QR (Quick Response) codes are two-dimensional barcodes that store data in a matrix of black and white squares. Originally invented in 1994 by Denso Wave for tracking automotive parts, QR codes are now used worldwide for payments, marketing, authentication, and sharing contact information. This generator creates QR codes entirely in your browser using the qrcode.js library — no data is sent to any server. You can encode URLs, plain text, WiFi network credentials, email addresses, phone numbers, and full vCard contact cards. Customize the foreground and background colors, choose from four error correction levels, and download your QR code as a high-quality PNG image.
Enter content above to generate QR code
Select what you want to encode: URL, text, WiFi credentials, email, phone number, or vCard contact.
Fill in the fields for your selected content type. The QR code generates automatically as you type.
Adjust the QR code size, error correction level, and foreground/background colors to match your needs.
Click the Download PNG button to save your QR code. Use 512px+ size for print materials.
QR codes use Reed-Solomon error correction to remain scannable even when partially damaged. The data is encoded in a binary stream, divided into codewords, and placed into the matrix following a specific pattern that includes finder patterns (the three large squares in the corners), alignment patterns, and timing patterns. Higher error correction levels use more space for redundancy, reducing the amount of data that can be stored but making the code more resilient.
QR modules = (4V + 17)² where V = version (1–40)
Use Medium (M) error correction for most use cases — it balances data capacity with scan reliability.
For WiFi sharing, use WPA/WPA2 encryption type and double-check the password before generating.
Higher error correction (Q or H) is essential if you plan to add a logo overlay to the QR code.
Keep good contrast between foreground and background colors — dark on light works best for scanners.
Test your QR code with multiple devices before printing or distributing it.
Shorter URLs produce smaller, simpler QR codes that scan faster and more reliably.
For business cards, use vCard format to let contacts save your details with one scan.
Download at a larger size (512px+) for print materials to ensure crisp output.
Generate QR codes for URLs, WiFi passwords, email, phone numbers, and vCards. Customize colors and error correction. Download as PNG. 100% free, no account required, all processing happens in your browser.
Create QR codes for any website URL or plain text message. Simply paste your link or type your text, and a scannable QR code is generated instantly.
Perfect for:
Generate a QR code that lets guests connect to your WiFi network with a single scan — no need to type the password.
Enter your network name (SSID), password, and encryption type.
Works with all modern smartphones.
Customize your QR code with custom foreground and background colors to match your brand. Choose from four error correction levels to balance data capacity and damage resistance.
Download in high resolution for print or digital use.
A QR code works by storing data in a two-dimensional matrix of black and white square modules that a camera reads optically.
Standardized in ISO/IEC 18004, the symbol contains three large finder patterns in the corners that let a scanner locate and orient the code regardless of rotation, plus timing and alignment patterns that map the grid.
Your data — text, a URL, or WiFi credentials — is converted into a binary bitstream, split into codewords, and interleaved with Reed-Solomon error-correction bytes.
The decoder samples each module, reconstructs the codewords, corrects any damaged ones, and returns the original payload. Because reading is purely optical and offline, no internet connection is needed to decode the content.
QR codes support four error correction levels — L, M, Q, and H — that recover roughly 7%, 15%, 25%, and 30% of damaged data respectively, as defined in ISO/IEC 18004.
Higher levels add more Reed-Solomon redundancy bytes, so the code stays scannable even if it is smudged, torn, or partially covered by a logo. The trade-off is capacity: raising the level from L to H reduces how much data fits in the same version, or forces a larger, denser symbol.
Level M is the practical default for most digital and clean printed uses. Choose Q or H for outdoor signage, stickers, or any layout where you plan to overlay a brand mark on the center of the code.
A WiFi QR code auto-connects a phone by encoding your network details in a standardized plain-text string that Android and iOS cameras recognize natively.
The format follows the widely adopted WIFI: schema — WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;; — where:
When scanned, the operating system parses these fields and offers a one-tap join without typing anything.
Use WPA or WPA2 for the type on modern routers, and set the type to nopass for open networks. Special characters such as semicolons, commas, or backslashes in the SSID or password must be escaped with a backslash, or the parser may misread the credentials and fail to connect.
A vCard QR code stores a complete digital business card so a single scan can save your name, phone, email, and company straight into a phone's address book.
It embeds the vCard format standardized by the IETF in RFC 6350, a plain-text structure that begins with BEGIN:VCARD and lists fields like FN (full name), TEL, EMAIL, and ORG.
Because the data is self-contained, the contact is added instantly with no app or network required.
vCard payloads are larger than a simple URL, so the resulting QR code is denser — keep entries concise and print at a generous size. For frequently changing details, encoding a short link to an online card instead can keep the code smaller and updatable.
QR codes themselves are just data containers and cannot run code, but they can be safe or dangerous depending on where they point.
The main risk, sometimes called quishing, is a QR code that opens a phishing site or triggers a malicious download — a threat OWASP groups under social-engineering and untrusted-input handling. Because the destination is hidden until scanned, attackers exploit trust by stickering fake codes over legitimate ones on parking meters, menus, or flyers.
Protect yourself by:
Generating a QR code, as this tool does, is always safe; the caution applies to scanning codes from untrusted sources.
A QR code's capacity depends on its version (1 to 40), the encoding mode, and the error correction level.
Per ISO/IEC 18004, the largest Version 40 symbol at the lowest error correction can hold up to roughly:
Each version adds four modules per side, so Version 1 is 21x21 and Version 40 is 177x177. Numeric mode is the most compact, followed by alphanumeric, then byte mode used for full URLs and UTF-8 text.
In practice, keeping payloads short is best: a long URL forces a higher version with tiny, dense modules that are harder for cameras to resolve, especially in low light or from a distance.
QR codes bridge the physical and digital worlds by turning any printed surface into a tappable link.
Common uses include:
Marketers add them to posters and packaging to drive traffic to landing pages, while the widely used byte mode simply encodes a UTF-8 URL as described by the WHATWG URL standard and documented on MDN Web Docs. Because scanning is built into modern iOS and Android cameras, no dedicated app is needed.
For campaigns, pair codes with a clear call to action and a short, memorable destination so the symbol stays low-density and scans reliably from a distance.
The most common QR code mistakes make codes hard or impossible to scan.
Data sourced from trusted institutions
All formulas verified against official standards.