Warframe has gathered over 60 million registered players worldwide since launch, yet a large share of them have an incomplete in-game Codex — mostly because they never found one small tool. If you've been searching for how to get codex scanner warframe style, the answer is far simpler than you might expect. The Codex Scanner is a gear item that lets you document enemies, objects, and environmental elements to fill your personal in-game encyclopedia. It costs no premium currency and requires zero grinding. For more on scanning tools and digital gear coverage, check out our photography articles.
The scanner works by letting you aim at a target mid-mission and hold the scan button. Each successful scan fills in that entry inside your Codex. Scan the same enemy type enough times and you unlock its full profile — stats, weaknesses, and lore. It's a low-effort way to learn the game more deeply without changing how you normally play. You can be running a standard mission and still fill out entries along the way.
Whether you're brand new to Warframe or a veteran who somehow skipped this feature, this guide walks you through everything. You'll learn where to buy the scanner, how to manage charges over time, when scanning is worth the effort, how it compares to a related tool called the Synthesis Scanner, and which popular myths to stop believing. Let's start with where to actually get it.
Contents
The Codex Scanner appears in two locations, and both are available to you at any stage of the game — no special progression required.
The fastest route is the Warframe in-game Market, accessible directly from your Orbiter (your ship between missions). You don't need Platinum — the premium currency — to buy it. It costs Credits, which you earn from completing missions. The bundle gives you 25 charges for 5,000 Credits, which is a reasonable amount even early in the game.
Here's exactly how to get it from the Market:
Mid-mission, press Q on PC (or your platform's Gear wheel button) to pull it out. Aim at a target and hold the scan button until the progress ring completes. You'll see a confirmation sound and the Codex entry will update.
The second source is Cephalon Simaris, an NPC (non-player character) who lives in the Sanctuary room of any Relay. Relays are social hub areas you can visit from the Star Chart — they're free to enter and available early in the game. Simaris runs a scanning side-activity with its own rewards and currency, but he also sells basic scanner items from his Offerings menu.
To find Simaris and buy the scanner:
Both sources sell the exact same item. Use the Market if you're already in your Orbiter; visit Simaris if you're at a Relay for another reason. Either way, the price and the product are identical.
Getting the scanner is step one. Using it efficiently over dozens of missions is step two — and this is where most players make avoidable mistakes.
Every scan uses one charge. Burn through them carelessly and you'll find yourself restocking constantly. The smarter move is to scan with intention. Before pointing the scanner at something, ask whether that Codex entry is already complete.
Tips for making charges last:
Don't scan fully completed entries. It wastes a charge and adds nothing. Get in the habit of glancing at the Codex entry progress before committing a scan.
Once you're deeper into the game, look into the Sol Battery Widget. Cephalon Simaris sells it for Standing — his own currency that you earn by completing daily Synthesis targets. The Sol Battery gives the Synthesis Scanner unlimited charges. Since the Synthesis Scanner fills the Codex the same way the Codex Scanner does, most experienced players make the switch.
The practical approach is: use the Synthesis Scanner as your primary scanning tool once you've unlocked Sol Battery, and keep a small stack of Codex Scanner charges as backup. This eliminates the ongoing Credit cost of restocking almost entirely.
If you enjoy deep comparisons between scanning tools across different platforms, our guide on Elite Dangerous: How to Use the Discovery Scanner walks through a similar cataloging tool in a completely different sci-fi universe — the thought process behind using scanners strategically carries over surprisingly well.
The Codex Scanner is useful, but it's not always the right move mid-mission. Knowing when to pull it out — and when to leave it alone — saves you charges and keeps you alive.
Scanning works best when you have a moment to breathe. The ideal scanning window is after clearing a room before moving to the next objective. You're safe, enemies are down, and you have a few seconds to aim and scan without risk.
Specific situations where scanning pays off:
Active combat is the wrong time to scan. While the scanner is equipped, your weapon is unavailable. You can't shoot, and dodging is awkward. In harder missions or when playing with a group that's moving fast, pulling out the scanner can get you killed or left behind.
Situations where scanning can wait:
The good news is that Codex entries never expire and you can always return to fill them in a later solo run. Patience here is the smarter play. This kind of situational awareness — knowing when a tool fits and when it doesn't — applies well beyond gaming. Whether you're choosing between a compact pen scanner or a full desktop unit for real-world document work, context always drives the decision.
