How to Make a QR Code and Use It Well

QR codes turn a long web address, a phone number, or a Wi-Fi password into something a person can capture with their phone camera in a second. They are useful on business cards, menus, posters, flyers, product packaging, and event signs. The idea is simple, but a few practical choices decide whether your code scans instantly or frustrates the person holding the phone.

What can a QR code contain?

The QR Code Generator supports the five content types people use most:

• Text or URL: send people to your website, portfolio, or a registration form.
• Email: open a new message already addressed to you.
• Phone number: let someone call you with one tap after scanning.
• SMS: open a text message with the number, and optionally the text, already filled in.
• Wi-Fi: let guests join your network without typing a long password.

How to create a QR code step by step

1. Open the QR Code Generator and choose the type of content.
2. Fill in the matching fields. The preview updates in real time as you type.
3. Adjust the error correction level and the colors if you wish.
4. Download the result as a PNG (for printing or sharing) or as an SVG (vector quality, which you can resize without any loss).

The code is built in your browser from what you type, so the information you enter does not pass through a server.

PNG or SVG?

Use PNG for quick jobs such as inserting the code into a document, a slide, or a social media post. Choose SVG when the code will be printed at different sizes, for instance on both a business card and a large poster, because a vector file stays perfectly sharp however much you enlarge it.

Understanding error correction

A QR code includes redundancy so that it can still be read if part of it is dirty, scratched, or covered. Higher error correction levels tolerate more damage but make the code denser, with smaller squares. For a code that will be printed on paper and kept clean, a medium level is usually enough. Choose a higher level if the code will be exposed to wear, such as on a sticker outside, or if you plan to add a small logo in the middle.

Make it scan reliably

• Keep strong contrast. Dark modules on a light background are the safest. If you customize colors, keep the code clearly darker than its background; light-on-dark combinations are read less reliably by some apps.
• Do not make it too small. As a rule of thumb, around two centimeters per side is a sensible minimum for a code scanned at arm's length, and larger if people will scan from further away.
• Leave a blank border around the code, so that scanners can tell where it starts and ends.
• Keep the content short. The more text a code holds, the denser and harder to scan it becomes. A short link produces a cleaner code than a very long address.
• Always test before printing. Scan the code with at least two different phones, and check that it leads exactly where you expect.

Wi-Fi codes for guests

For a home, a guest room, a shop, or a small office, a Wi-Fi QR code saves everyone from spelling out a long password. Enter the network name, the password, and the type of security, then print the code and put it somewhere visible. If you change the password later, remember to generate and print a new code.

Where a QR code makes sense

Use one when the next step is on a phone: opening a page, adding a contact, joining a network, or filling in a form. Always add a short line of text next to it that says what the code does, such as Scan to see our menu. People are more willing to scan when they know what to expect.

Frequently asked questions

Related articles & tools