Unlinking is the process of breaking the connection between an active Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) and its assigned Product ID (UPC/SKU). Use this workflow when physically removing a device from the sales floor to place it back into storage or when preparing it to be reassigned to a different item category.
How to Unlink a Device
You can deactivate a connection directly from the Device Management dashboard using the Preview panels:
- Locate the Device: Find the target hardware unit in the grid using the ESL ID. Leverage the search and the filters to locate the desired device quickly.
- Execute the Unlink Command: Click the Unlink icon.
- Deactivation Confirmation: The system will instantly process the request and display a confirmation banner:
"Your device has been deactivated. No images will be displayed on the device."
System & Interface Behavior Changes
Once you click the unlink button, the platform automatically cleans up the data grid and changes the device state to prevent mismatched shelf data; this however can take up to 5 minutes:
- Connection Severed: The technical link between the specific Product ID and the ESL Device ID is permanently broken.
- Display Preview Reset: On your current screen, the Product ID disappears from the row. The visual device preview template updates to read "No Display," and the Unlink button is automatically hidden.
- Grid State Transformation: On the primary ESL device row, the system hides all previous item details. Only the unique Device ID remains visible.
- Re-Activation Ready: In place of the old product information on the device row, a "Link" button option becomes available. Clicking this option at any point in the future will instantly trigger the standard link workflow again.
| 💡Pro-Tip: Preparing Labels for Storage - When you unlink a device in the storeLink software, a command is sent to clear the screen's layout. It is best practice to perform this step before physically taking the label off the shelf and tossing it into a storage bin. This ensures the e-ink screen refreshes cleanly and doesn't continue showing old, stale retail pricing while sitting in the backroom |