Administrator & IT Guide
NFC Yearbook Codex · For school administrators, IT staff, and budget approvers
What You Need to Know
The NFC yearbook adds a private digital layer to the physical yearbook. Each portrait becomes a tap-to-connect profile on a class-only network. This document answers the questions you'll hear from administration, IT, and parents.
Key message for stakeholders: No student data is shared publicly. No app is required. The network belongs to the class, not a platform. Total cost is $424–$548 for a typical graduating class — a single one-time fee.
Privacy & Security
| Concern | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who can see the profiles? | Only authenticated class members. Gated by a class code printed inside the yearbook. |
| What data is collected? | Name, quote, next chapter, anthem song. Contact info is opt-in. |
| Is there tracking or advertising? | None. No analytics, no ads, no data harvesting. |
| Are there COPPA/FERPA concerns? | No — the network is private, invite-only, and contains no PII beyond what students choose to share. The platform is not a social media service. |
| Who owns the data? | The class. Eventbuoy operates infrastructure but has no rights to member content. |
| Can profiles be deleted? | Yes — each member controls their own profile. The committee can also delete the entire network at any time. |
Technical Requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Student devices | NFC-capable phone (iPhone 7+, most Android 2015+). No app download. |
| Wi-Fi / data | A mobile data connection or Wi-Fi is needed after tapping — the profile loads in a browser. |
| School infrastructure | None. The network is hosted externally (Vercel + Supabase). No school servers involved. |
| Domain | A custom domain is set up for the class (e.g. classof26.network). DNS is managed by Eventbuoy. |
| Ongoing hosting | Near-zero cost. Vercel and Supabase free tiers are sufficient for yearbook-scale traffic. |
Cost Breakdown
| Component | Cost | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding + design | $300 | One-time |
| NFC smart labels (100 tags) | ~$124–$248 | At cost, volume tiered |
| Software platform | $0 | Open-source, free forever |
| Annual domain renewal | ~$10/year | Optional, paid by committee |
| Total, first year | $424–$548 |
There are no subscriptions, per-seat fees, or recurring charges. The $300 onboarding covers everything needed to launch.
→ Full pricing tables in Pricing Reference
Vendor Independence
The platform is open-source. If the school switches yearbook printers, the class network stays. If Eventbuoy stops operating, the school can self-host the class network on any standard web hosting. No lock-in at any level.
Approval Checklist
- Privacy review passed (class code gating, no tracking, no third-party data sharing)
- Budget approved ($300 onboarding + tags at cost)
- IT confirms no school infrastructure involvement needed
- Legal confirms no COPPA/FERPA issues
- Domain name selected and registered
- Class code generated and secured