QR Code Generator
Turn any text or URL into a downloadable, scannable QR code.
About this tool
Generate a scannable QR code from any text or URL, entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded. Pick an error-correction level and download the result as an SVG, which stays crisp at any size from a business card to a poster.
What a QR code holds. A QR code is a 2D grid encoding a short string. The three fixed squares in the corners let a scanner find and orient it; the rest is data plus error-correction bits. Common payloads: a URL, plain text, a phone number (tel:), an email (mailto:), Wi-Fi credentials, or a vCard contact. The scanner just reads the string and the phone decides what to do with it.
Error-correction levels. QR codes use Reed–Solomon error correction, so a partly damaged or obscured code still scans. You choose how much:
| Level | Recoverable damage | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| L | ~7% | Smallest, least dense code |
| M | ~15% | The usual default |
| Q | ~25% | Good for print that may scuff |
| H | ~30% | Needed if you overlay a logo in the centre |
Higher correction means more modules for the same content, so the code looks busier and needs to be printed larger to stay scannable.
Capacity and density. QR codes come in fixed "versions" (sizes). This tool auto-selects the smallest version that fits your text at the chosen level, which is why adding characters makes the grid denser. Keep URLs short — use a redirect or short link rather than a 200-character tracking URL — so the printed code stays easy to scan.
Printing tips. Keep a clear "quiet zone" (blank margin) of at least four modules around the code. Maintain strong contrast — dark on light, never light on dark or low-contrast colors. As a rough guide, print at least 2×2 cm for a code scanned from arm's length, larger for greater distances.
Static, not dynamic. The code encodes exactly what you type. If you need to change the destination later without reprinting, point the QR code at a URL you control and change what that URL redirects to.
To read a code from an image or camera, use the QR code scanner. For Wi-Fi or contact-card codes specifically, the Wi-Fi QR generator and vCard QR generator build the payload for you. For 1D retail barcodes, use the barcode generator.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the error-correction level do?
- It sets how much of the code can be damaged or covered while still scanning — from about 7% (L) to 30% (H) — at the cost of a denser code for the same content. M is a good default; use H if you're placing a logo over the middle.
- Why did the code get denser when I added text?
- QR codes have fixed size steps with set capacities. The tool picks the smallest one that fits, so longer text moves it up to a larger, more detailed grid.
- Is there a length limit?
- Yes. Even the largest version caps out at a few thousand characters (fewer at higher correction levels). Text that doesn't fit shows a message.
- Why download SVG instead of PNG?
- SVG is vector, so it scales to any print size without blurring or pixelation. You can convert it to PNG at a specific resolution afterward if a tool requires that.
- Can I change where the code points after printing it?
- Not directly — the code is static. Encode a URL you control and update that URL's redirect target instead.
- Is the code or its content sent anywhere?
- No. Generation is entirely local to your browser.