Plenty of “free” QR code sites hand you a code that quietly points at their own redirect server, then stop working when the trial ends. The free QR code generator below does the opposite: it writes your link, Wi-Fi login, email, phone number, SMS or contact card straight into the code, so there is nothing to expire and no middleman counting your scans.
Pick what the code should do, fill in the details, set the size, error correction and colours, and download a PNG for screens or an SVG for print. The code is drawn in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to a server.
Seven Code Types, Static Links and Error Correction Choices
- Seven code types: website link, plain text, Wi-Fi, email, phone call, SMS and vCard contact card.
- Static codes never expire, but you cannot change where they point after printing. Use a link you control.
- Higher error correction survives scratches and logos but makes the pattern denser; medium suits most uses.
- Keep dark dots on a light background with a clear border, and the tool warns you when contrast is too low.
- Download SVG for print so the code stays sharp at any size.
QR code generator
Make a static QR code for a link, text, Wi-Fi login, email, phone call, SMS or contact card. It is drawn in your browser and never expires.
Codes are generated on this page with the open-source qrcode-generator library. Nothing you type is sent to a server, and the codes are static, so they keep working as long as the link or details inside them stay valid. Always test a code with two or three phones before printing it.
How to Use the QR Code Generator
- Choose the type: the buttons at the top switch between link, text, Wi-Fi, email, phone, SMS and contact card. Arrow keys move between them if you use a keyboard.
- Fill in the details: the code redraws as you type. Under the preview you can see exactly what is encoded, which helps when a scan does not do what you expected.
- Set the options: image size from 256 to 2,048 pixels, error correction from Low to High, the quiet zone (white border) and the two colours.
- Download: PNG for websites, slides and WhatsApp; SVG for anything printed, from menus to shop windows.
Then test it. Scan the code with at least two phones, one iPhone and one Android if you can, from the distance a customer will actually stand.
What Each QR Code Type Does
| Type | What the phone does | What gets encoded |
|---|---|---|
| Website link | Opens the page in the browser | https://example.com/menu |
| Text | Shows the text on screen | The text itself |
| Wi-Fi | Offers to join the network | WIFI:T:WPA;S:CafeGuest;P:password;; |
| Opens a new email with the address, subject and message filled in | mailto: link | |
| Phone call | Offers to call the number | tel:+15550100199 |
| SMS | Opens a text message with the number and message filled in | SMSTO:number:message |
| Contact card | Offers to save a contact with name, company, phone, email, website and address | vCard 3.0 |
The tool handles the fiddly parts for you. It adds https:// to links that lack it, strips spaces and brackets from phone numbers, and escapes the semicolons, commas and colons that would otherwise break a Wi-Fi password or a company name like “Sharma, Rao & Co” inside a contact card. Every type was checked in our tests by decoding the downloaded PNG and SVG files and comparing them with what was typed, including accented letters, Hindi and Chinese text and emoji.
Error Correction, Size and How Much Fits
QR codes were developed by Denso Wave in 1994, and they carry spare data so a reader can rebuild a damaged code. Keyence’s QR code guide lists four levels by the share of the code that can be damaged and still read:
| Level | Damage it can recover from | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| L (Low) | About 7% | Screens and long text, where you need the most capacity |
| M (Medium) | About 15% | The default for most printed and on-screen codes |
| Q (Quartile) | About 25% | Outdoor signs, packaging and stickers that get scuffed |
| H (High) | About 30% | Codes with a logo placed over the middle, or rough surfaces |
More correction means more modules (the small squares), so the same link produces a denser pattern that needs to be printed larger. The largest symbol is 177 by 177 modules and holds up to 2,953 bytes of binary data at the lowest correction level, according to the same guide. In practice, keep codes short. A 30-character link gives a small, open pattern that scans fast even on a cheap phone; a 400-word note does not. For anything long, put the content on a web page and encode the link.
The info line under the preview shows the version, module count and the size of each module in pixels. If a module is only one or two pixels wide, pick a larger image size.
Colours, Contrast and the Quiet Zone
You can match the code to your brand, but scanners look for contrast between dark modules and a light background. The generator measures the contrast ratio between your two colours and warns you below 3:1. It also warns if the dots are lighter than the background, because inverted codes do not scan in some camera apps. Black on white gives 21:1; our navy on white example scores 16:1.
Leave the white border alone unless you have a reason. Standard QR codes need a margin of four modules on each side, Keyence notes, and a code printed tight against a photo or a coloured box often fails to scan.
Static vs Dynamic QR Codes
A static code, which is what this tool makes, contains your actual data. It works offline, needs no account and lasts as long as the destination exists. A dynamic code contains a short link to a service that forwards scans to your real address. That lets you change the destination and count scans, but you depend on the service staying up, and many charge a monthly fee once the trial ends.
You can get most of the benefits of a dynamic code for free. Point the static code at a page on your own website, then change that page whenever you need to, and add UTM tags to the link if you want scans to show up in your analytics.
Ways Small Businesses Use QR Codes
- Menus and price lists: a link to an online menu on every table or on the side of a coffee trailer.
- Guest Wi-Fi: a framed Wi-Fi code at the counter saves staff from spelling out passwords. If you are upgrading the network, our explainer on Wi-Fi 7 covers what the new standard changes.
- Property listings: estate agents put a link to the listing or a WhatsApp chat on yard signs and brochures. In Maharashtra that code sits alongside the project QR code MahaRERA requires on promotions, which our guide to WhatsApp marketing for real estate agents explains.
- Business cards: a vCard code lets someone save your details in one tap.
- Invoices and receipts: a link to a payment page on the invoices you make with our free invoice generator.
One caution: scammers paste fake QR stickers over real ones on parking meters and posters. Check your printed codes now and then, and tell customers where your genuine code should be. Find more free tools on the Bizolaunch tools page.
Expiry, Scan Tracking and Codes That Will Not Scan
Do These QR Codes Expire?
No. The data is stored in the code itself, so it keeps working as long as the link, phone number or network inside it is still valid. There is no account or subscription behind it.
Can I Track How Many People Scan My Code?
Not with the code alone, because static codes do not report anything. Add UTM parameters to the link, for example ?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=flyer, and your website analytics will count the visits.
Should I Download PNG or SVG?
PNG for screens, documents and messaging apps. SVG for print and design software, because it is a vector file that stays sharp at any size, from a sticker to a banner.
Why Won’t My QR Code Scan?
The usual causes are low contrast, inverted colours, no white border, a code printed too small for the scanning distance, or too much data. Switch to black on white, restore the four-module border, shorten the content and print larger, then test again.
Is My Wi-Fi Password Safe in a QR Code?
The password is readable by anyone who scans the code, exactly as if it were printed on a card. Use it for a guest network that is separate from the one your business systems run on.
