QR Code Generator for URLs

Paste a link and get a static QR code that encodes the URL directly — no redirect service in the middle, so it cannot expire or be switched off. Download PNG for screens or SVG for print, and add a logo if you need one.

Last updated: 2026-07-26

Getting a website QR code right the first time

Paste the full URL including the scheme — https://example.com, not example.com. Some scanners guess the missing https:// and some hand the raw text to a search box instead, which is a bad first impression on a printed poster. If the site supports HTTPS, and in 2026 it should, use it: several Android scanners now warn on plain http:// links.

Shorter URLs make simpler codes. A QR code grows in version (module count) as the payload grows, and a dense 60-character link is measurably harder to scan from a distance than a 25-character one. Strip tracking parameters you do not need, and if you need campaign attribution use a short, readable path such as example.com/print rather than a long utm_source chain — you can add the UTM parameters server-side in the redirect.

Point the code at a page that works on a phone. Most QR scans happen one-handed, outdoors, on mobile data. A landing page that takes eight seconds to load loses most of the traffic the code earned.

Where a URL code earns its place

The pattern that consistently converts is the one where scanning is genuinely easier than typing: a product package linking to setup instructions, a conference badge linking to a schedule, an invoice linking to a payment page, a shop window linking to opening hours and directions.

Packaging and manuals — replaces a long support URL nobody types
Event signage, badges and table cards — schedule, map, feedback form
Business cards and letterheads — portfolio or booking page
Property signs and vehicle livery — listing or quote form
TV, video and slide decks — the only realistic way to hand off a link on a screen

These are static QR codes — what that means for you

The code this page produces encodes your data directly in the pattern of black and white squares. Nothing is stored on our servers, no short link sits in the middle, and no account is involved. A phone camera reads the squares, decodes the text and acts on it. That is why the generator keeps working with your browser offline, and why there is no scan limit, no expiry date and no monthly fee.

The trade-off is that a static code cannot be edited after it is printed. The destination is baked into the image. If you print 5,000 flyers pointing at example.com/summer and then move that page, every flyer is dead. Dynamic codes — the ones behind most paid QR services — encode a short redirect URL instead, so the owner can repoint it later and count scans. They also stop working the day the service that hosts the redirect goes away or the subscription lapses, which is a real risk for anything meant to outlive a marketing budget.

A practical middle ground costs nothing: point the static code at a URL you control and can redirect yourself, such as yoursite.com/menu. You keep the free, permanent, no-dependency code, and you keep the ability to change where it lands.

Error correction levels, and why the logo option needs H

Every QR code carries redundant data so it still decodes when part of it is dirty, creased, curved around a bottle or partly covered. The QR standard defines four levels: L recovers about 7% of the code, M about 15%, Q about 25% and H about 30%. Higher levels pack the same message into more modules, so the pattern gets denser at the same physical size.

The generator defaults to H. That is deliberate, because H is what makes a centre logo safe: the logo covers modules, and the recovery data is what lets the scanner reconstruct them. If you upload a logo, keep the level at H and keep the logo at or below roughly 20% of the code's width — the size slider is capped at 30% for exactly this reason. Drop to L with a logo on top and you are relying on luck.

If there is no logo and the code will be shown on a clean screen, L or M produces a visibly simpler pattern that scans faster from a distance. Use the lower levels for screens, H for anything printed, laminated, stuck on glass or wrapped around a curved surface.

Sizing, printing and testing before you commit

The rule of thumb scanners have used for years is a 10:1 ratio — the code should be roughly one tenth of the distance it will be scanned from. A code read at arm's length (about 30 cm) works at 3 cm across; a poster read from 3 m needs about 30 cm. Below about 2 cm printed, cheap phone cameras start to struggle regardless of resolution.

Download the SVG rather than the PNG for anything going to print. SVG is vector, so it stays crisp at any size a printer can produce, and it is what design software expects. The PNG is the right choice for slides, emails and social posts where a fixed pixel size is what you want.

Keep the quiet zone — the empty white margin around the pattern is part of the specification, not decoration, and cropping it is the single most common reason a printed code fails. Keep the dark modules dark on a light background; inverted codes are read by fewer scanners than people assume. Then test the real artefact, not the screen: print it at final size, scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone, in the light the code will actually live in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these QR codes expire?

No. The URL is encoded directly into the pattern, so there is nothing to expire, no account to keep active and no service that can shut down and break it. A code printed today will still resolve in ten years as long as the website it points to still exists.

Is there a scan limit?

No. Because nothing is tracked or routed through a server, there is no counter and no quota. The same code can be scanned a million times.

Can I use the QR code commercially?

Yes. The generated code is yours to use on products, packaging, advertising and merchandise with no licence, attribution or fee. The QR Code specification itself is an ISO standard (ISO/IEC 18004) and is free to use.

Can I edit the URL after printing?

Not in the code itself — a static code is fixed once it is printed. The workaround is to encode a URL on a domain you control and set up a redirect, so you change the destination server-side and the printed code keeps working.

Why does my code look denser than another generator's?

Usually error correction. This generator defaults to level H (about 30% recovery) so logos and print wear are safe. Switch to L or M for a visibly simpler pattern when the code will be shown on a clean screen with no logo.

PNG or SVG — which should I download?

SVG for print, because it is vector and stays sharp at any size. PNG for screens, slides, email and social where a fixed pixel size is what the platform expects.

Does the URL I type get uploaded anywhere?

No. The code is generated in your browser with JavaScript. The URL never leaves the device, which is why the tool keeps working if you go offline after the page has loaded.

How small can I print it?

Aim for a tenth of the scanning distance and do not go below about 2 cm across. At arm's length, 3 cm is comfortable; on a poster read from three metres, plan for around 30 cm.

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