URL QR Code Generator

What a URL QR code contains

A URL QR code holds one web address as plain text. When a phone camera reads it, the phone recognizes the address and offers to open it in its browser. The code carries the address and nothing more, so it cannot tell who scanned it, from where, or how many times.

The formatter is small. It takes the text you type and, when the text does not already begin with a scheme such as http or https, it puts https:// in front. It does not visit the page, it does not confirm that the address exists and it does not shorten it. Everything you type after the scheme goes into the code as written, so a typo in a path becomes a typo on the printed sign.

A static code keeps the address inside the image, so a new destination means a new code and a new print. Dynamic codes, available on the Pro plan and above, store a short link instead, which redirects to the address and can be changed later without reprinting. The static version is free to make in the editor.

How to make a URL QR code in three steps

1. 01

   Paste the full address

   Type the address into the URL field. Copy it from the browser bar of the page you want to share, so the path is included and not only the home page. You can leave out https:// because the editor adds it when needed.

2. 02

   Check the density of the code

   Look at the preview after every change. A short address gives a simple pattern that scans from a distance, while a long address with many characters fills more modules and needs a bigger print. Choose the error correction level from L, M, Q or H, remembering that a higher level adds density, so test again after you change it.

3. 03

   Test with a phone, then download

   Use the readability meter as a first check, then scan the preview with a phone that has never opened the page. When the right page appears, download an SVG for print or a PNG for a screen, with an export size between 512 and 4096 pixels.

Where a URL QR code is useful

• Menus and price lists

  A code on a table card opens the current online menu, so the printed card can stay the same while the dishes change. Keep the address short so the code stays readable at the size of a card.

• Business cards and brochures

  A card with a code sends a client straight to a portfolio, a booking page or a contact form. Print the domain name in plain text beside the code, so people who cannot scan still know where to go.

• Packaging and product manuals

  On a box, a code can lead to setup steps, a warranty form or a support article. Link to the exact page that answers the question, not the store home page, so the customer does not search again.

• Event programs and signs

  A poster at a fair or a conference can send visitors to the schedule or a sign-up page. Print the code large enough to scan from a short distance, and test it under the lights of the actual room.

• Property listings

  A sign on a house or a rental can open the listing with photos and the floor plan. Use an address specific to that listing, so the code does not land on a general search page.

Tips for a URL code that scans on the first try

Write the scheme yourself when there is a port

Type https:// in front of an address that includes a port number, such as a test server on an unusual port. The editor adds https:// only when the text does not look as if it already starts with a scheme, and a host followed by a colon can look like one, which would leave the code with a broken address.

Remove the parameters you do not need

Campaign tags and session identifiers make an address much longer, and every extra character adds modules to the code. Keep the parts that identify the page and drop the rest before you paste it into the field.

Leave room around the code

A dense code needs space to be read. Print it larger than you would for a short address and keep a clear margin around it, because a code pressed against text or a border can fail even when its data is correct.

Retest after you add a logo

A logo in the center covers part of the pattern, so the code needs extra redundancy to compensate. Choose a higher error correction level, such as Q or H, and test the code after the logo is added, not before.

URL QR code questions