URL QR Code Generator

Paste a link and get a scannable QR code instantly. What you get here is a static code: the address is written directly into the pattern of light and dark modules, so there is no redirect service sitting in the middle, no account, and nothing that can be switched off later. It also means the work happens in your browser — the URL you type is never sent to a server. Longer addresses produce a denser grid, which needs a bigger print size to stay comfortable to scan, so trimming tracking parameters before you generate is usually worth the few seconds. Download as SVG when the code is going to print, since it stays sharp at any size, or PNG for screens and slide decks. Free for commercial use, no watermark, no cap on how many you make.

Static and dynamic QR codes are not the same thing

A static code stores the destination inside the image itself. Nothing is looked up when someone scans it, which is why it works offline, costs nothing to keep alive and cannot be disabled by a company going out of business. The trade-off is that the destination is fixed: changing it means printing a new code.

A dynamic code stores a short redirect address instead, and the provider maps that to your real destination. You can repoint it later and count scans, but the code only keeps working while that provider does — and most charge a subscription for the privilege. For a poster, a menu or packaging that will be reprinted anyway, static is usually the honest choice.

How URL length changes the code

QR codes come in 40 sizes, called versions, from 21×21 modules up to 177×177. The generator picks the smallest version your data fits into, so a 30-character link produces a visibly simpler grid than a 200-character one with campaign parameters attached.

Density matters because a scanner has to resolve individual modules. A dense code printed small, or shown on a low-resolution screen, is the usual reason a code that worked on your monitor fails on a poster. If your link is long and the print area is fixed, shorten the URL first — that is a formatting decision, not a marketing one.

Printing: the 10:1 rule and the quiet zone

Size the code for the distance it will be scanned from at roughly ten to one: readable at 25 cm means about 2.5 cm across, at 3 m means about 30 cm. Below about 2 cm, phone cameras start to struggle regardless of how simple the code is.

Leave the margin alone. The specification calls for a quiet zone of four modules of blank space on every side, and cropping it tight against artwork or a coloured background is one of the most common reasons a printed code will not scan.

Counting scans without paying for a dynamic code

Add UTM parameters to the link before generating — for example ?utm_source=poster&utm_medium=qr — and your existing analytics will attribute the visits without any QR service in the loop. A separate parameter per placement tells you which poster worked.

The cost is a longer URL and therefore a denser code, which is the trade-off described above. If the link is already long, point the code at a short page on your own domain that redirects; you keep both the tracking and control of the destination.

Frequently asked questions

Does the QR code expire?

No. This generator produces static QR codes: the URL is encoded directly into the image, so it works for as long as the link itself works. There is no account and nothing stored on our side.

Can I use the QR code commercially?

Yes. QR codes generated here are free for personal and commercial use — print them on packaging, menus, posters or business cards without attribution.

What size should I print a QR code?

A rule of thumb is a 10:1 distance-to-size ratio: a code scanned from 25 cm away should be at least 2.5 cm wide. Download the SVG for crisp printing at any size.

Can I change where the code points after printing it?

Not with a static code — the address lives inside the image. If you need to repoint it later, encode a URL on your own domain and set up a redirect there; you keep control of the destination without depending on a QR provider that may start charging or shut down.

Do I need to shorten the URL first?

Only if the code has to be printed small. Shorter links produce a lower QR version with fewer modules, which is easier for a camera to resolve. Under about 60 characters the difference rarely matters at normal print sizes.