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A Node is a single physical touchpoint. It has a unique slug (e.g., o1ulpplq), a permanent scan URL (nearnode.io/v/o1ulpplq), and a configurable function type that determines what happens when someone scans it.

Lifecycle

Every node moves through a lifecycle. Status transitions are tracked and logged.
StatusDescription
draftCreated but not yet written to hardware
in_productionWritten to a tag/chip but not yet deployed in the field
activeLive and serving scans
pausedTemporarily disabled — scans return a 404
lostTag is reported lost or stolen (kill switch activated)
retiredPermanently decommissioned
The transition from draftactive happens automatically when you write and lock a tag via the NFC Writer.

Function Types

The function_type field determines how a scan is handled:
The simplest type. Scans redirect (HTTP 307) to a destination URL.
{
  "function_type": "redirect",
  "payload": {
    "url": "https://acme.com/welcome"
  }
}

Routing Rules

Each node can have multiple routing rules evaluated in priority order. Rules enable:

A/B Testing

Split traffic between page variants and measure conversion.

Time-Based

Different destinations for office hours vs. after-hours.

Geo-Targeting

Route DACH region to German content, rest of world to English.

Device Routing

Mobile users get the app store, desktop users get the website.