Decide what the scan opens, then create
Most people arrive wanting "a QR code", but a QR code is not a destination — it is a delivery mechanism. The useful question is what should be on the other person's screen a second after they scan.
- A website or landing page → URL
- A restaurant menu → Menu, built here or pointed at a PDF
- Your contact details, saved to their phone → vCard
- Guest WiFi access → WiFi, which joins the network with no typing
- All your social profiles → a link hub
- An app install → App, which routes iPhone and Android to the right store
- A document → PDF or File
Pick wrong and the code technically works while the experience does not: sending a hungry diner to your homepage instead of the menu is a working QR code and a failed one.
The three steps after that
1. Fill in the content. Each type asks only for what it needs — a URL field for a link, network and password for WiFi, name and number for a contact. Keep values short where you can; less data means a sparser, more reliable pattern.
2. Style it. Module shape, corner style, colours, and a centre logo. The one rule that is not negotiable: keep the code darker than its background. Inverted codes are read by fewer cameras than people expect, and a low-contrast pair fails under bad lighting even when it looks fine on your monitor.
3. Download and test. SVG for anything printed, PNG for screens. Then scan the file you actually exported — not the on-screen preview — with an iPhone and an Android.
Static or dynamic: decide before printing
This choice cannot be revisited after the codes are out in the world.
Static bakes the data into the pattern. Nothing to keep paying for, works with no server, and physically incapable of expiring — but permanent. Every type on this page is dynamic, so the destination stays yours to change.
Dynamic puts a short address in the pattern and keeps the destination editable behind it. The printed code never changes; where it leads can, and you see scan counts by time, city, and device. Right for menus, campaigns, packaging, and anything with a price on it.
The asymmetry matters: a dynamic code you never edit still cost you a plan, while a static code you needed to edit costs a reprint. The plan is the cheaper mistake of the two.
Common mistakes when creating a code
- Printing too small. Divide the expected scan distance by ten — that is the minimum width. Three metres away needs 30 cm.
- No quiet zone. The clear margin around the pattern is part of the code; crowding it with artwork breaks scanning.
- Never testing the export. The preview is not the file. Export, then scan the file.
- A logo too large. Error correction covers roughly 30% at most, and only at the highest level.
- No call to action. A bare square converts worse than the same square with "Scan for the menu" under it.
Related tools
For the design-led route, use the QR code maker. For the full walkthrough with screenshots, see how to create a QR code. To browse all 45 types by what they open, start at the generator hub.
How to create a QR code in 4 steps
Decide what the scan opens
Website, menu, contact card, WiFi, app install, document — the type you pick decides the whole experience, not just the data.
Fill in the content
Complete the fields for that type. Shorter values produce a sparser pattern that scans more reliably.
Style it, keeping contrast
Shapes, colours, and a centre logo. Keep the code darker than its background — that single rule prevents most scan failures.
Download and test the file
SVG for print, PNG for screens. Scan the exported file with an iPhone and an Android before it goes anywhere.
Frequently asked
Is a QR code creator different from a generator?
No — creator, generator, maker and writer all name the same tool. The differences between tools are in what they let you create, not in what they are called.
How long does creating a QR code take?
Under a minute for a link. Types with more content — a menu with sections and photos, a full business page — take as long as filling in that content does.
Do I need an account?
Not to build one, style it or preview it. Downloading needs a free account, because the destination has to belong to someone who can edit it.
Can I create a QR code with my logo in the middle?
Yes. Error correction lets the pattern survive a covered centre — keep the logo under about 30% of the width and test the export before printing.
What size should I create it at?
Export SVG and scale at print time. As a rule, minimum width equals expected scan distance divided by ten.
Read next
Need a different QR type? Browse all 48 QR types on the home page.