QR Code Generator

Make a QR code for a link, WiFi network, contact card, email, phone or WhatsApp. Free forever, no expiry, no scan limit — PNG and SVG download.

Last updated:

Eight kinds of QR code, one generator

A QR code is a container for text, and what a phone does when it reads that text depends entirely on how the text is formatted. A plain link opens a browser; a string beginning WIFI: offers to join a network; one beginning BEGIN:VCARD offers to save a contact. Every tab on this page writes one of those formats correctly, which is the part that is easy to get wrong by hand.

Pick the tab that matches what you want to happen, fill in the fields, and the code updates as you type. Nothing is submitted and no button needs pressing — the preview is the finished article.

  • URL or plain text — the ordinary case, for websites, campaigns and packaging
  • Wi-Fi — network name, security type and password, so guests join without typing
  • vCard — a full contact record that saves to the phone's address book offline
  • Email — opens a message with recipient, subject and body already filled in
  • SMS and Phone — composes a text, or loads your number in the dialler
  • WhatsApp — opens a chat with you, with an optional first message
  • Location — RFC 5870 geo: coordinates that open the phone's maps app

Static codes: what you gain and what you give up

Everything here produces a static code — the data lives in the pattern itself, not on a server. That is why there is no account, no expiry, no scan cap and no monthly fee, and why the generator keeps working with your browser offline.

The trade-off is that a printed static code cannot be repointed. Paid services sell dynamic codes, which encode a short redirect so the destination can be changed and scans counted; they also stop working the day that service disappears or the subscription lapses. If you need editability, the free way to get it is to encode a URL on a domain you control and redirect it yourself — you keep the permanent code and the ability to change where it lands.

Logos, error correction and colour

Error correction adds redundant data so a code still reads when part of it is dirty, creased or covered. The four levels recover roughly 7% (L), 15% (M), 25% (Q) and 30% (H). The generator defaults to H because that is what makes a centre logo safe — the logo covers modules, and the recovery data is what lets a scanner rebuild them.

If you upload a logo, leave the level at H and keep the logo at or under about 20% of the width. Colour is yours to change, but keep the modules dark on a light background and keep good contrast; inverted and low-contrast codes are read by far fewer scanners than people assume. The white margin around the pattern is part of the spec — cropping it is the single most common reason a printed code fails.

How scanning actually works on a modern phone

No app is needed. Every iPhone since iOS 11 and every Android phone since version 9 reads QR codes straight from the built-in camera — point it, and a notification or banner appears offering the action. Android also exposes a scanner in Google Lens and in the quick-settings tiles, and iPhones have one in Control Centre.

That matters for what you print next to a code. Instructions like “download a QR reader app” are years out of date and actively cost you scans, because they make the code look like work. A short line saying what the scanner will get — the menu, the Wi-Fi, the booking form — does far more.

What still fails: laptops and desktops generally cannot scan, older feature phones cannot, and some corporate devices block the camera. If a code carries something important, print the underlying information in small text as well.

When a QR code will not scan

Almost every failure comes down to one of a handful of causes, and they are all fixable before the print run rather than after it.

  • Too small — below about 2 cm printed, cheap cameras struggle. Aim for a tenth of the scanning distance
  • No quiet zone — the blank margin around the pattern is part of the specification, and cropping it is the single most common failure
  • Low contrast or inverted — keep dark modules on a light background; light-on-dark is read by far fewer scanners than people assume
  • Glare — glossy laminate under a ceiling light can wash out the pattern entirely. Use matte for anything on a table or wall
  • A logo that is too big, or error correction dropped below H while a logo is set
  • A curved or creased surface — bottles and cans need a larger code and level H
  • The destination is dead — the code scans fine and the page 404s. Test the URL, not just the code

Download PNG for screens, SVG for print

PNG is a fixed-size bitmap and is the right choice for slides, email, social posts and anything shown on a screen. SVG is vector, stays sharp at any size a printer can produce, and is what a designer or print shop will ask for.

For print, size the code to roughly a tenth of the distance it will be scanned from — about 3 cm at arm's length, around 30 cm on a poster read from three metres — and do not go below about 2 cm. Then test the real printed article, in the light it will live in, with both an iPhone and an Android phone before committing to a run.

How to use the QR Code Generator

  1. Enter Content: Go to fixflowhub.com/qr-generator and enter a URL, text, or WiFi details
  2. Customize: Adjust colors, size, and style of your QR code
  3. Preview: Preview your QR code in real-time
  4. Download: Download as PNG or SVG

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this QR code generator really free?

Yes, with no account, no watermark, no scan limit and no expiry. The codes are static, so there is no service in the middle that could start charging or shut down.

Do the codes ever expire?

