QR Code Generator for URLs

Runs in browser New Web Utilities

Type or paste a link and the QR code is drawn as you type, with its version, error-correction level and the bytes it holds. Choose a level from L to H, pick dark and light colours with a contrast check, and download a sharp SVG or a PNG of up to 2048 pixels. The code is built in your browser by the site's own ISO/IEC 18004 encoder; the link is not sent anywhere.

Privacy: This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your input never leaves your device.

What is a QR code, and what decides how dense it gets?

A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode defined by ISO/IEC 18004: square modules in one of 40 sizes, called versions, from 21 × 21 to 177 × 177, protected by Reed–Solomon error correction at four levels (L, M, Q, H) that can rebuild roughly 7 to 30% of damaged data. The more bytes it carries and the higher the level, the higher the version and the smaller each module at a given print size; a light margin of four modules around the symbol is part of the standard. A Wi-Fi code is the same symbol carrying a WIFI: text with the network name and the password in readable form.

Security note: Nobody can read a QR code by eye, so check the address your phone shows before you open it, and be wary of codes in public places that could have been pasted over. A Wi-Fi code contains the network password in plain text.

How to use QR Code Generator for URLs

  1. Type or paste the full address, including https://, into Link or text to encode.
  2. Keep Error correction at M, or choose Q or H for print that may get damaged.
  3. Change the dark and light colours if you need to, and read any contrast warning.
  4. Scan the preview with your phone, then press Download SVG, Download PNG or Copy SVG code.

QR Code Generator for URLs features

  • Live preview: the code is redrawn as you type, and nothing is sent to a server
  • Four error-correction levels — L, M, Q and H — that restore about 7, 15, 25 and 30% of damaged codewords
  • Shows the version (21 × 21 up to 177 × 177 modules), the bytes used and the capacity of that version at the chosen level
  • Dark and light colours with a contrast check that warns about low contrast and inverted codes
  • Downloads a scalable SVG or a PNG of 256 to 2048 pixels, both with the standard four-module quiet zone
  • Copies the SVG markup to the clipboard for a design tool or a web page
  • Warns when the text is not a web address or lacks https://, and when a long link makes a dense code

Inputs and outputs

Inputs

  • Link or text to encode — a web address works best; any text is accepted and encoded as UTF-8.
  • Error correction — L, M (the default), Q or H.
  • PNG size — 256, 512, 1024 or 2048 pixels square.
  • Dark colour and light colour — any colours; dark modules on a light background scan best.

Outputs

  • QR code preview — the symbol exactly as it is downloaded, with its quiet zone.
  • Code details — version, modules per side, error-correction level, data bytes, the capacity of this version at this level, and the mask pattern chosen.
  • Warnings — not a web address, a missing https://, a dense code, low contrast or inverted colours, or text too long for any QR code.
  • Files — qr-code.svg and qr-code.png, or the SVG markup copied to the clipboard.

QR Code Generator for URLs example

A menu link for restaurant table cards

Input:

https://www.example.com/menu — error correction M, PNG size 1024 × 1024 px

Output:

Version 3 · Modules per side 29 · Error correction M · Data 28 bytes · Capacity at this version 42 bytes · Mask pattern 3
Files: qr-code.svg, qr-code.png (1024 × 1024 px)

How to read the QR Code Generator for URLs results

The version is the size of the grid: version 1 has 21 × 21 modules and each version adds 4 per side. Low versions scan easily even when printed small; from about version 10 the modules get small enough that the code needs a larger print or a closer scan.

Data and Capacity show the bytes used against what the current version holds at this level; when the text grows past it, the next version is used and the code gets denser.

A contrast warning means some phones will fail to read the code. Dark modules on a light background with a ratio of 4:1 or more are the safe choice.

A "not a web address" warning means phones will show the text instead of opening a page. That is right for plain text, but check that it is what you meant.

When to use QR Code Generator for URLs

  • Putting a menu, a feedback form or a booking page on table cards, posters and flyers.
  • Adding a link to packaging, business cards or slides, where typing an address is impractical.
  • Giving testers a quick way to open a staging build or a test page on their phones.
  • Handing a print designer an SVG code that scales without losing sharpness.

Troubleshooting

  • Phones show text instead of opening the link — check that it starts with https://; without a scheme many scanners treat it as plain text.
  • The printed code does not scan — print it larger, keep the white margin around it, use dark modules on a light background, and lower the version with a shorter link or a lower level.
  • "The text is too long for a QR code" — choose a lower error-correction level or shorten the link; even at level L a code holds at most 2,953 bytes.
  • The download asks you to sign in — downloads go through the site's free-account step; use Copy SVG code if you only need the markup.

Frequently asked questions about QR Code Generator for URLs

Does the QR code expire or count scans?

No. The code holds the address itself as plain text, so it works as long as that address does, and nothing is counted when someone scans it: there is no redirect or tracking server in between.

Which error-correction level should I choose?

M, which still reads with about 15% of the code damaged, suits screens and most print. Choose Q or H for codes that may get scratched, dirty or partly covered, such as on packaging or outdoor signs; they make the code denser, so print it a little larger. L gives the smallest code for clean, close-range use.

Why should I keep the link short?

Every character adds data. A long link with tracking parameters needs a higher version — more, smaller squares — which is harder to scan from a distance or with an older phone camera. Shortening the link first, for example with the URL Shortener, keeps the code simple.

Can I use my own colours?

Yes, as long as the code stays dark on light with strong contrast. The generator warns when the contrast ratio falls below 4:1 or when the code is lighter than its background, because many scanners cannot read inverted or low-contrast codes. Test a coloured code on several phones before printing it.

Do I need an account to download the image?

Viewing and scanning the code on screen needs nothing. Downloading the SVG or PNG goes through the site's download step, which asks you to sign in to a free account first; copying the SVG code to the clipboard does not.

Is the link sent to a server?

No. The QR code is computed in your browser by the site's own encoder; the link never leaves your device.

Technical notes

The encoder follows ISO/IEC 18004 (QR Code Model 2): one byte-mode segment holding the text's UTF-8 bytes, Reed–Solomon error correction over GF(256) split into the version's blocks, all eight mask patterns scored with the standard's four penalty rules, and the format and version information protected by their BCH codes.

The smallest version that holds the data at the chosen level is used, and the level is never raised on its own, so the same input always gives the same symbol. At level M a version 1 code holds 14 bytes and version 40 holds 2,331; at level L version 40 holds 2,953.

The SVG draws each run of dark modules as one rectangle inside a single path, with crispEdges rendering and the four-module quiet zone the standard requires around the symbol. The PNG is painted on a canvas with every module edge rounded to whole pixels, so it stays sharp at each of the offered sizes.

Contrast is measured with the relative-luminance formula of the W3C's WCAG 2; a ratio below 4:1, or a code lighter than its background, raises a warning, because many readers expect dark modules on a light background.

Limitations and methodology

Only byte mode is used. The numeric and alphanumeric modes, which pack digits and capital letters more tightly, are not, so a code can be one version larger than the smallest possible.

No logos, rounded modules or gradients: such styling eats into the error correction and can make codes unreadable.

The code holds the address you typed. If that page moves, the printed code breaks; encode a link you control.

What happens on scanning depends on the reader app: some phones ask before opening a link, and some do not act on text that is not http or https.

Security and privacy

The QR code is computed in your browser by the site's own encoder; the link or text you type is never sent to the Mutqan server or anyone else.

If you download while signed out, the site asks you to sign in first. The image stays in this browser meanwhile — in memory, or encrypted in this tab for at most 30 minutes if you use the full sign-in page — and is never uploaded.

References