How to Create a QR Code: It Only Takes 3 Simple Steps

Quick Summary

To create a QR code, select what it should open, enter your details and download it. That is the whole process in the free QR code generator, and it works the same on a phone or a computer.

The only part that changes from code to code is the form in the middle. A website link needs one field, a contact card needs a name and number, and a Wi-Fi code needs the network name and password. If you want the code to match your brand, you can add a logo or colours before you download, but you don't have to.

Table of Contents

1. What is a QR code?
2. What you need before you start
3. How to create a QR code in 3 steps
4. Static or dynamic: which should you choose?
5. Which QR code type do you need?
6. Browser QR codes vs a QR code generator
7. Tips for better results
8. Common mistakes to avoid
9. Best practices before and after implementation
10. FAQ

What Is a QR Code?

A QR code is a square barcode that a phone camera reads to open something, such as a web page, a PDF, a contact card or a Wi-Fi network. Whatever it opens is stored in the pattern of small black and white squares.

The format was created by Denso Wave and is set out in the international standard ISO/IEC 18004, which is why one code scans the same on any phone. You don't need an app to read one: an iPhone reads it straight from the Camera app, and most Android phones do the same. If you are curious about how the squares hold your data, our guide to how QR codes work explains it.

What You Need Before You Start

All you need is the thing you want people to open, and a rough idea of where the code will go. The generator takes care of everything else.

Have the content ready before you open the tool. Copy the full web address from your browser, save your document as a PDF, or write down the Wi-Fi name and password exactly as they appear. It also helps to know where the code will end up. A code on a business card gets scanned from a hand's length away, while one on a shop window gets scanned from across the pavement, and that changes how big you should print it.

How to Create a QR Code in 3 Steps

Every QR code is made the same way. You pick a type, fill in the form for it and download the file.

1. 1

   Select Type. Choose what the code should open. Link is the most common, but there are 27 types in all, including File, vCard, Menu, Wi-Fi and WhatsApp. Pick the one that matches your content, because each type has its own form.

2. 2

   Enter Details & Customize (optional). Fill in the form. For a link, that's just the web address. Then choose Static QR, which is free and points to the same place forever, or Dynamic QR, which you can edit later and which counts your scans. If you want the code to look like yours, add a logo, change the colours, pick a pattern or put a frame around it with a short label like "Scan me".

3. 3

   Download. Choose a file format and size, then download your code. PNG is right for screens, emails and documents. For anything printed, choose SVG, EPS or PDF, because they stay sharp at any size.

You don't need to install anything, since the generator runs in your browser on an iPhone, an Android phone or a computer. Start with the type you need in the free QR code generator.

Static or Dynamic: Which Should You Choose?

Go with static when the content will never change, and dynamic when it might, or when you want to know how many people scanned. Static is selected by default.

A static code holds your content inside the pattern itself. It is free, it never expires, and it keeps working for as long as the page or file it opens is online. A dynamic code holds a short link instead, which means you can point it somewhere new after it's printed and see your scan numbers in your account. That makes it the better pick for menus, flyers and anything you print in bulk.

There is more on this in static vs dynamic QR codes. If you already know you want to edit and track your code, go to the dynamic QR code generator.

Which QR Code Type Do You Need?

Pick the type by what you want the person scanning to see. If it's a web page, use Link. If it's a document, use File. Most people need one of the first few in the list.

The table follows the order of the Select Type grid in the generator. Each guide shows that type's own steps, including where to find the content in the app it comes from.

Not sure which one fits? If people should land on a web page, Link almost always does the job.

Browser QR Codes vs a QR Code Generator

Chrome and Edge can make a QR code for the page you're looking at. That's handy for a quick share, but the code can only open that one page and you can't change anything about it.

In Chrome on a computer, open the menu and go to Cast, save, and share, then Create QR code. On an Android phone or an iPhone, Chrome has the same option under Share. In Edge, right-click the page and choose Create QR code for this page. Safari on the iPhone doesn't have a built-in option.

So a browser code is fine for showing a link on a screen. For anything you print, or anything that carries your brand, a generator gives you a lot more to work with.

Tips for Better Results

Most scanning problems come down to size, contrast and the space around the code. Get those right and nearly any phone will read it.

• Print it big enough for the distance. A code should be about one tenth as wide as the distance it's scanned from, so a code read from one metre away needs to be about 10 cm wide. Our guide to the minimum QR code size for printing has a full chart.
• Keep a dark code on a light background. Phone cameras look for dark squares on a light surface. A pale code, or a code reversed out of a dark photo, is much harder to read.
• Leave a clear border. The empty margin around the code tells the camera where it starts and ends. Don't let text or a design run into it.
• Use a short link. Every extra character adds squares to the pattern, and a crowded code needs more room to scan.
• Add a label. A few words under the code, like "Scan for the menu", tell people what they'll get and make them more likely to try it.

If you're adding a logo, it helps to know how much of a code can be covered and still scan. Codes have four error correction levels, and the highest one, H, can recover about 30% of the code, according to Denso Wave.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When a QR code fails, it's usually because of where it points or how it was printed. The generator rarely causes the problem.

• Using a static code for something that will change. A static code can't be edited. If your menu, price list or event page is likely to change, a dynamic code saves you from reprinting.
• Testing on screen only. A code that scans on your monitor can still fail on glossy paper, under shop lighting or when printed too small.
• Pointing to a page that isn't public. A shared document that needs a login, or a link copied from inside an admin panel, will open an error for everyone else.
• Squeezing the code into a corner. On posters and packaging, a tiny code near the edge gets cropped, folded or ignored.

If a code you've already printed won't scan, the checks in My QR code won't scan cover the usual causes.

Best Practices Before and After Implementation

Test the downloaded file before it goes anywhere, and keep the page it opens online for as long as the code is out there. Those two habits prevent almost every failed code.

Before you print, scan the downloaded file with two different phones, ideally one iPhone and one Android. Then print one copy at the final size and scan it from where people will actually stand. For print runs, use an SVG, EPS or PDF file so the edges stay sharp, and our guide to printing QR codes without losing quality covers paper and finishes.

After the code is out, keep its destination working. If you move the page, a dynamic code lets you update where it points without touching the print. It's also worth putting codes where people expect them, on your own menus, packaging and signs, because the UK's National Cyber Security Centre advises people to be careful with codes in places like car parks, where fake stickers are easy to add. Our guide to QR code safety explains what to watch for.

FAQ

Conclusion

Creating a QR code comes down to three steps: pick the type, fill in your details and download it. Choose static if the content stays the same and dynamic if it might change, then test the code on paper before you print a batch. Once you know which type you need, its guide in the table above walks you through the details.