Make a QR code for a URL
Turn any web address into a QR code that points straight at it, with no redirect service in between, so it keeps working for as long as the page does.
Fill in the details and the code appears here.
What happens when someone scans it
A phone camera recognises a URL in a QR code and shows the address with a prompt to open it. Tap and the page loads in the default browser. Because this generator writes your URL into the code directly, the phone goes straight to your site. There is no intermediate short link, so nothing can intercept the visit, count it or stop redirecting when a subscription lapses.
Long addresses make dense codes
Every character of the URL becomes modules in the code. A short address produces a coarse grid that scans from across a room; a URL with a long path and a string of tracking parameters produces a fine one that needs to be printed large and scanned up close. Trim anything the page doesn’t need before generating and check the module count shown under the preview.
Static versus dynamic
Most QR sites make dynamic codes by default. The code contains a short link on the vendor’s domain and every scan passes through their server before being forwarded to you. That is how they offer scan counts and editable destinations and it is also how codes printed on menus, packaging and business cards stop working when a free trial ends.
A static code contains your address and nothing else. It can’t be switched off by anyone, it doesn’t report scans to a third party and it doesn’t add a redirect hop that slows the first page load on a weak mobile connection.
Choosing the URL
Use the address you control for longest. A homepage outlives a campaign page and a stable path on your own domain outlives both, because you can repoint it yourself. Avoid link shorteners for printed codes: they recreate the dynamic code problem and people have learned to be wary of links whose destination they can’t see.
Before you print
Scan the downloaded file with your own phone, from the distance people will actually stand at and follow the link all the way to the page. Check the page works on a phone, since everyone arriving from a QR code is on one.
Common questions
Will this QR code expire?
No. The address is stored in the code itself, so the code works for as long as the page it points at exists. Codes that expire are dynamic codes from services that route every scan through their own short link and switch it off when you stop paying.
Can I change where the code points after printing it?
Not with a static code and that is the trade. If you might need to change the destination later, point the code at a page on your own site that you control, such as yoursite.com/menu and change what that page shows. You get the flexibility of a dynamic code without depending on anyone else.
Can I track how many people scan it?
Add campaign parameters to the URL, such as utm_source=poster and your own analytics will show the visits. That keeps the data in your analytics rather than with a QR vendor. It does add characters, so keep the parameters short.
Do I need to include https://?
The generator adds it if you leave it off. Without a scheme, many phones treat the text as a search term rather than an address, which sends people to a search results page instead of your site.
Why does my code look so busy compared with others?
Usually a long URL. A dynamic code looks simpler because it only contains a short redirect link. Shorten the path, drop parameters you don’t use or lower error correction to Low if the code will be printed cleanly and kept out of harm's way.
Guides
QR codes for a specific job
Each opens the generator set up for that kind of code.