How to Create a QR Code: A Beginner's Guide

Creating a QR code takes a few seconds once you know which type fits what you're trying to do. This walks through the general process once; each generator below has its own dedicated page with type-specific details.

Step 1: Decide what should happen when someone scans it

This is the only decision that really matters; everything else is styling. Match your goal to a type:

• Send someone to a website, PDF, or file → URL / Website QR code
• Start a WhatsApp chat → WhatsApp QR code
• Start a phone call → Phone QR code
• Open a pre-filled text message → SMS QR code
• Open a pre-filled email → Email QR code
• Save your contact details → Business Card (vCard) QR code
• Join your WiFi network → WiFi QR code
• Leave a Google review → Google Review QR code
• Visit a social media profile → Social Media QR code
• Open a map to an address → Location QR code
• Save an event to a calendar → Calendar Event QR code
• Encode plain text (a note, a password, instructions) → Text QR code

Step 2: Enter your information

Each generator only asks for what that QR type actually needs, and validates it before letting you generate, so you won't end up with a code that silently encodes an empty or broken value.

Step 3: Style it, if you want to

Colors, a rounded or dotted style, and an optional centered logo are all optional. A built-in contrast check and scanability checklist flag anything likely to cause scanning problems before you download, which is worth paying attention to rather than dismissing.

Step 4: Pick the size and format for where it'll be used

Downloading for print? Use a vector format (SVG, PDF, or EPS) and size it appropriately; see our size guide. Staying digital? PNG or JPG at screen resolution is fine.

Step 5: Test it before you publish or print it

Scan your own QR code with your phone before it goes anywhere public. It takes ten seconds and it's the only way to be sure it actually opens what you meant it to.