New players often confuse these two tools, and understandably so — they look similar, function similarly, and both fill your Codex. But there are meaningful differences between them.
| Feature | Codex Scanner | Synthesis Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Where to Buy | Market or Cephalon Simaris | Cephalon Simaris only |
| Credit Cost | 5,000 Credits (25 charges) | 5,000 Credits (25 charges) |
| Fills Codex | Yes | Yes |
| Completes Synthesis Targets | No | Yes |
| Unlimited Charges Upgrade | Not available | Yes — Sol Battery Widget |
| Scanner Probe Compatibility | No | Yes |
| Best For | Casual Codex filling, early game | Long-term scanning, Simaris Standing |
For most players, the Synthesis Scanner is the better long-term investment. It does everything the Codex Scanner does, plus it can complete Synthesis targets that earn Simaris Standing. That Standing unlocks the Sol Battery Widget (unlimited charges) and scanner probes that highlight targets through walls. Those upgrades compound over time.
The Codex Scanner still has value as a starter tool. It's faster to access from the Market without visiting a Relay, and it's perfectly fine if you just want to fill a few entries casually. Think of it as the entry-level option — solid for beginners, but easy to outgrow. If you've ever compared something like a 35mm film scanner against a modern flatbed for digitizing old photos, you know this feeling: the simpler tool gets you started, the upgraded one keeps you going.
There's a lot of outdated or just plain wrong information floating around about the Codex Scanner. Here are the most common myths and what's actually true.
Some players assume the Codex Scanner is rare or locked behind quest progression. It's not. Any player at any Mastery Rank can buy it from the Market with Credits from day one. No quest unlocks required, no planets to reach first, no time-limited events to chase. If you can access your Orbiter, you can buy it right now.
This is half-true. Scanning a fully completed entry wastes a charge, yes. But scanning an incomplete entry always counts toward finishing it. Most enemy entries require between 3 and 20 scans before they're marked complete. Until that progress bar fills, every scan matters. Check the entry progress inside your Codex before assuming you've already finished a target.
They fill the same Codex database, but they are not the same tool. Only the Synthesis Scanner completes Synthesis targets, which are daily missions Simaris assigns. Only the Synthesis Scanner supports Sol Battery and probe upgrades. Using just the Codex Scanner means permanently missing out on Simaris Standing, which locks you out of some of the most useful utility Mods in the game.
Real-world scanning has the same nuance. A receipt scanner built for QuickBooks and a portable document scanner may both "scan things," but they produce different outputs for different workflows. Understanding what a tool is actually optimized for changes how you use it.
You absolutely can. Warframes with stealth abilities — Loki, Ivara, Ash — can scan enemies while invisible. The enemy won't react and you won't break stealth just by scanning. Scanning from stealth is arguably the safest and most efficient method for filling difficult Codex entries, especially for aggressive enemies that normally attack you on sight. Some veteran players specifically run solo stealth missions to complete hard-to-scan entries without interruption.
For players who like the idea of scanning and cataloging across different contexts, our roundup of best portable scanner-printer combos covers real-world gear that brings a similar "capture and catalog" workflow to physical documents — useful to have on your radar if your scanning interests extend beyond the screen.
You can buy it from the in-game Market for 5,000 Credits, which gives you a bundle of 25 charges. It's also available from Cephalon Simaris in any Relay at the same price. Both sources sell the same item, so use whichever is more convenient based on where you are in the game.
Each purchase gives you 25 charges. Every successful scan uses one charge. You can buy additional bundles at any time without losing remaining charges from your current stack. There is no upgrade that gives the Codex Scanner unlimited charges — for unlimited scans, you need to switch to the Synthesis Scanner and unlock the Sol Battery Widget from Simaris.
No — they're different tools with overlapping functions. Both fill your Codex, but only the Synthesis Scanner can complete Synthesis targets for Cephalon Simaris Standing. The Synthesis Scanner also supports the Sol Battery Widget for unlimited charges and scanner probes for highlighting targets. The Codex Scanner is simpler and more accessible but lacks those upgrades.
No. The Codex Scanner has no Mastery Rank requirement. It's available to all players from the very start of the game through the in-game Market. You only need enough Credits — 5,000 — which you can earn from your first few missions. It's one of the most accessible items in the entire game.
The best scanning tool is the one you actually understand — and in Warframe, knowing where to look is already half the work done.
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The DigiLabsPro editorial team covers cameras, lenses, photography gear, and creative technology with a focus on helping photographers make informed buying decisions. Our reviews and guides draw on hands-on testing and research across a wide range of equipment, from entry-level beginner kits to professional-grade systems.
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