Plain URL
A link people can point at.
The most common QR code there is: a web address, encoded so a camera can open it. Nobody types a forty-character URL off a poster, but everybody will scan one.
live example — scannable
Payload format
It really is just the URL
There is no wrapper and no format to get wrong — the code contains the address and nothing else. That matters more than it sounds: because we encode your link directly, there is no redirect in the middle that can expire, get rate-limited, or disappear when a company shuts down.
https://example.com/menu- https://
- Always include a scheme. We add https:// if you type a bare host.
- Length
- Shorter links make a less dense, more forgiving code. Long ones still work.
- Case
- The path is case-sensitive on most servers, so check before printing.
How to make one
Paste, check, download
- 01
Paste your link
Anything with a scheme works — https, mailto, tel, or an app deep link.
- 02
Scan your own code
Check it on the phone you expect people to use, before it goes to print.
- 03
Export for the medium
SVG for print so it stays sharp at any size, PNG for screens.
Where it earns its keep
Where a link code works
- A menu on a table tent, updated without reprinting the card.
- A poster in a window, linking to opening hours or a booking page.
- Packaging that points to instructions instead of a folded leaflet.
- A slide at the end of a talk, so people can find you without typing.
Questions
URL QR codes, answered
Do these codes expire?
No. A static code contains the address itself, so there is nothing to expire and no subscription to lapse. It works for as long as the destination does.
Should I shorten the link first?
Only if it is very long. A shorter URL makes a lower-density code that scans faster in poor light. But a shortener adds a service that has to stay online — for print, encoding the real link is safer.
Can I track how many people scan it?
Not with a static code, because nothing reports back. Tracking needs a redirect service in the middle, which is a trade-off: you gain analytics and lose the guarantee that the code outlives us.
How small can I print it?
As a rule, the code should be at least a tenth of the scanning distance. For a poster read at two metres, that is roughly 20 cm. Always test at final size.