced and will need to be re-registered.

Step 4: Confirmation

Once registered, you’ll see a success screen with:

  • A confirmation message showing which device group the device was added to
  • Links to View Device Details and View Device Group
  • A note that you can close the window and the device will begin displaying content shortly

Troubleshooting

Invalid or Expired Code

Registration codes expire after a set period. If you see “Invalid Code” or “Code not found or expired”:

  1. Refresh the registration screen on your device to get a new code
  2. Enter the new code promptly

No Device Groups Available

If you see “No device groups available for this store”:

  1. Contact your administrator to create a device group for the store
  2. Once created, return to the registration page and try again

No Slots Configured

If you see “No slots configured for this device group”:

  1. The device group needs to have screen slots added before devices can be registered
  2. Contact your administrator to configure slots for the device group

Device Not Syncing

If the device shows as registered but isn’t displaying content:

  1. Check the device’s internet connection
  2. Go to the device details page and click Sync Now
  3. Verify the device group has content assigned

Managing Registered Devices

After registration, you can:

  • View device status - Open the device group, then click a device to see its details and online status
  • Unregister a device - From the device details page, click Unregister to remove it from its slot
  • Edit content - Modify the device group content directly, or update and republish the template

See Devices for more details.