QR Code Generator
This free QR code generator turns a link, Wi-Fi network, contact card, email, SMS, phone number, or WhatsApp chat into a scannable QR code, right in your browser. Customize the size, colors, and error-correction level, then download it as a sharp PNG or a scalable SVG. Nothing you enter is uploaded.
Fill in the fields to generate a QR code.
Why did my free QR code stop working?
Usually because it was a dynamic code. Many QR generators do not put your link in the pattern: they put a short link to their own server, which forwards each scan to your page. That lets them count scans and change the destination, and it also lets them switch the code off. Several of them say in their own help pages that codes made during a free trial stop working when the trial ends, or after a set number of scans.
The codes made here are static. Your link, Wi-Fi details or contact card are written into the pattern itself, so there is no server in between, no account, no scan limit and nothing to expire. The code keeps working for as long as the page it points to exists. The trade-off is that you cannot change the destination later: if it changes, make a new code.
Which QR code type should you pick?
| Type | What happens when scanned | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Link / text | Opens a page or shows the text | Menus, landing pages, reviews |
| Wi-Fi | Joins the network with no typing | Cafés, offices, guest rooms, rentals |
| Contact | Opens a contact ready to save (vCard) | Business cards, badges, signatures |
| Opens a new email, already filled in | Support, bookings, enquiries | |
| SMS | Opens a text message, already filled in | Campaigns, quick replies |
| Phone | Starts a call to the number | Shop windows, flyers, taxis |
| Opens a chat with you, message ready | Shops, services, small business |
How much can a QR code hold?
More than most people need, and less the more protection you ask for. We filled the generator with plain text until it refused, at each error-correction level:
| Level | Survives damage to about | Most characters |
|---|---|---|
| L | 7% of the code | 2,953 |
| M | 15% | 2,331 |
| Q | 25% | 1,663 |
| H | 30% | 1,273 |
A typical web address is 30 to 80 characters, so it fits easily at any level. The numbers matter for long text or a contact card with every field filled in. More data and a higher level both make the pattern denser, with smaller squares, which is harder to scan from a distance. M is the everyday default; use H when the code will be printed small, put on something that gets scuffed, or partly covered.
Why won't my QR code scan?
We checked every code from this generator with the QR reader built into Chrome, and it read all of them, including pale colours down to a contrast of about 2 to 1 and light squares on a dark background. A phone camera is less forgiving than a clean digital image: in dim light, at an angle or on a glossy print, the same codes fail sooner. So the safe choices are:
- Dark squares on a light background, with strong contrast.
- Leave the white margin around the code. Cropping it is the most common reason a printed code fails.
- Print it big enough. A common rule of thumb is a width of at least one tenth of the scanning distance: 10 cm for a scan from 1 metre.
- Keep the link short, so the pattern stays simple.
- Use the SVG for print, so the edges stay sharp at any size.
How do you make a Wi-Fi QR code that works?
Choose Wi-Fi, type the network name exactly as it appears on your phone, pick the security (WPA for almost every home and office router) and type the password. Tick Hidden network only if your network does not broadcast its name.
Network names and passwords often contain characters that the Wi-Fi QR format uses as separators, such as ;, , and :. The generator escapes them for you, which is why a network called Café;Net, "5G" still joins correctly: we scanned it and the details came back exactly as typed. Contact cards get the same treatment, so a name with a comma or semicolon is saved whole. Everything is built in your browser, so the password and personal details never leave your device.
Frequently asked questions
Do these QR codes expire?
No. This tool makes static QR codes, where the data is encoded directly into the pattern. There is no link back to us and no tracking, so the code works forever and never expires. The trade-off is that you cannot edit the destination later; generate a new code if the target changes.
What is error correction, and which level should I use?
Error correction lets a QR code still scan when part of it is dirty, damaged, or covered, by adding redundant data. Level L recovers about 7%, M about 15%, Q about 25%, and H about 30%. Medium is a good default; use High if the code will be printed small or might get scuffed.
Should I download the QR code as PNG or SVG?
PNG is a ready-made image, good for websites, documents and messages. SVG is drawn from shapes, so it stays perfectly sharp at any size, which is what printers, sign makers and design tools want. Both come from the same code and scan the same; pick the size and colors under Style before downloading.
How do I make a Wi-Fi QR code?
Pick the Wi-Fi type, enter your network name exactly as it appears, choose the security (usually WPA), and type the password. Anyone who scans the code joins the network without typing anything. The details are encoded into the pattern in your browser and never leave your device.
Can I make a QR code for my contact details?
Yes. Choose Contact and fill in name, phone, email, company, job title, and website. The tool builds a standard vCard, so scanning it opens the phone contact screen ready to save. It is the fastest way to put your details on a business card or a conference badge.
How big should a QR code be for printing?
A good rule is that the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance. For a scan from one metre away, print it about ten centimetres wide. For print, download the SVG: it scales to any size without blurring. Always keep a clear margin around the code.
Why did my free QR code stop working?
It was most likely a dynamic code, which sends each scan through the maker’s server. Several generators switch those codes off when a free trial ends or after a scan limit. Static codes, like the ones made here, hold your link in the pattern itself, so they keep working as long as the page they point to exists.
How much data can a QR code hold?
In our test the generator accepted up to 2,953 characters of plain text at error-correction level L, 2,331 at M, 1,663 at Q and 1,273 at H. A web address is usually 30 to 80 characters, so it fits at any level. Less data keeps the pattern simpler and faster to scan.
What is the difference between static and dynamic QR codes?
A static code has the data baked into the pattern, so it works forever, needs no server, and tracks nothing. A dynamic code points to a redirect service, which lets you change the destination and count scans, but it stops working if that service disappears. This tool makes static codes.
Can I create a WhatsApp QR code?
Yes. Choose WhatsApp, enter the number with the country code and no symbols, and optionally a prefilled message. Scanning opens a chat with you, with the message already typed. It is handy on a shop window, a flyer, or a business card so customers reach you in one tap.
Related tools
Rate QR Code Generator & help shape it
This tool is free and still growing. Tell us what works, what you would change, and what is missing. Your feedback is what decides what we build next.
Built and tested by the ÆON Toolhub team. Last updated: October 18, 2026. How we test our tools