QR code generator

A QR code for whatever you want to share

A QR code is a square barcode that a phone camera reads in a moment. It turns something awkward to type, such as a long web address, a Wi-Fi password, a full contact card or a map location, into something you can point at. You see them on menus, posters, business cards, packaging, tickets and screens. This generator makes them for the most common uses and does it entirely in your browser: the content of the code is never sent anywhere and there is no account, no expiry and no watermark.

What the code can contain

• A web address: opens the page. If you leave out https://, it is added.
• Wi-Fi: guests point their phone at the code and join the network without typing the password. Choose the security type used by your router, and tick "Hidden network" if it does not broadcast its name.
• A contact card (vCard): name, company, job title, phone, email and website, ready to be saved in the address book.
• An email: opens a message with the address, subject and text already filled in.
• A phone number or an SMS: starts a call or a text message.
• A map location: a latitude and longitude that opens in the map app.
• Plain text: anything else, up to the capacity of the code.

Make it scan reliably

Most problems with QR codes come from the way they are printed, not from the code. Keep a good contrast, ideally dark on light. Keep the blank margin around the code, at least four modules wide, because readers use it to find the edges. Do not print it so small that the modules are finer than the print can reproduce, and test it with a phone before printing a thousand copies. The error correction level lets a code survive damage or dirt: a higher level makes a denser code but tolerates more wear. The tool warns you if the colors or the margin are likely to cause trouble.

PNG or SVG

The PNG is a picture, right for a document, a website or a screen. The SVG is vector graphics that can be scaled to any size without going blurry, which is what a printer or a designer wants for a poster or a sign. The SVG is drawn with plain square modules and your chosen colors.

Static codes do not expire

The code stores the content directly, so it works as long as the content is valid and nobody needs to keep a service alive for it. There is no tracking, so you cannot see how many times it was scanned. If you need statistics, you need a dynamic code service, which this tool is not.

What it does not do

It does not check that a link works or is safe, and it cannot change a code after it has been printed. A very long text makes a dense code that is hard to scan. For a code with a logo in the middle, use the QR code with logo tool. To read the content of a code from an image, use the QR content inspector.