QR code generator

How do I make a QR code?

Static codes made on your device: no expiry, no redirects, no scan tracking.

What the code holds

Link or text

A web address opens in the phone's browser; any other text is shown as text.

Code options

Minimum error correction

Download size

Your QR code

Link or text

Download

This code contains

Link or text: https://how.box/

Code details

Version: 2
Size: 25 × 25 modules
Error correction: Quartile (Q), raised automatically

A static code: the content is in the code itself. It works without this site, never expires, and nobody counts the scans.

How to use

Choose what the code holds: a link or text, a Wi-Fi network, a contact, an email, a text message, an event, a location or a payment.
Fill in the fields. The code updates as you type, and the text under it shows exactly what a phone will read.
Download it as PNG for documents and messages or SVG for print, then scan it once with your own phone before you share it.

How it works

A QR code stores text in a grid of black and white squares. Phone cameras read the text and act on its form: a web address opens in the browser, a WIFI: line joins a network, a vCard becomes a contact. The codes made here are static: everything is in the squares themselves, so they work without this site, never expire and nobody can count who scans them. So-called dynamic codes hold only a short link to someone's server, which can stop working or record every scan.

The code follows the QR standard ISO/IEC 18004. The text is split into 8-bit codewords, and Reed–Solomon error correction codewords are added so a scratched or partly covered code still reads: about 7 % of it can be damaged at level L, 15 % at M, 25 % at Q and 30 % at H. Larger content or a higher level needs a larger version, from 21 × 21 squares (version 1) up to 177 × 177 (version 40), which holds at most 2,953 bytes at level L. A link such as https://how.box/ is 16 bytes and fits version 1.

The contents follow the formats phones read: the ZXing WIFI: format for networks, vCard 3.0 (RFC 2426) for contacts, mailto: (RFC 6068), SMSTO: for text messages, iCalendar events (RFC 5545), geo: URIs (RFC 5870) and the European Payments Council's EPC QR (EPC069-12) for SEPA credit transfers in euros.

Keep codes short and print them at least 2 cm wide, dark on light. Wi-Fi and event codes depend on the phone's camera app; most current Android phones and iPhones read them.

Frequently asked questions

Do these QR codes expire?

No. The content is inside the code itself, so it works for as long as the link or details in it are valid. There is no subscription and no redirect that could stop.

Can I see how many people scanned my code?

No, and neither can anyone else. Counting scans needs a code that points to a tracking server first; these codes go straight to your content.

Can I change a QR code after printing it?

Not the printed code. If the destination may change, put a link to a page you control in the code and update that page instead.

Which error correction should I choose?

Medium suits most uses. Choose high for codes that get scratched or dirty outdoors; choose low to keep a long link's code smaller.

PNG or SVG?

PNG for documents, slides and messages. SVG stays sharp at any size, so use it for print and large signs.

Is my content sent anywhere?

No. The code is made in your browser. Passwords and personal details are not even put in the page address or in copied links unless you choose to include them.

How small can I print a QR code?

About 2 × 2 cm for a short link scanned up close. Larger content, or scanning from further away, needs a larger print: roughly one tenth of the scanning distance.

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