LostLink – Campus Lost & Found Portal

LostLink lost and found system PHP project is the online Lost & Found desk of a college. Students and staff report items they lost or found on campus, search one common list with filters, and claim a found item by describing private marks that only the real owner knows. The desk admin verifies every claim before handing the item back, so items never go to the wrong person.

How it works

• A finder reports a found item with category, place, date, photo and private marks (hidden from the public).
• The admin approves the report and the item appears on the website.
• The owner searches, or sees the item as a "possible match" for his own lost report.
• The owner submits a claim with a description, hidden marks, lost date / place and an optional proof photo or bill.
• The admin compares the finder's report and the claim side by side and ticks a 4-point checklist (3 of 4 needed to approve).
• An approved claim gets a 6-character handover code and a printable handover slip.
• At the desk the admin enters the code after checking the college ID, and the item is marked Returned.

Users

• Visitor – search and view items, read how it works, send a message.
• Student / Staff – report lost / found items, see matches, claim items, track the claim timeline, print the slip.
• Admin (Lost & Found desk) – approve reports, verify claims, confirm handover, manage categories, places, users, messages and settings.

Highlights

• 27 pages (7 public, 10 student, 10 admin) and 9 MySQL tables with ready sample data
• Claim verification with private marks, 4-point checklist, handover code and status timeline
• Live "similar items" suggestions while reporting (JSON API)
• Validation on every form, in the browser and on the server (name, email, 10-digit mobile, dates, files, duplicates)
• Security: password hashing, prepared statements, CSRF token, ownership checks, safe file upload
• Admin dashboard with claim results, items by category and campus hot spots
• Works offline – Bootstrap, icons and fonts are inside the project
• Demo logins: admin / admin123, rahul@gmail.com / 123456

What you get

• Complete PHP source code and SQL file with sample data
• Project report with all diagrams, abstract, project explanation with viva Q&A, setup guide (PDF)
• Screenshots and README with a 10-minute demo script

Who can use this project

BCA, BSc Computer Science / IT, MCA, Diploma in Computer Engineering, and BE / B.Tech students as a final year or micro project.

Frequently asked questions

Does it need internet? No. It runs on XAMPP on your own computer; all CSS, icons and fonts are included.

Is there a payment gateway? No. Returning lost items is a free service, so the project has no payment.

Can I change the college name and desk details? Yes, from the admin Settings page without editing code.

Is documentation included? Yes – abstract, full report with diagrams, explanation with viva questions and a setup guide.