A QR code itself never expires — it is a printed pattern that encodes some text, and the pattern cannot change. What expires is the *service* many generators put in the middle. Those encode a link to their own domain that redirects to yours, so if they shut down, change terms, or start charging, every code you printed stops working. This page encodes your destination directly, so there is nothing in between to fail.

Are free QR code generators safe?

The risk is rarely malware; it is the redirect. Many free generators encode their own tracking URL rather than yours, which means they can count every scan, profile the scanner, change where the code points later, or start charging to keep it working. Check any generator's output by scanning it and looking at the URL that appears. If it is not your domain, the code is not really yours.

Why did my QR code stop working?

Almost always because it was made by a generator that used its own redirect, and that service has since expired, been discontinued, or moved to a paid plan. The printed code is fine; the middleman is gone. Codes generated here have no middleman.

Does this track scans?

No, and it cannot. The code encodes your text directly, so no request passes through anything belonging to this site. Nothing about your link is recorded here either — the generation happens in your browser.

Can I make a QR code for a Wi-Fi network?

Yes. Enter the standard Wi-Fi string format, WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:password;; and phones will offer to join the network when they scan it.

How much text can a QR code hold?

Up to a few thousand characters in principle, but the code grows denser as you add more, which makes it harder to scan and harder to print small. For links, shorter is genuinely better — a short URL produces a sparser, more robust code.

What size should I print it?

As a rule of thumb, at least a tenth of the scanning distance. A code read from two metres away wants to be around twenty centimetres across. Leave a clear white margin around it — the quiet zone is part of the specification, not decoration.

Can I put a logo in the middle?

Not with this tool. QR codes tolerate some damage through error correction, which is why logos often work, but the amount varies and a code that scans on your phone may fail on someone else's. This page generates clean, maximally reliable codes.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no account system and no sign-up, because there is no server storing anything.

Will there be a watermark or a scan limit?

Neither. Both are artefacts of the redirect model — a code that points directly at your URL cannot be rate-limited by anyone.

Generate a QR code

A QR code that points at your link and nobody else's. Generated on your machine, with no account and no tracking redirect.

ReadyNever expires

Uploaded0 B

Link or text

Size

Quiet zone2

Type a link or some text above and the code appears here.

What next

Make a favicon set

How do I make a QR code?

To generate a QR code, type or paste your text or link on this page and download the image. The code is generated in your browser and encodes your URL directly, with no tracking redirect in between. It never expires, requires no account, and nothing about it is recorded anywhere.

How to do it

Type what the code should contain. A URL, a phone number, a Wi-Fi network, or any plain text. The code updates as you type.
Check the preview. Scan it with your phone before you commit it to print. Thirty seconds now beats a reprint later.
Download the image. The file is generated locally — nothing about your link is sent anywhere or recorded.
Print or publish it. The code works forever, because it points directly at your destination rather than through anyone's redirect service.

At a glance

Where it runs	In this browser tab. The file is not uploaded
File size limit	None imposed — your device memory is the ceiling
Cost	Free
Account needed	No
Watermark	None
Works offline	Usually after first use, but not guaranteed — there is no offline app

The problem with most free QR generators

A QR code is a printed pattern that encodes some text. It cannot change, and it cannot expire.

So why do so many QR codes stop working?

Because a great many generators do not encode your link. They encode a link to their domain, which then redirects to yours. That gives them something valuable: every scan passes through their servers, so they can count it, profile the person scanning, change the destination later, or start charging you to keep the code alive.

When that service shuts down or moves the feature behind a paywall, every code you printed becomes a dead end. The pattern on the poster is perfect. The middleman is gone.

How to check any QR generator

Scan the code it gives you and look at the URL your phone displays before you open it.

If it shows your own domain, the code is genuinely yours. If it shows the generator’s domain, you have rented a redirect — and it can be taken away.

Codes from this page encode your destination directly. There is nothing in the middle to fail, nothing to track a scan, and nothing to expire.

Practical printing advice

Size. A rough rule: the code should be at least a tenth of the distance it will be scanned from. Read from two metres, it wants to be around twenty centimetres across.

Quiet zone. Leave a clear margin around the code. The blank border is part of the specification — scanners use it to locate the pattern, and designs that crop it fail unpredictably.

Keep the text short. More data means a denser grid, and a denser grid is harder to scan and harder to print small. A short URL produces a sparser, far more robust code.

Test before printing. Scan the preview with an actual phone, not just the one you designed it on. Thirty seconds now is cheaper than a reprint.

Wi-Fi and other content types

QR codes carry plain text, and phones recognise several conventional formats. For a Wi-Fi network:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:password;;

Scanning that offers to join the network directly. Plain phone numbers, email addresses and ordinary text all work the same way — the code carries the string and the phone decides what to offer.

Questions

Do QR codes expire?: A QR code itself never expires — it is a printed pattern that encodes some text, and the pattern cannot change. What expires is the *service* many generators put in the middle. Those encode a link to their own domain that redirects to yours, so if they shut down, change terms, or start charging, every code you printed stops working. This page encodes your destination directly, so there is nothing in between to fail.
Are free QR code generators safe?: The risk is rarely malware; it is the redirect. Many free generators encode their own tracking URL rather than yours, which means they can count every scan, profile the scanner, change where the code points later, or start charging to keep it working. Check any generator's output by scanning it and looking at the URL that appears. If it is not your domain, the code is not really yours.
Why did my QR code stop working?: Almost always because it was made by a generator that used its own redirect, and that service has since expired, been discontinued, or moved to a paid plan. The printed code is fine; the middleman is gone. Codes generated here have no middleman.
Does this track scans?: No, and it cannot. The code encodes your text directly, so no request passes through anything belonging to this site. Nothing about your link is recorded here either — the generation happens in your browser.
Can I make a QR code for a Wi-Fi network?: Yes. Enter the standard Wi-Fi string format, WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:password;; and phones will offer to join the network when they scan it.
How much text can a QR code hold?: Up to a few thousand characters in principle, but the code grows denser as you add more, which makes it harder to scan and harder to print small. For links, shorter is genuinely better — a short URL produces a sparser, more robust code.
What size should I print it?: As a rule of thumb, at least a tenth of the scanning distance. A code read from two metres away wants to be around twenty centimetres across. Leave a clear white margin around it — the quiet zone is part of the specification, not decoration.
Can I put a logo in the middle?: Not with this tool. QR codes tolerate some damage through error correction, which is why logos often work, but the amount varies and a code that scans on your phone may fail on someone else's. This page generates clean, maximally reliable codes.
Do I need an account?: No. There is no account system and no sign-up, because there is no server storing anything.
Will there be a watermark or a scan limit?: Neither. Both are artefacts of the redirect model — a code that points directly at your URL cannot be rate-limited by anyone.

Sources

QR Code standardisation — Denso Wave
QR Code versions and data capacity — Denso Wave