QR Code for a Website

A URL QR code is simply a web address encoded into the QR pattern. There is no database entry and no tracking link — the destination lives inside the code itself. That is why a printed link QR code cannot suddenly stop working because a subscription expired.

Use it anywhere a printed link is inconvenient: a poster where nobody wants to type a 40-character URL, a business card, a product label. If someone can point a camera at it, a link QR code belongs there.

How to create a website QR code

1. Open the generator Go to Make My QR Code. The Website (URL) type is selected by default.
2. Paste your full URL Include https:// and the www if your site uses it. A bare domain usually works, but the full address is safer.
3. Adjust colours if you want Keep the dark modules clearly darker than the background. Low contrast is the most common reason a code fails to scan.
4. Download the PNG Use the largest resolution available, especially if the code will be printed.
5. Test it on two phones Scan the code from a phone made by a different manufacturer than yours. Test at the real viewing distance.

Where people use it

• Posters and flyers where typing a URL is impractical
• Business cards and email signatures
• Product packaging and labels
• Shop windows and vehicle graphics
• Menus, brochures and conference handouts
• Presentations, so the audience can open the link on their own device

Best practices

• Always include the protocol (https://) so scanners do not guess.
• If your URL is long or has tracking parameters, shorten it first — shorter URLs produce a less dense, easier-to-scan code.
• Generate at the highest resolution offered and scale down, never up.
• Aim for a printed size of at least 2×2 cm and keep a generous quiet zone of blank space around the code.
• Test with the phone's built-in camera, not a specialist app. That is what nearly everyone uses.

Common mistakes with link QR codes

Almost every failure we see with URL codes comes from one of five causes, and all of them are caught by testing before you print.

• Leaving off the protocol. A bare example.com makes some scanners guess and others fail. Always write the full https:// address.
• Pointing at a page that will move. A homepage survives redesigns; a campaign page usually does not. If the destination is temporary, link to something stable instead.
• Encoding a tracking-heavy URL. Long query strings create a dense pattern that fails at small print sizes. Strip the parameters you do not need.
• Low contrast. Light grey on white, or a coloured background behind a coloured code, is the most common scanning failure in the wild.
• Printing too small. A code that scans perfectly on a monitor can be unreadable at 1.5 cm on a business card.

Printing and sizing

Size a link code for the distance it will be read from. As a working rule, allow one centimetre of code width for every ten centimetres of scanning distance: roughly 2–3 cm on a business card, 4 cm on a table card, and 15 cm or more on a poster read from a few metres away.

Leave a blank margin around the code — the quiet zone — of at least four modules. Do not print a code on a curved surface if you can avoid it, and prefer matte finishes: gloss reflects the phone's own light back at the camera and is a frequent cause of failed scans on packaging.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use a shortened URL in the QR code?

It makes the pattern less dense and easier to scan, but it introduces a dependency: if the shortener shuts down, the printed code breaks. Use a shortener you control, or keep the URL short by design.

Why does my QR code work on screen but not in print?

Almost always size or contrast. Screens are backlit and allow close scanning; paper does not. Print a physical proof at final size and scan it at the real distance before committing to a run.