What can you put in a QR code?

A QR code just stores text - the trick is formatting that text so a phone knows what to do with it. The generator handles the formatting for the common cases:

Website URL

Any link - landing page, product page, social profile.

WiFi network

Network name, password, and security type - phone joins with one scan.

Contact card (vCard)

Name, phone, email, company - saves straight to contacts.

Plain text

A note, a code, a short message - anything that fits.

Email

Opens a pre-addressed email with subject and body filled in.

Location

GPS coordinates or a Google Maps link for directions.

For WiFi and contact cards specifically, the dedicated WiFi and vCard tools build the exact format for you - no need to remember the syntax.

Static vs. "dynamic" QR codes

Every code this site generates is static: the content is encoded directly into the pattern of black and white squares. There is no server in between, which means two things - it works offline, and it works forever. Nothing can revoke it, expire it, or start charging you for it later.

Some other services sell dynamic codes: the printed pattern actually points at a short redirect link they control, and you edit where that link goes from a dashboard. That gets you scan counts and an editable destination - genuinely useful for a large print run where the destination might change - but it comes with a real trade-off: the code only works as long as that company's redirect server does, and as long as you keep paying for it.

For most of what people print - a menu, a WiFi card, a business card, a poster - a static code is the safer default. If you want the specifics on how the expiry problem actually happens, see do QR codes expire?

Choosing size and error correction

Size

Small (256px) - web thumbnails, avatars.
Medium (512px) - websites, social posts. Good default.
Large (1024px) - business cards, flyers, print.
X-Large (2048px) - posters, banners, anything viewed from a distance.

Bigger than you need costs nothing; too small for the viewing distance is the mistake that actually breaks scans.

Error correction

Low (7%) - smallest pattern, needs a clean surface.
Medium (15%) - the default, right for most uses.
Q (25%) - better odds on printed materials.
High (30%) - survives damage, dirt, or a logo in the middle.

Higher levels make the pattern denser (more small squares), so only go up if you actually need the durability - a logo in the center, an outdoor sign, packaging that gets handled.

Design tips that actually affect scanning

High contrast, always. Dark code on a light background. A colour that looks fine on your screen can still fail a phone camera in real light.
Leave a quiet zone. Don't crowd the code with text or graphics right up to the edge - it needs clear white space on all sides to be recognised.
Keep content short. A shorter URL or message makes a simpler, less dense pattern that scans faster and more reliably.

Test before you commit to print. Scan the downloaded file with your own phone at the actual size it will be printed - not a screenshot on a monitor.
Adding a logo? The generator forces error correction to High automatically when you upload one, so the code can absorb the coverage - keep the logo under about 20% of the area.
Watch the scannability badge. The preview shows a live Good/Fair/Poor rating as you type - if it drops, shorten the content or increase the size before downloading.