What Is a QR Code and How Do You Make One?
QR codes turn a link or short piece of text into a square barcode any phone camera can read. They’re everywhere — menus, posters, payments — and making one takes seconds.
How a QR code works
A QR (“Quick Response”) code stores data as a grid of black and white squares. Your phone’s camera reads the pattern and instantly decodes it — usually into a web link, but it can also hold plain text, Wi-Fi details or contact info.
Error correction: why they still scan when damaged
QR codes include built-in redundancy, so they keep working even if part is smudged or covered. Higher error-correction levels survive more damage but make the code denser. Medium is a good default for screens and print.
Making your own
Paste a link or text into the QR Code Generator and it draws a scannable code in your browser — nothing is uploaded. Right-click to save it as a crisp image you can print or share. For links, you can clean them up first with the URL Encoder.
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Last updated: July 6, 2026