Generate a QR code from any text or URL. Nothing is sent to the server.
QR codes encode more than URLs — and the format choices matter
QR codes can store URLs, plain text, contact cards (vCard), WiFi credentials, phone numbers, and SMS messages. The data capacity depends on content type and error correction level: a standard QR code holds up to about 3,000 characters of alphanumeric text. URLs are the most common use case, but encoding a WiFi password directly means guests can scan and connect without you ever sharing the password string — a genuinely useful trick that most people have not tried.
Error correction is an underappreciated setting. QR codes have four levels — L, M, Q, H — which allow the code to remain scannable even if 7%, 15%, 25%, or 30% of the code is damaged or obscured. Higher error correction makes the code denser and slightly harder to scan at small sizes, but it also lets you print a logo over the center without breaking it. Most printed marketing materials benefit from level Q or H for durability.
Frequently asked questions
What size should a QR code be for reliable scanning?
The minimum practical print size for reliable phone scanning is <strong>2 cm x 2 cm (about 0.8 inches square)</strong>. For anything farther than arm's length — posters, signage, menus — multiply the minimum scan distance by 0.1 to get the minimum code size. A QR code on a billboard meant to be scanned from 10 meters away should be at least 1 meter square. Most print failures are caused by codes printed too small, not by data errors.
Do QR codes expire?
The QR code itself never expires — it is just encoded data. However, <strong>dynamic QR codes</strong> from services like QR Tiger or Bitly route through a redirect URL that the provider controls; if you stop paying, the redirect breaks and the code stops working. Static QR codes (like those generated here) encode the final destination directly and work forever, as long as the destination URL remains valid. For permanent signage, static codes are safer.
Can I track how many times a QR code is scanned?
Not with a static QR code — the scan happens entirely on the user's device with no server ping. To track scans, you need a <strong>dynamic QR code</strong> that redirects through a tracking server, or encode a URL with UTM parameters (<code>?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=print</code>) and track in Google Analytics. The UTM approach gives you scan data in your existing analytics without a third-party dependency, though it does not distinguish multiple scans from one device.
Why does my QR code scan as garbled text instead of opening a URL?
The most common cause is encoding a URL without the <code>https://</code> prefix. A phone's camera app needs the full URL scheme to recognize it as a link — <em>example.com</em> is plain text, while <em>https://example.com</em> is a scannable URL. The second common cause is invisible characters (smart quotes, non-breaking spaces) copied from a word processor. Always paste URLs directly from your browser address bar, not from a document, to avoid encoding invisible formatting characters.