QR codes are everywhere — menus, business cards, WiFi posters, product packaging. Making one is simple once you understand the three things that actually matter: the content type, the error correction level, and the export size.
Step 1: Choose what the QR code does
A QR code just encodes text — but the format of that text tells the scanning phone what to do with it. The most common types:
- URL — opens a website. The most common use by far.
- WiFi — lets a phone join your network without typing the password.
- vCard / Contact — adds a name, phone, email, and company to the address book.
- Email / SMS / WhatsApp — opens a pre-filled message.
- Phone — starts a call.
- Plain text — shows a note.
In the QR generator, pick the matching tab and fill in the fields — the preview updates as you type.
Step 2: How to make a WiFi QR code
This is the one everyone asks about. Select the WiFi tab, enter your network name (SSID), the password, and the security type (WPA/WPA2 for almost all modern routers). That's it. When a guest points their phone camera at the code, it offers to join the network — no password typing, no spelling out "capital-B, number-3."
Step 3: How to make a vCard (contact) QR code
Choose the Contact tab and fill in name, phone, email, organization, and website. The result is a digital business card: one scan adds you to someone's contacts. Perfect for conferences, name badges, and email signatures.
Adding a logo (and why error correction matters)
You can drop a logo in the center of a QR code to make it on-brand. The catch: the logo covers part of the pattern. That's what error correction is for — it adds redundancy so the code still scans even when part of it is obscured or damaged.
- L (7%) — smallest code, no logo.
- M (15%) — good default for plain codes.
- Q (25%) — textured surfaces or small print.
- H (30%) — best with a logo. Our generator switches to this automatically when you add one.
Which size should you download?
- 512px PNG — screens, email, slides.
- 1024px PNG — standard paper printing.
- 2048px PNG or SVG — posters, banners, signage. The SVG scales to any size with no pixelation.
Rule of thumb: a printed QR should be at least ~2–3 cm (about 1 inch) on its shortest side to scan reliably from normal reading distance.
Static vs. dynamic QR codes
Our generator makes static QR codes: the data lives in the pattern itself, so the code never expires and works forever — but you can't edit where it points after printing. Dynamic codes (offered by paid services) redirect through a server so you can change the destination and track scans, at the cost of a subscription and a third party seeing your scan data. For most uses — a menu, a WiFi poster, a business card — a free static code is exactly what you want.
Pro tip: track your campaign with UTM tags
If the QR points to your website and you want to know how much traffic it drives, build the URL with the UTM Builder first, then paste that tagged URL into the QR generator. Now those visits show up as a distinct source in your analytics.
Frequently asked questions
Do free QR codes expire? Static ones (like ours) never expire. A URL code keeps working as long as the URL does.
Is it safe to put my WiFi password in a QR code? Yes, if you generate it client-side (nothing is uploaded) and share the printed code only with people you'd give the password to anyway.
Can I change a QR code after printing it? Not a static one — the data is baked in. Use a dynamic code if you need editable destinations.
Wrapping up
Creating a QR code is a 30-second job: pick the type, fill the fields, add a logo if you want, and download the right size. No app, no signup, no data leaving your device.
Create a QR code for free →Related free tools: UTM Builder · Meta Tag Generator · URL Encoder