No. The data is encoded in the pattern itself, so a code printed today still works in ten years as long as whatever it points to still exists.

Can I use the codes commercially?

Yes — on products, packaging, signage and advertising, with no licence or attribution. The QR Code specification is an ISO standard (ISO/IEC 18004) and is free to use.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. The code is generated in your browser with JavaScript, so Wi-Fi passwords, phone numbers and contact details never leave your device. Disconnect from the internet after the page loads and the generator still works.

Can I add a logo to the middle?

Yes. Upload an image, keep the error correction on H and keep the logo at or under about 20% of the code's width, then test the printed result before a full run.

PNG or SVG — which should I download?

SVG for anything going to print, because it is vector and scales without softening. PNG for screens, slides, email and social, where a fixed pixel size is what the platform expects.

Can I track how many people scan my code?

Not with a static code, because nothing is routed through a server. If you need scan counts, point the code at a URL on your own domain and measure the traffic there — you keep the free permanent code and get the numbers.

Why does my code look denser than one from another site?

Usually error correction, which defaults to H here so logos and print wear are safe. Longer payloads also add density, so a shorter URL always makes a simpler, easier-to-scan code.

What is a QR code?

A two-dimensional barcode that stores text in a grid of black and white squares. A camera reads the grid, decodes the text, and the phone acts on it — opening a link, joining a Wi-Fi network or saving a contact, depending on how the text is formatted. The format is an ISO standard, ISO/IEC 18004.

How do I scan a QR code?

Open the camera app and point it at the code. iPhones have done this natively since iOS 11 and Android phones since version 9, so no separate app is needed. Android also offers Google Lens, and both platforms have a scanner shortcut in Control Centre or quick settings.

Why is my QR code not working?

In order of likelihood: it is printed too small (stay above about 2 cm), the white margin around it has been cropped, contrast is too low or the colours are inverted, glare from glossy laminate is washing it out, or a logo is too large for the error-correction level. If it scans but nothing loads, the code is fine and the destination is broken.

What is the minimum size for a printed QR code?

About 2 cm across is the practical floor, and the working rule is a tenth of the distance it will be scanned from — roughly 3 cm at arm's length, around 30 cm for a poster read from three metres. Longer payloads need more size, because they pack more modules into the same square.

What is the difference between static and dynamic QR codes?

A static code holds the data itself, so it is free, permanent and works offline, but the destination cannot be changed once printed. A dynamic code holds a short redirect URL, which lets the owner repoint it and count scans — at the cost of a subscription, and of the code dying if that service ever goes away. Everything here is static.

Can I change a QR code after printing it?

Not the code itself — the data is fixed in the pattern. The free workaround is to encode a URL on a domain you control, then change where that URL redirects. The printed code never changes and the destination is yours to move.

Do QR codes have to be black and white?

No, but contrast is what matters. Keep the modules dark and the background light, avoid pale or low-contrast pairs, and never invert. Test any coloured code on a real phone before printing, because scanners vary more than screens suggest.

What can a QR code store?

Any short text, which is why the format works for so many things: a URL, Wi-Fi credentials, a vCard contact, an email with subject and body, an SMS, a phone number, a WhatsApp chat link or map coordinates. Longer payloads make a denser, harder-to-scan code, so keep them short.

Can I generate QR codes in bulk?

Not on this page — it produces one at a time. For a batch you would want a spreadsheet-driven tool. If your codes differ only by a parameter, encoding one URL that carries the difference (yoursite.com/menu?table=4) is usually simpler than generating hundreds of codes.

Do I need an app to scan the code?

No, on any phone from roughly 2018 onwards — the camera handles it. Print the plain information alongside anyway, because laptops cannot scan and some managed work phones block the camera.

Are QR codes safe to scan?

The code itself is only text, so scanning cannot install anything. The risk is where it sends you: a link can lead to a phishing page, and criminals have covered real codes on parking meters and posters with stickers of their own. Check the URL your phone previews before tapping, be wary of any code asking for payment or a login, and look for a sticker sitting on top of printed artwork.

Is there a limit on how many times a code can be scanned?

No. Nothing is routed through a server, so there is no counter and no quota — the same code can be scanned a million times, forever, at no cost. Scan limits are a property of paid dynamic-code services, not of QR codes themselves.

What are QR codes actually used for?

The pattern that works is anywhere scanning beats typing: restaurant menus, Wi-Fi for guests, product packaging linking to setup or warranty, event tickets and badges, business cards, payment and booking pages, and equipment linking to its own manual. The common thread is that the code sits at the moment of need.

Can two different QR codes point to the same thing?

Yes. The same content can be encoded at different sizes, error-correction levels and colours, and each will look different while decoding identically. That is useful when you want one design for print and a simpler, lower-correction one for a screen.

Related free tools

More free utility tools