Create custom QR codes for URLs, text, email, phone, and WiFi. Customize colors and size, download as PNG or SVG. Free, instant, no sign-up.
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Why Use Our Free QR Code Generator?
Instant Generation
QR codes generate in real-time as you type. No waiting, no loading screens. See your code update live.
Full Customization
Custom colors, 6 presets, 5 size options, and 4 error correction levels. Make QR codes that match your brand.
PNG & SVG Export
Download in PNG for web and social media, or SVG for print and scalable graphics. No watermarks, ever.
100% Private
Everything runs in your browser. No data sent to servers. No tracking. Your QR codes stay yours.
5 Content Types
URLs, plain text, email addresses, phone numbers, and WiFi networks. Each type auto-formats for scanners.
Works Everywhere
Generated QR codes are standard format. They scan on every smartphone camera and every QR reader app.
What Is a QR Code?
A QR code (Quick Response code) is a two-dimensional barcode that stores information in a pattern of black and white squares. Unlike traditional barcodes that hold a few dozen characters, QR codes can store thousands of characters — URLs, contact details, WiFi credentials, plain text, and more. Point your smartphone camera at one, and the encoded information appears instantly.
QR codes were invented in 1994 by Denso Wave, a Japanese automotive company, originally to track vehicle parts during manufacturing. The technology was made freely available, which is why QR codes spread everywhere — restaurant menus, business cards, product packaging, event tickets, advertisements, and digital payments. Today, every smartphone with a camera can read them natively without any special app.
Our free QR code generator lets you create QR codes for five different content types: URLs, plain text, email addresses, phone numbers, and WiFi networks. Each type uses a standardized format so that when someone scans your code, their device knows exactly what to do — open a website, compose an email, dial a number, or connect to WiFi automatically.
How to Create a QR Code
Creating a QR code with our tool takes about ten seconds. Here is the process:
1
Select your content type. Click URL for websites, Text for any message, Email for email addresses, Phone for phone numbers, or WiFi for network credentials.
2
Enter your content. Type or paste the URL, text, email, phone number, or WiFi details. The QR code updates in real time as you type — you do not even need to click a generate button.
3
Customize the look. Choose from 6 color presets or set custom foreground and background colors. Pick your preferred size (128px to 1024px) and error correction level.
4
Download or copy. Click Download PNG for a standard image file, Download SVG for a scalable vector, or Copy to Clipboard to paste it directly into a design tool or document.
For WiFi QR codes, you will also need to enter the network password and select the encryption type (WPA/WPA2, WEP, or None). You can also mark the network as hidden if it does not broadcast its SSID. When someone scans the resulting QR code, their phone will connect to the WiFi network automatically — no manual password entry needed.
Types of QR Codes You Can Create
Each QR code type encodes data in a specific format that devices recognize. Here is what each type does:
Type
What It Does
Best For
URL
Opens a website in the default browser
Websites, landing pages, social profiles, app downloads
Text
Displays plain text on the scanner's screen
Messages, instructions, product info, serial numbers
Email
Opens email app with pre-filled recipient, subject, and body
Contact forms, feedback collection, customer support
Phone
Opens the phone dialer with the number pre-filled
Business cards, storefronts, customer service lines
WiFi
Connects to a WiFi network automatically
Offices, cafes, hotels, events, home guests
URL QR codes are the most commonly created type. They are used on business cards, flyers, posters, product packaging, and digital screens. WiFi QR codes are growing in popularity for hospitality and offices — it is much easier to scan a code than to type a long password. Phone and email QR codes are invaluable for brick-and-mortar businesses that want to make it effortless for customers to get in touch.
Understanding QR Code Error Correction
One of the most remarkable features of QR codes is their built-in error correction. Even if part of the code is damaged, dirty, or obscured, it can still be read. This is possible because QR codes use Reed-Solomon error correction, which adds redundant data to the code. Our QR code generator lets you choose from four levels:
Level
Recovery
When to Use
Low (L)
~7% damage recovery
Clean environments, digital screens, maximum data capacity
Medium (M)
~15% damage recovery
General purpose, recommended default for most uses
Quartile (Q)
~25% damage recovery
Outdoor use, printed materials that may get worn
High (H)
~30% damage recovery
Harsh environments, codes with logos overlaid on them
Higher error correction means the code can survive more damage, but it also means more data modules in the QR code, making it denser. For most situations, Medium (M) is the right choice. Use High (H) if you plan to put a logo in the center of the QR code or if the code will be printed on materials that might get scratched or dirty.
Practical Uses for QR Codes
QR codes have become part of daily life. Here are the most common and creative ways people use QR codes generated with tools like ours:
Business Cards
Add a QR code to your business card that links to your LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or website. When someone scans it, they get your full contact info without typing anything. It bridges the gap between physical and digital networking.
