Static vs Dynamic QR Codes: Why Some QR Codes Stop Working

A static QR code stores its content directly in the pattern of squares: a web address, a text or the details of a Wi-Fi network. A phone reads that content straight from the image, without contacting anyone else.

• They never expire, because nothing outside the image is involved.
• They don't depend on any company staying in business.
• Nobody can track who scans them.
• The content can't be changed after printing.

The QR Code Generator creates static codes, entirely in your browser.

A dynamic QR code contains a short address on a QR service's own domain. When someone scans it, the service records the visit and redirects to the destination you configured in its dashboard.

That allows you to change the destination later and to see scan statistics. But the code only works while the redirect works. If the subscription ends, the free trial expires or the service closes, every printed copy stops working at once.

You can have the flexibility of a dynamic code with a static one: point the QR code at a page on your own website, such as example.com/menu. When the content changes, update that page; the printed code keeps working because the address stays the same.

• Use a short, stable address on a domain you control.
• If you move the page, set up a redirect from the old address.
• For statistics, use the analytics of your own website instead of a third-party scan counter.

• Scan the code with at least two different phones.
• Check that the destination works without logging in.
• Keep strong contrast: dark modules on a light background.
• Leave the white margin around the code.
• Print it large enough for the distance it will be scanned from.