How to make a QR code
- Choose what the code should hold: a website link, plain text, a Wi-Fi network or an email address.
- Type or paste the content. The preview updates as you type.
- Pick the error correction level. Medium suits most uses; choose High if the code will be printed small, on a curved surface or with a logo placed over it.
- Optionally change the colors. Keep dark modules on a light background with strong contrast, or phones may fail to read the code.
- Download the code as PNG for documents and messages, or as SVG for print, where it stays sharp at any size. Scan it with your phone before you print it.
Static codes that never expire
Many QR generator sites make a dynamic code: the code points to a short link on their server, which then forwards to your address. That lets them count scans, and it also lets them switch the code off, for example when a trial subscription ends. The code made here is static. It contains your link or text itself, so it works without any server and cannot be disabled.
The trade-off is that a static code cannot be edited after printing. If the address might change, point the code to a page you control and change that page instead.
Error correction and size
QR codes repeat part of their data so they can still be read when partly dirty or covered. DENSO WAVE, the company that invented the QR code, defines four levels that restore about 7% (L), 15% (M), 25% (Q) and 30% (H) of the code. Higher levels make the pattern denser, so the code needs to be printed larger to be scanned from the same distance.
Short content gives a simpler code that is easier to scan. A bare web address works better than one with long tracking parameters. The largest QR code holds 2,953 bytes, but codes that full are hard to read with a phone; this generator accepts up to 2,000 characters.
Wi-Fi codes
A Wi-Fi code stores the network name, password and security type in a standard text format. When guests scan it with the camera app on a current iPhone or Android phone, the phone offers to join the network without typing the password. Anyone who can photograph the code can read the password, so do not put it on public display unless it is a guest network.
Supported files and limitations
- Up to 2000 characters of text. Longer text makes a denser code that phone cameras read less reliably, and the largest QR code holds 2,953 bytes even at the lowest error correction.
- The code is generated by a script on this page as you type; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Up to 2,000 characters of content. Characters outside basic Latin, such as accented letters, Cyrillic or emoji, take two to four bytes each in the code.
No logo upload. If you add a logo in an editor afterwards, choose High error correction and keep the logo small and centered.
The code is not encrypted. Anyone who scans it sees its content.
QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.
Privacy and security
The QR code is drawn by a script running in your browser. The ExeDepot server only delivers this page and its scripts; it never receives the link, text or Wi-Fi password you type. The page loads no third-party scripts or ads, and its Content Security Policy allows connections only back to exedepot.com.
A QR code is not encrypted: anyone who scans it, or sees a photo of it, can read what it contains. Share a Wi-Fi code only with people you would tell the password to.
Frequently asked questions
Do these QR codes expire?
No. The code holds your link or text directly, not a redirect through our server, so it keeps working as long as the content itself is valid.
Is this QR code generator really free?
Yes. There is no account, no watermark, no limit on the number of codes and no premium tier. The codes are created in your browser.
Can I track how many people scan my code?
Not with a static code, because scanning does not contact any server. If you need statistics, point the code to a page on your own website and read its visitor statistics.
Which format should I download, PNG or SVG?
Use PNG for Word documents, presentations and messages. Use SVG for printing and design software such as Inkscape, because a vector code stays sharp at any size.
Is anything I type sent to a server?
No. The QR code is generated by a script running on this page. The link, text or Wi-Fi password you enter stays in your browser.
Inkscape
LibreOffice