QR Code Generator: Complete Guide to Creating and Using QR Codes
Create a QR code for your URL, text, or contact info.
Open QR Code Generator ↗How QR Codes Work
QR (Quick Response) codes are two-dimensional barcodes that store data as a pattern of black and white squares. A smartphone camera scans the pattern and decodes it — most commonly into a URL that opens automatically in the browser. QR codes were invented in 1994 by Denso Wave for tracking automotive parts and became widely adopted for marketing, payments, and contactless information sharing after 2020.
A QR code can store up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters, but practical limits are lower — longer content produces a denser pattern that's harder to scan reliably, especially from a distance or in poor lighting.
How to Use the Generator
Select URL, plain text, email, phone number, SMS, WiFi credentials, or vCard contact info. The type determines how the QR code's content will be interpreted by the scanning app.
Type or paste the URL or text. For URLs, always include https:// — bare domain names like example.com may not be recognized as clickable links by all QR code scanners.
Larger sizes are easier to scan from a distance. Higher error correction makes the code scannable even if partially damaged or obscured.
Download as PNG for print materials, or copy as SVG for web use. SVGs scale without pixelation at any size.
Content Types
- URL — opens a website. The most common use case. Use a URL shortener if the URL is very long.
- Plain text — displays the text directly in the scanner app. Useful for Wi-Fi passwords, short instructions, or codes.
- Email — opens a pre-addressed email compose window with optional subject and body.
- Phone — initiates a phone call.
- SMS — opens a pre-composed text message.
- WiFi — connects the device to a Wi-Fi network without typing the password. Encodes SSID, password, and security type.
- vCard — adds a contact to the device's address book with name, phone, email, and address.
Error Correction Levels
QR codes have built-in redundancy that allows them to be scanned even when partially damaged. Four levels:
- L (Low) — 7% of data can be restored. Smallest, densest code. Use for digital display only.
- M (Medium) — 15% recovery. Good general purpose choice.
- Q (Quartile) — 25% recovery. Good for outdoor use or logos overlaid on the QR code.
- H (High) — 30% recovery. Use when printing on surfaces that may get scratched or dirty, or when adding a logo to the center of the QR code.
Tip: If you're adding a logo or icon to the center of the QR code, use error correction level H — the logo covers part of the code, and high error correction allows the scanner to recover the obscured data.
Size and Placement
Minimum sizes for reliable scanning:
- Business card / nearby scan: 2 cm × 2 cm (0.75 in)
- Table tent / product packaging: 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in)
- Poster (viewed from 1m): 5–8 cm (2–3 in)
- Billboard (viewed from 5m): 30+ cm (12+ in)
Always include a quiet zone — a white border around the QR code of at least 4 module widths. Without the quiet zone, scanners may fail to detect the code boundary.
Design Tips
- Test before printing — scan your QR code on multiple devices before committing to a print run.
- Use a URL shortener — shorter URLs produce less dense, easier-to-scan codes.
- Dark on light, not light on dark — QR codes must have dark modules on a light background. Inverted (light on dark) codes may not scan reliably.
- Sufficient contrast — a 4:1 contrast ratio between foreground and background is the minimum. Don't use low-contrast color combinations.