Restaurant Menus
Digital menus via QR code became standard during the pandemic and stayed because they work. Print a QR code on table tents or stickers. Customers scan and see the menu on their phone. Update the menu online without reprinting anything.
Marketing Materials
Flyers, posters, brochures, and billboards with QR codes drive traffic to landing pages, promotional offers, or app downloads. The conversion from physical marketing to digital engagement is seamless with a QR code.
Product Packaging
QR codes on product packaging can link to instruction manuals, video tutorials, warranty registration, or ingredient lists. Customers get detailed information without cluttering the packaging with tiny text.
WiFi Sharing
Create a WiFi QR code and print it as a small card or sticker near your router. Guests scan the code and connect instantly. No more spelling out passwords or dealing with typos. Perfect for homes, offices, cafes, hotels, and events.
Event Management
QR codes on event tickets serve as digital entry passes. They can also link to event schedules, maps, speaker bios, or feedback forms. One code can replace an entire printed program.
Education
Teachers put QR codes on worksheets that link to supplementary videos, interactive quizzes, or reference materials. Students scan with their phones and get instant access to additional resources.
Payment and Transactions
QR codes power mobile payment systems worldwide. Services like Venmo, PayPal, and various banking apps use QR codes to facilitate instant peer-to-peer and point-of-sale transactions.
QR Code Best Practices
A QR code is only useful if people can scan it reliably. Follow these guidelines to make sure your QR codes work every time:
Maintain high contrast. The foreground should be significantly darker than the background. Black on white is ideal. Avoid light-on-light or dark-on-dark combinations. Our color presets are all designed with sufficient contrast for reliable scanning.
Size matters. A QR code should be at least 2cm × 2cm (about 0.8 inches) for close-range scanning like business cards. For posters viewed from a distance, the code needs to be larger. A good rule of thumb: the scanning distance should be no more than 10 times the QR code width.
Leave a quiet zone. The white border around the QR code (called the quiet zone) helps scanners detect where the code starts and ends. Our generator includes this automatically, but avoid cropping it when placing the code in your designs.
Test before printing. Always scan your QR code with at least two different phones before committing to print. Test under different lighting conditions. A code that works on your screen might not work on glossy paper under fluorescent lights.
Keep URLs short. Longer content creates denser, harder-to-scan QR codes. If your URL is long, use a URL shortener before encoding it. This produces a cleaner, more reliable QR code.
Do not invert colors carelessly. QR code scanners expect dark modules on a light background. While some scanners handle inverted codes, many do not. Stick with darker foreground and lighter background for maximum compatibility.
Use appropriate error correction. Medium is the default for good reason. Only drop to Low if you need maximum data capacity in a clean environment. Bump up to High if the code will face physical wear or you want to overlay a small logo.
PNG vs SVG: Which Format Should You Download?
Our QR code maker lets you download in both PNG and SVG formats. Each has its strengths:
PNG (Raster)
Pixel-based image format. The size you download is the size you get. Works everywhere — social media, websites, documents, presentations.
Universal compatibility
Easy to share and embed
Best for digital use
Good for social media posts
SVG (Vector)
Scalable vector format. Can be resized to any dimension without losing quality. Perfect for professional printing.
Infinite scalability
Perfect for print materials
Smaller file size
Editable in design software
If you are putting the QR code on a website or sharing it on social media, PNG is the right choice. If you are printing it on business cards, posters, banners, or any material where size might vary, go with SVG. You can always download both and use whichever fits the situation.
How Do QR Codes Actually Work?
A QR code is essentially data rendered as a grid of black and white modules (squares). The encoding process converts your text, URL, or other data into binary, then maps that binary data onto the grid following a specific pattern. Every QR code contains several structural elements:
1
Finder patterns
The three large squares in the corners. These help the scanner locate and orient the code, regardless of the scanning angle. They are always present in every QR code.
2
Alignment patterns
Smaller squares that appear in larger QR codes. They help correct for distortion when the code is scanned at an angle or on a curved surface.
3
Timing patterns
Alternating black and white modules between the finder patterns. They help the scanner determine the grid size and module coordinates.
4
Format information
Encoded near the finder patterns. This tells the scanner which error correction level and data masking pattern the code uses.
5
Data and error correction
The actual encoded data plus redundant error correction codewords. This is where your URL, text, or contact info lives.
When you scan a QR code, your phone's camera captures the image, identifies the finder patterns to determine orientation, reads the format information, decodes the data modules, applies error correction to fix any errors, and finally delivers the decoded content. The entire process happens in milliseconds, which is why scanning feels instant.
Frequently Asked Questions
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URLs, text, email, phone, WiFi. Custom colors and sizes. Download PNG or SVG. Completely free, no sign-up.