How to Create a QR Code That Actually Scans

A QR code is just a visual container for a short text payload. URL codes hold the link itself, WiFi codes use the format WIFI:T:WPA;S:network;P:password;;, and contact codes hold a vCard. The RovoTools QR generators build these exact payloads for you, entirely in the browser.

Payload design

Shorter payloads scan more reliably because they produce simpler patterns with larger modules. Use https links without tracking parameters where possible. For WiFi, keep the SSID and password free of unusual characters that break the WIFI:…;; format, and pick WPA/WPA2 vs WEP vs nopass to match your network.

vCard QR codes should include at least FN (full name) and either TEL or EMAIL. Adding ORG and a URL makes networking events smoother. Keep the vCard under a few hundred bytes; very large contact payloads force tiny modules that phone cameras struggle with.

Print size and quiet zone

Size matters in print: a QR code should be at least 2 × 2 cm on paper for close scanning, larger on posters viewed from a metre or more away. Each doubling of viewing distance roughly doubles the required print size.

Always leave a quiet-zone margin of at least four modules (preferably more) of plain background around the code. Patterns that run to the edge of a design, photo or colour block often fail to detect. Contrast matters more than brand colour — dark modules on light background is the reliable default.

Error correction levels

Error correction (L, M, Q, H) lets scanners reconstruct a damaged code. Level M (about 15% recovery) is fine for clean digital use. Use Q or H if the code will be printed small, partially covered by a logo, or placed where it might get scuffed. Higher correction makes denser patterns for the same payload — trade-off, not free insurance.

Test before publishing

Test before publishing: scan with both an iPhone and an Android camera app, in the actual lighting where it will hang, from the actual distance. Screens with moiré, glossy lamination, curved surfaces and low light all degrade scanning. A code that works on your monitor can fail on a bakery window.

Never encode secrets or session URLs that expire — anyone who photographs the code can reuse the payload indefinitely. Prefer short-lived links you can revoke server-side, or public pages that do not require authentication.

Generate locally

Open the URL QR Generator (or WiFi, vCard or Text variants), paste the payload, choose size and error level, download the PNG. Generation happens in your browser — the link or WiFi password is not sent to a third-party QR API and is not stored on a server.