QR Code Generator
Generate custom QR codes locally in your browser for URLs, text, Wi-Fi, email, phone numbers, and SMS without sending the QR payload to a QR generation server. Developers can customize the payload, error correction, colors, size, and logo, then export PNG or scalable SVG assets for websites, documentation, applications, and print workflows.
1 · Content
2 · Style
3 · Preview & Export
“Generate QR Code”
Pro tips
- Use strong contrast between the foreground and background.
- Use High error correction when placing a logo over the QR code.
- Test-scan the finished QR code before publishing or printing it.
- Use SVG when you need a scalable vector asset for design or documentation.
QR Code Generator: How It Works
A QR code is a two-dimensional machine-readable symbol that stores information using a grid of dark and light modules. This generator creates QR codes in your browser from common developer and everyday payloads including URLs, text, Wi-Fi credentials, email addresses, telephone numbers, and SMS messages.
The QR payload is processed locally in the browser rather than being submitted to a QR-generation API. You can customize the QR size, foreground and background colors, error correction, and optional center-logo placement before exporting the finished code as PNG or SVG.
QR Code Error Correction Levels
QR codes use Reed–Solomon error correction to help recover encoded information when part of the symbol becomes dirty, damaged, obscured, or otherwise unreadable. The four standard levels are L, M, Q, and H.
| Level | Approximate recovery capacity | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| L | About 7% | Cleaner environments where maximizing payload capacity is useful. |
| M | About 15% | General-purpose QR codes. |
| Q | About 25% | Situations where additional resistance to damage is useful. |
| H | About 30% | Useful when the symbol may be partially obscured or contains a logo. |
Higher error correction reserves more of the QR symbol for redundant recovery information. That generally leaves less capacity for the original payload at a given QR version, so the appropriate level depends on how and where the finished QR code will be used.
QR Code Data Density and Capacity
QR code capacity is not unlimited. QR symbols are divided into versions, with larger versions containing more modules and therefore providing room for more encoded information. The amount of data that fits also depends on the encoding mode, character set, error correction level, and payload.
Why long URLs create denser QR codes
A short URL generally requires less encoded data than a long URL. Long paths, query strings, tracking parameters, large text messages, and other verbose payloads can increase the QR version required to represent the information.
What happens when a QR code becomes too dense?
As the QR version increases, the symbol contains more modules. If the physical QR image is not increased accordingly, each individual module becomes smaller and scanning can become more difficult. Increasing the exported image dimensions changes the physical module size, but does not increase the underlying data capacity of a particular QR version.
Keep developer payloads concise
When practical, use concise URLs and avoid unnecessary data inside a QR payload. Shorter data generally produces a simpler symbol that is easier to display, print, and scan.
PNG vs SVG QR Code Export
PNG export
PNG is a raster image format made from pixels. It is convenient for websites, presentations, screenshots, social media, application assets, and ordinary image workflows. The print-ready PNG option creates a larger raster image for workflows that need additional bitmap resolution.
SVG export
SVG is a vector format. The QR modules are represented as vector shapes rather than being limited to a fixed raster resolution. This makes SVG useful for developer documentation, design software, responsive graphics, and projects where the QR code must be scaled to different physical sizes.
Why SVG can be useful for developers
Scaling a PNG beyond its intended resolution can make edges appear soft or pixelated. SVG can be scaled without introducing the same raster resolution limitation, making it useful for reusable UI assets, documentation, component libraries, and print layouts.
Which format should you use?
PNG is convenient when a system expects an ordinary image file. SVG is useful when the QR code needs to remain scalable as a vector asset. Regardless of format, test the final exported file after applying colors, logos, resizing, or other visual modifications.
Custom QR Code Payloads
URL QR codes
URL QR codes are useful for websites, landing pages, documentation, application downloads, support resources, and other web destinations. Use the intended canonical URL when possible and avoid unnecessarily long tracking parameters when QR density is important.
Wi-Fi QR codes
Wi-Fi QR codes encode network information so compatible devices can recognize the network name, security type, and password. Verify the generated payload against the intended network before distributing the QR code.
Email, phone, and SMS QR codes
Email QR codes can pre-fill a recipient, subject, and message. Phone QR codes can provide a telephone number, while SMS QR codes can provide a destination number and optional message. Scanner behavior can vary between operating systems and applications, so these formats should be tested on the devices your users are expected to have.
QR Code Troubleshooting
The QR code will not scan
Start with contrast. A dark foreground against a light background is generally easier for scanners to identify. Also make sure the QR code has sufficient quiet space around its edges and has not been distorted, cropped, or compressed excessively.
The logo makes scanning unreliable
Reduce the logo size, restore strong foreground/background contrast, and use High error correction. A QR code can tolerate some damage, but covering too many modules can prevent successful decoding.
The QR code is too dense
Shorten the payload where practical. A shorter URL or text string can reduce the required QR version and produce a less dense symbol. Increasing the physical image size can improve module size, but it does not increase the amount of information a particular QR version can encode.
The printed QR code does not work
Test the actual printed version rather than relying only on the on-screen preview. Printing can introduce blur, scaling artifacts, low contrast, reflections, and insufficient physical module size.
Local QR Generation and Privacy
The QR generation process is performed in the browser rather than requiring your payload to be submitted to a QR-generation API. This can be useful when working with private development URLs, internal documentation, configuration information, or test data.
Local QR generation does not automatically mean that an entire website has no third-party data collection. Analytics, advertising, browser extensions, and other scripts can have separate data flows. For highly sensitive information, review the complete page and its network activity rather than relying only on the QR-generation component.
Developer QR Code Workflow
- Choose the payload type: URL, text, Wi-Fi, email, phone, or SMS.
- Enter the exact data that should be encoded.
- Choose foreground and background colors with sufficient contrast.
- Select an appropriate error correction level.
- Upload a logo only when necessary and keep it relatively small.
- Generate the QR code and inspect the preview.
- Export PNG or SVG according to the target workflow.
- Test-scan the final exported or printed asset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this QR code generator free?
Yes. The generator can be used directly in the browser without requiring an account or server-side QR generation.
Is my QR code data uploaded to a server?
The QR generation process runs locally in the browser. The content entered into the generator does not need to be uploaded to a QR generation server.
Which QR error correction level should I use?
L, M, Q, and H provide approximately 7%, 15%, 25%, and 30% error correction respectively. Higher correction generally improves resistance to damage but reduces the amount of data available for the payload at a given QR version.
Can I add a logo to a QR code?
Yes. Upload an image and place it in the center of the QR code. High error correction is recommended when using a center logo, and the finished QR code should always be tested with multiple scanners.
Can I download a QR code as PNG or SVG?
Yes. PNG is useful for ordinary digital images and printing, while SVG is a vector format that can be scaled without the pixelation associated with raster images.
What types of information can I put into a QR code?
The generator supports URLs, plain text, Wi-Fi network information, email addresses, phone numbers, and SMS payloads.