Use this QR code generator to make a code for a web address, plain text, a Wi-Fi network, an email, a phone number, an SMS or a contact card (vCard). Choose the error correction level, image size, quiet zone and colours, then download a PNG or a sharp SVG for print. The code is drawn in your browser, so your Wi-Fi password or contact details are never uploaded.
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Table of Contents
How to use it
Choose a content type and fill in the fields; the preview updates as you type. The Encoded text box shows exactly what is stored in the code, which helps when a phone does something unexpected after scanning. Always test the finished code with at least one phone camera before you print it.
What each content type stores
- Text or URL: stored as UTF-8 bytes. Phones open anything that starts with
https://as a link. - Wi-Fi: the de facto format
WIFI:T:WPA;S:network;P:password;H:true;;, read by the camera apps on Android and iOS. The characters\ ; , : "in the network name or password are escaped with a backslash, so names such asOffice;Gueststill work. - Email: a
mailto:link (RFC 6068) with the subject and body percent-encoded. - Phone and SMS:
tel:+441234567890andSMSTO:number:message. Spaces and brackets are removed; keep the country code. - vCard: a vCard 3.0 contact (RFC 2426) with CRLF line endings and escaped commas and semicolons.
Error correction, size and margin
QR codes use Reed-Solomon error correction. Level L can recover about 7% of damaged modules, M about 15%, Q about 25% and H about 30%. Higher levels make the code denser for the same data, so use M for screens and normal print, and Q or H if the code will get scuffed or you plan to place a small logo over the middle.
The image size is rounded down so every module is a whole number of pixels, which keeps edges crisp. The margin, or quiet zone, is the blank border around the code. The standard asks for four modules; scanners often fail when the code touches other artwork. For print, download the SVG: it scales to any size without blurring.
Colours and contrast
Scanners look for dark modules on a light background. The tool warns when the contrast ratio is below 4:1 or when the foreground is lighter than the background, because inverted codes are not read by every scanner. Pastel on white usually fails in poor light.
For server admins
Wi-Fi codes are handy for guest networks and server rooms, and a URL code on a rack label can link to the runbook for that machine. To make codes in a script, the qrencode package does the same job:
qrencode -o runbook.png -s 8 -m 4 -l M "https://wiki.example.com/servers/web01"
qrencode -t ANSIUTF8 "WIFI:T:WPA;S:Lab;P:secret;;" # print in the terminalQR Code Generator at a glance
Related tools: URL Encoder, Decoder and Parser · Open Graph and Social Card Preview · Favicon Generator.
Official documentation (checked 9 October 2026): ZXing wiki: Barcode Contents (Wi-Fi, SMS and other formats) · RFC 6068: The mailto URI Scheme · RFC 2426: vCard MIME Directory Profile (vCard 3.0)
Frequently asked questions
Do these QR codes expire?
No. The data is stored in the image itself, so the code works for as long as the URL or details inside it are valid. There is no redirect service involved.
Why will my phone not join the Wi-Fi network?
Check the security type and that the password is exactly right, including case. Some older phones cannot read hidden networks from a QR code; try unticking Hidden network.
How much text fits in a QR code?
Up to about 2,900 bytes at level L and less at higher levels. In practice keep it short: a code with a few hundred characters is already hard to scan from a distance.