Free QR code generator for any link

How to make a QR code that actually scans

A QR code is a small picture that stores text, usually a web address. A phone camera reads the picture and offers to open the address. The codes themselves are not complicated, but a few practical choices decide whether people can scan yours on a crowded table or from across a shop window.

1. Use a short address. Every extra character adds squares to the code, and more squares means smaller squares at the same print size. A short link like freeurl.co/menu gives a code with big, easy squares. A long address with tracking tags gives a dense code that is hard to scan.
2. Keep the contrast high. Dark code on a light background is the safe choice. Light code on a dark background works on some phones and fails on others. Avoid pale colors on white.
3. Leave a quiet border. The blank margin around the code matters. Do not crop it or place text right against the squares.
4. Size it for the distance. A rule of thumb is one inch of code width for every ten inches of scanning distance. A code on a business card can be about 0.8 inch (2 cm). A poster seen from a few feet away needs several inches.
5. Test before you print. Scan it on an iPhone and an Android phone, in normal light, from the real distance. Then print a single copy and test again, because printers change colors.

Why use a short link inside a QR code

A QR code cannot be changed once it is printed. If the page moves, the code points to nothing. When the code holds a short link from Freeurl instead, you can sign in and change where the link goes without reprinting anything. You also get click counts, so you can see how many people scanned the poster or the flyer, and from which country and device.

That is why restaurants, event organizers and shops tend to put a short link in the code. The printed material stays the same while the destination can change with the season, the menu or the campaign.

Where people use QR codes

• Menus, table cards and receipts in restaurants and cafes
• Flyers, posters and yard signs for local events and open houses
• Business cards that link to a portfolio or booking page
• Product packaging that links to a manual, setup video or warranty form
• Slides at conferences, so the audience can open a resource on their own phone

A note on privacy and safety

This generator runs in your browser. The text you type is not uploaded unless you press Shorten the address first. Be careful when you scan codes from strangers: a code can hide any address. If you are unsure, copy the address from the scan preview and look at it with the unshorten tool before you open it.

Frequently asked questions