No signup, no watermark, no expiry. Exact text formats that phone cameras understand, plus print size and scan tips.
A QR code is just text drawn as a grid of squares. When a phone camera reads it, the phone decides what to do based on how that text starts: a link that begins with https:// opens in the browser, text that begins with WIFI: offers to join a network, and so on. That means one simple generator can make every common type of code, as long as you type the right format. This guide shows how, with formats we tested by generating each code and decoding it again.
Before you print anything, scan the downloaded file with two different phones.
Copy the format, replace the example values, and paste it into the Text or URL box. The box is a single line, so use the one-line formats shown here.
| What you want | Type this |
|---|---|
| Open a website | https://example.com/menu |
| Join Wi-Fi (WPA/WPA2) | WIFI:T:WPA;S:CafeGuest;P:coffee2026;; |
| Save a contact | MECARD:N:Doe,Jane;TEL:+15551234567;EMAIL:jane@example.com;; |
| Start an email | mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Order |
| Call a number | tel:+15551234567 |
| Send a text message | SMSTO:+15551234567:Table 4 ready |
| Plain text | Any words, for example a serial number or a short note |
For Wi-Fi, use T:WEP for old WEP networks or T:nopass (and leave out the P: part) for an open network. If your network name or password contains ;, ,, : or \, put a backslash before that character. Every format above was generated with our tool and decoded back to the exact same text in our own test. How a phone reacts to it depends on the phone: current iPhone and Android cameras handle links, Wi-Fi, contacts, email, phone and SMS, while some older scanner apps only show the raw text.
Our generator makes static QR codes. Everything is stored inside the image, so there is nothing to expire, no subscription and no redirect through our site. The trade-off is that you cannot edit a static code after printing it, and it cannot count scans. Many "free" sites make dynamic codes instead: the code points to their short link, which forwards to yours. That lets you change the destination and see scan counts, but if the free trial ends or the company shuts down, every printed code stops working. If you want the flexibility without that risk, put a link to a page on your own website in a static code and change that page whenever you need to.
The more text you put in, the more squares the code needs. In our tests a plain link like https://gotoolsonline.com made a 25 x 25 grid, a 97-character link with tracking tags made a 41 x 41 grid, and a 2,000-character text needed 169 x 169. At 512 px that last one leaves about 3 pixels per square, which is hard for a camera to read once printed. Remove tracking parameters you do not need, or link to a short page on your own site.
The text you type is sent to our server, which draws the PNG and sends it back. The code is not saved in a database, but like most websites our server keeps standard request logs, and those include the request address. For that reason, only put information you are comfortable sharing in a code, such as a guest Wi-Fi password rather than your main one. Anyone who scans the printed code can read its contents anyway.
Yes. There is no account, no watermark and no limit on how many codes you make. You type your text or link, click Generate & Download, and get a PNG file.
No. These are static QR codes: your text is stored inside the black and white squares themselves, not on our server. There is no redirect link that can be switched off, so the code keeps working as long as the link or text inside it is still valid.
Not the code itself. A static code always holds the same text. If you may need to change where it points, put a link you control (for example a page on your own website) in the code and update that page instead.
Not with this tool. Static codes do not report scans. You can add UTM tags to your link (for example ?utm_source=flyer) and see the visits in your own website analytics, but keep the link short.
Type WIFI:T:WPA;S:YourNetworkName;P:YourPassword;; into the Text or URL box and generate. Most iPhone and Android cameras offer to join the network when they scan it. Your text is sent to our server to draw the image, so only do this for a guest network you are happy to share.
At least 2 x 2 cm (about 0.8 inch) for something held in the hand, and larger for posters read from a distance. A common rule of thumb is that the code should be about one tenth of the scanning distance. Download at 512 px, the largest size the tool offers, for print.
More step-by-step guides: WiFi QR code generator and QR code for a Google review link.
Need to read a code instead? Use the QR scanner to decode one from an image. For product labels, the barcode generator makes Code 128, Code 39 and EAN-13 barcodes.