Free QR Code Generator: Create a QR Code for a Link or Text and Download It
Type or paste a link or any text into the generator above and a QR code appears immediately. Download it as a PNG and use it on posters, menus, packaging, business materials or slides. The code is static: the content is stored inside the QR code itself, so it works forever, needs no account and cannot be switched off by a service that closes or starts charging. This page explains what to put in a QR code and how to make sure it scans.
How to create a QR code
Paste the full URL, including https://, or type plain text. The code updates as you type. Check the preview, then click Download PNG. The image is 512 × 512 pixels with a four-module white margin (the quiet zone the QR standard requires), which is enough for print up to about 10 cm wide. Scan it with your own phone before you use it anywhere.
The generator uses error-correction level M, which can restore roughly 15% of damaged data. That suits clean print and screens, but it is not enough to cover the middle of the code with a logo. There is an upper limit on content too: past about 2,300 characters of plain text the tool reports that the data is too big to be stored in a QR code, and long before that the code is too dense to scan comfortably.
Everything is generated in your browser. The link or text you enter is not sent to a server, which matters for internal URLs and for anything you do not want a third party to log.
What you can put in a QR code
A link is the most common content: a website, a menu, a Google Form, a review page, a social profile or a PDF hosted online. Phones open it in the browser after scanning.
Plain text works too, such as a serial number, a short note or a Wi-Fi payload. Phones recognise some text formats and offer an action: WIFI:T:WPA;S:Network;P:password;; joins a Wi-Fi network, mailto:hello@example.com starts an email, tel:+441234567890 offers to call, and BEGIN:VCARD text adds a contact.
https://example.com/menu website link
WIFI:T:WPA;S:CafeGuest;P:espresso-2026;; join a Wi-Fi network
mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Hello send an email
tel:+441234567890 call a number
SMSTO:+441234567890:Your message send a text messageThe QR code itself holds the content, so it cannot track scans or be edited after printing. If you need both, point the code at a short link on your own domain that redirects to the final page. You can change the destination later and count visits in your analytics.
Keep the content short
Every character you add makes the code denser, and at the same printed size each square gets smaller. The preview shows the effect live: paste a long link with tracking parameters and watch the grid fill up, then try a short redirect such as example.com/q/menu. Remove anything the destination does not need.
Add campaign tracking (UTM parameters) to the destination behind the redirect rather than to the printed URL, so scans can be measured without making the code harder to read.
Size, contrast and placement
Size the code for the scanning distance, not for the layout: roughly a tenth of the distance, so a table card read at arm's length needs a few centimetres and a sign across a room 20 cm or more. The quiet-zone guide linked above has the full table. Never crop the white border off the downloaded PNG to make the code fit; a code pressed against other artwork is the usual reason a large, sharp print still fails.
Print dark modules on a light background. Black on white is safest, and dark brand colours on white also work. Avoid light-on-dark inverted codes, glossy or reflective materials under bright lights, and placing the code over busy images.
Test before you print
Print one proof at the final size and scan it with at least one iPhone and one Android phone, using their built-in camera apps, at the real distance and in the real light. Check that the link opens the right page on mobile and loads quickly. A code that scans perfectly but lands on a slow desktop page still loses people.
Keep the destination alive. A printed QR code outlives website redesigns, and a code pointing to a deleted page wastes the whole print run. That is another reason to use a redirect you control.
Static codes vs "dynamic" QR services
Many QR websites offer free codes that are actually short links on their domain. They let you edit the destination and see statistics, but if the service shuts down, changes its terms or starts charging, every printed code stops working. Codes from this generator contain your link directly and never expire. Put a redirect on your own domain behind it if you want the flexibility without depending on a third party.
Frequently asked questions
Is this QR code generator free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit. The codes are static, so they keep working permanently.
Do the QR codes expire?
No. The link or text is stored inside the QR code itself, so it works as long as the destination exists. Codes only expire when a service encodes its own redirect link and later disables it.
How do I make a QR code for a website link?
Paste the full URL, starting with https://, into the generator, check the preview and download the PNG. Scan it with your phone before printing.
What size should a QR code be?
At least about 2 × 2 cm for close-range scanning, and roughly one tenth of the scanning distance for posters and signs. Keep the white margin around it.
Can I edit a QR code after printing?
Not the code itself. To change where it points later, encode a short link on your own domain that redirects to the final page, then update the redirect.
Can I create a QR code for Wi-Fi?
Yes. Enter text in the format `WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;;`, escaping any `;`, `:` or `,` in the name or password with a backslash, and phones will offer to join the network.