QR Code Generator for Links (URL)

The link QR Code is the most widely used type in the world: it stores a web address and, when scanned, opens the site directly in the phone browser. It is what you find on restaurant menus, packaging, posters, event badges and product labels. This page explains how to create yours, how to choose the right print size, and how to avoid the mistakes that stop a code from scanning.

How a link QR Code works

A QR Code is not a magic shortcut or a connection to a server: it is simply text drawn as black and white squares. When that text starts with "https://", the phone recognises it as an address and offers to open the browser. Nothing else happens underneath — there is no tracking built in, no middleman, and the code works offline right up until the moment the page opens.

This has one important practical consequence: the link is permanently baked into the drawing of the code. There is no such thing as "editing a QR Code later" — to change the destination, you have to generate a new code. We explain how to work around this below.

How to create yours, step by step

1. Paste the full address in the field above, including "https://". If you type just "site.com", we complete it for you.
2. Choose the colors. The default (dark code on a light background) is the most reliable — read the contrast section before inverting it.
3. If you want, add your logo in the centre. We automatically apply high error correction to compensate for the covered area.
4. Check the preview and download as PNG (for screen and social media) or SVG (for print).

PNG or SVG: which to choose

The difference is the file type, and it matters more than it seems when printing.

• PNG is a pixel-based image. Ideal for Instagram, WhatsApp, slide decks, email and any on-screen use. Enlarge it too much and the edges turn jagged.
• SVG is vector: the file describes the shapes mathematically, so it can be scaled from a sticker to a billboard without losing a pixel of sharpness. It is the format every print shop prefers to receive.

Simple rule: if the code will be printed, use SVG. If it stays on screen, PNG is fine.

What size to print: the 10-to-1 rule

This is the most expensive mistake people make with QR Codes — finding out the code does not scan after printing a thousand flyers. The rule of thumb used in the industry is: the side of the QR Code should be at least 1/10 of the scanning distance.

• Scanned from 30 cm (menu on a table, business card): 3 cm minimum.
• Scanned from 1 metre (wall poster, packaging on a shelf): 10 cm minimum.
• Scanned from 5 metres (event banner, shop window): 50 cm minimum.
• Scanned from 20 metres (building facade, billboard): 2 metres minimum.

When in doubt, print bigger. And respect the white margin around the code — the specification asks for the equivalent of 4 modules (4 "little squares") of clear space. Letting text or a frame touch the code is one of the most common causes of scan failure.

Why a short URL makes a better code

The more characters the link has, the more little squares the QR Code needs to store it — and smaller squares are harder to read, especially in small print or poor light.

A link like "site.com/promo" produces a visibly cleaner code than a 180-character URL full of campaign parameters. If you need UTM parameters to measure the campaign, consider shortening the address before generating the code.

How to change the destination without reprinting

Since the link is fixed in the code, the trick is not to point the QR Code straight at the final destination. Point it at an address you control, which then redirects wherever you want:

1. Create an intermediate address — a page on your own site (e.g. yoursite.com/menu) or a shortener.
2. Set that address to redirect to the real destination.
3. Generate the QR Code pointing to the intermediate address.
4. When the destination changes, update only the redirect. Codes already printed keep working.

This is exactly how the so-called "dynamic QR Codes" sold on subscription work: the code itself is still static, what changes is the redirect behind it. Doing it yourself means no monthly fee and no risk of the service shutting down and killing every code you already printed.

Mistakes that stop a QR Code from scanning

• Inverted contrast. A light code on a dark background fails in many readers. Keep the code dark on a light background.
• Insufficient contrast. Grey on beige can look great on screen and be unreadable on paper. Use colors with a real difference in brightness.
• Logo too large. Above roughly 30% of the central area, not even high error correction saves it.
• Invaded margin. Text, border or image touching the code.
• Printing on a curved or glossy surface. Bottles and plastic packaging distort and reflect; test on the final material.
• Textured background. Printing the code over a photo drastically reduces the scan rate.

Test before publishing

Before sending it to the printer or publishing it, scan the code with at least two different phones (an iPhone and an Android, if possible), in conditions close to the real ones: same distance, same lighting, same material. It takes two minutes and saves money.

Other QR Code types

Each QR Code type stores information in a different way. See which one best fits your case:

• Wi-Fi QR Code — connects to the network without typing the password.
• PIX QR Code — receives payments in the Brazilian standard.
• WhatsApp QR Code — opens the chat with a ready message.
• Contact QR Code (vCard) — saves your details to the address book.
• Email QR Code — opens the mail app with the subject filled in.
• SMS QR Code — opens the message with the text ready.
• Phone QR Code — opens the dialler with the number.
• Text QR Code — stores the information and works offline.
• App download QR Code — sends each phone to the right store.