A QR code is just a square barcode that a phone camera can read. It can hold a website link, plain text, contact details, or wifi credentials, and you can make one for free in a few seconds. Here is how it works and how to do it right.
What a QR code encodes
A QR code stores text. That text can be anything, but the common uses are a URL, a block of plain text, a wifi network (so people can join without typing a password), or a vCard with contact info. The phone reads the pattern, decodes the text, and acts on it.
To make one, open the QR Code Generator, pick the type of content, and enter your data.
- Open the QR Code Generator.
- Choose what to encode: a URL, text, or wifi details.
- Paste or type your content.
- Download the generated image and use it.
The code is built entirely in your browser, so your data is never sent anywhere.
Static vs dynamic codes
This is the most important distinction.
- Static: the data is encoded directly into the pattern. It never expires, needs no service behind it, and works forever. The trade-off is that you cannot change where it points once it is printed.
- Dynamic: the code holds a short redirect URL from a third-party service, which then forwards to your real destination. You can edit the target later and track scans, but you depend on that service staying online, and it often costs money.
For a link that will not change, a flyer, a business card, a product label, a static code is the better choice. The generator here produces static codes.
Error-correction levels
QR codes have built-in redundancy so they still scan when partly damaged or dirty. There are four levels:
- L recovers about 7% of the code.
- M recovers about 15%.
- Q recovers about 25%.
- H recovers about 30%.
Higher levels survive more damage but make the pattern denser, which means more squares packed into the same space. For a clean screen or print, M is usually fine. Choose H only if the code will be small, printed on something that gets scuffed, or has a logo placed over the center.
Tips before you print
A few details decide whether a code actually scans:
- Keep the quiet zone. Leave a clear margin of blank space around the code. Without it, scanners struggle to find the edges.
- Use enough size. Bigger is safer, especially for codes scanned from a distance like a poster.
- Keep strong contrast. Dark code on a light background. Avoid low-contrast colors and never invert it.
- Test before printing. Scan it with two or three different phones first. Catching a typo on screen is free; catching it after 500 flyers is not.
Related tools
- Encoding a URL with special characters first? Use URL Encode / Decode.
- Need to encode data as text? Try Base64 Encode / Decode.
- Verifying a file or string’s integrity? Reach for the Hash Generator.
Pick your content, keep the contrast and margin, and test before you print.