Free QR Code Generator — URL, Wi-Fi & Text

Create a QR code in seconds — for your website, restaurant menu, Wi-Fi network or contact details. No watermark, no expiry, free for commercial use.

The QR library loads from the jsDelivr CDN when this page opens, so jsDelivr can see your IP address. What you type into the code stays in your browser. Details

Where small businesses use QR codes

Menus & catalogs: a code on the table replaces reprinting menus with every price change.
Wi-Fi access: guests scan to join — no more spelling out passwords. Use the Wi-Fi type above.
Reviews: link directly to your Google review page on receipts and packaging.
Payments & invoices: put a payment link on printed invoices from our invoice generator.
Business cards & signage: a code that opens your booking or contact page beats a typed URL.

QR best practices

Keep contrast high (dark on white), give it quiet space around the edges, print at least 2×2 cm for close scanning (bigger for posters — rule of thumb: scan distance ÷ 10). Always test with both an iPhone and an Android camera before printing 500 flyers. And use a short URL when possible — less data means a simpler, more forgiving code.

Sizing a code so it actually scans

The working rule is scan distance ÷ 10. Someone scanning from 30 cm needs a code around 3 cm; a poster read from 3 metres needs about 30 cm.

Placement	Read from	Minimum size
Business card	20–30 cm	2 × 2 cm
Restaurant table card	30–50 cm	3 × 3 cm
Flyer or packaging	30 cm	2.5 × 2.5 cm
Shop window	1–2 m	10 × 10 cm
Poster or banner	3–5 m	30–50 cm
Vehicle signage	5 m+	50 cm+

Two other rules matter as much as size. Leave a quiet zone — clear space at least four modules wide around the code — because printing right up to the edge is a common cause of scan failure. And keep contrast high: dark code on a light background. Inverted codes (light on dark) fail on many scanners.

Shorter data makes a more reliable code

The more characters you encode, the denser the grid becomes, and dense codes need to be printed larger and cleaner to scan. A short URL produces a visibly simpler pattern than a long one with tracking parameters. If your link is long, use a shortener — the code becomes more forgiving of small print sizes, poor lighting and cheap paper.

Testing before you commit to print

Scan with both an iPhone and an Android camera — decoders differ.
Test the actual printed piece, not the screen. Paper, ink bleed and matte laminate all affect readability.
Test in the real lighting: dim restaurants and bright sunlight are both harder than an office.
Check the destination page works on a phone. A code that opens a desktop-only site wastes the scan.
Add a short call to action — "Scan for our menu" outperforms a bare code, because people need a reason.

Frequently asked questions

Do these QR codes expire or stop working?

Never. The data is encoded directly in the image itself (a "static" QR code) with no middleman service — as long as the destination URL exists, the code works.

Can I track how many people scan my code?

Static codes have no built-in analytics. To count scans, link to a URL with UTM parameters (e.g., ?utm_source=qr) and check your site analytics, or use a link shortener with click statistics.

Is it safe to make a Wi-Fi QR code here?

Yes — the code is generated entirely in your browser; your password is never transmitted anywhere. It's embedded only in the image you download.

Can I print these commercially?

Yes, QR codes are patent-unencumbered for use and the images you generate are yours — flyers, menus, packaging, whatever you need.

Can I change where the code points after printing?

Not with a static code — the destination is encoded in the pattern itself. If you need to change it later, point the code at a URL you control (your own domain, or a link shortener that allows editing) and redirect from there. Then reprinting is never necessary.

Can I put my logo in the middle?

Often yes. QR codes include error correction that can recover from roughly 7–30% of the code being obscured, depending on the level used. Keep any logo small, centred, and well inside the middle fifth — then test thoroughly, because covering too much makes the code fail on older scanners even when it works on your phone.

Do people actually scan QR codes?

Far more than before 2020 — contactless menus and payments made the behaviour mainstream, and every modern phone camera scans natively with no app required. Scan rates depend heavily on giving a clear reason: "Scan to see today's specials" performs substantially better than an unlabelled code.

QR Code Generator