How to Create a QR Code for a Website or Any Link

The fastest way to create a QR code for a website is already on your computer: in Google Chrome, open the page, select More, then Cast, save, and share, then Create QR code, and download it. If you want colors, a frame or a design to drop the code into, Canva and Adobe Express both make QR codes for any URL for free. Before you print anything, decide whether the code needs to point somewhere else later, because that choice is hard to undo.

Turn a page into a QR code in Chrome

Chrome's built-in generator is the quickest route when the link is a page you can open in your browser. Google's Chrome Help describes these steps for Chrome on a computer:

Open Chrome.
Go to the page you want to share.
Select More (the three dots), then Cast, save, and share, then Create QR code.
Choose what to do with it: copy the QR link, select Download to save the code, or scan it straight off the screen with your phone.

Google's Chrome help page covers the computer version only. It suits a quick share at a meeting or a code on an internal sign.

Make a QR code in Canva

Canva is the better pick when the code is going on a flyer, poster or card you are already designing there. It has two QR tools: Static QR codes for a fixed link and Dynamic QR codes for a link you can update later.

Open your design in the Canva editor.
Select Apps and search "QR code". You can also go to Elements, search "QR code" and select Create static or Create dynamic.
For a static code, paste your web address into the URL field. Optionally change the background color, foreground color and margin.
For a dynamic code, pick a pattern first, then paste the address into the URL field and optionally give it a name.
Select Save. The code drops into your design.

To change where a Canva dynamic code goes, select the code, select Edit, update the URL and select Save. No reprint is needed. Static codes cannot be edited, and Canva does not let you convert one type into the other.

A few plan details matter. Dynamic codes on Canva Free, Pro and Education carry the Canva logo by default. Removing it, uploading your own logo, seeing scan counts in Insights and setting an expiry date all need Canva Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit. Static codes never show the Canva logo. Either type works until you set an expiry date, so a code without one does not stop working. The details are on Canva's help page.

Make a QR code in Adobe Express

Adobe Express has a free QR code generator in the browser that works on phones, tablets and computers.

Open the Adobe Express QR code generator.
Enter your URL.
Adjust the style and colors. You can also add a frame or your logo.
Download the code as PNG, JPEG or PDF.

Adobe Express makes static codes and says its QR codes never expire. That suits a permanent address, like your homepage or a profile.

Static vs dynamic QR codes

Every QR code is one of two kinds, and the difference decides whether you can ever change your mind.

	Static	Dynamic
What the code holds	Your link itself	A short address that forwards to your link
Change the destination later	No, make a new code	Yes, without a new code
Scan counts	No	Often, depending on the tool and plan
Free in Chrome	Yes	No
Free in Adobe Express	Yes	No
Free in Canva	Yes, no logo	Yes, with the Canva logo

Adobe Express puts it plainly: a static code has a fixed destination that cannot be changed after creation, while a dynamic code lets you update the destination without generating a new code.

Static is right when the link will never change. Dynamic is right when you are printing something that will outlive the current link, like a menu, a sign in a shop window or a stack of business cards. The trade off is that a dynamic code depends on the service that forwards it, so it only keeps working for as long as that service and your account do.

Use a link page so the code never goes stale

There is a third option that gives you the flexibility of a dynamic code with a plain static one: point the QR code at a link in bio page instead of at a single link.

The code holds one address, your page. The page holds your links. When you change a link, add a new one or swap last season's offer for this season's, you edit the page, and every printed code shows the new version on the next scan. Nothing about the code itself changes, so there is nothing to reprint.

This is why a link page is a common choice for codes on business cards and restaurant menus: one scan leads to your booking link, menu, socials and shop at once, and you stay in control of what is on it. Linktree works this way too, and its codes keep working even if you change your username, which we cover in our guide to the Linktree QR code. If the code is for your Instagram profile specifically, Instagram makes one for you, covered in our guide to your Instagram account QR code.

Make a QR code for your link page with Olaa

Olaa gives you a page at olaa.im/yourname with unlimited links, and the free plan includes a QR code for that page. Put the code on your card, menu or counter, then change the links on the page whenever you need to. The free plan is one page with every look and font. Olaa Pro, at $8 a month or $72 a year, adds scheduled links, a redirect and up to 10 pages. See what is included or make your page.

Print it so it scans the first time

Most QR codes that fail on paper fail for the same handful of reasons.

Size. Canva recommends no smaller than 2 x 2 cm (0.79 in). QR Planet uses a 10 to 1 rule: a code scanned from 1 meter away should be about 10 cm wide. Signs on walls need much bigger codes than business cards.
Quiet zone. Leave blank space around the code at least four modules wide (a module is one of the small squares). Don't let text, borders or photos run up to the edges.
Contrast. Use a dark code on a light background and avoid transparency.
Keep it simple. The more design you add, the harder the code is to read. If you add a logo, keep it small.
Shorter links. Canva notes that shorter links scan more reliably, because a long URL makes the pattern denser.
File type. For print, use SVG where the tool offers it, since it scales without blurring. A PNG or JPEG is fine if you export it large.
Test before you print in bulk. Print one copy at the real size and scan it. On iPhone, open the Camera app, point it at the code and tap the link that appears. On a Pixel, open Camera, keep the whole code on screen and tap the link bubble. If it won't scan, Google suggests a steady hand, good light without glare, a clean lens and moving closer or further away.

FAQ

How do I turn a URL into a QR code for free?

Open the page in Chrome on your computer, select More, then Cast, save, and share, then Create QR code, and select Download. Canva's static QR codes and Adobe Express's generator are also free and let you change colors. All three make a code you can print or share as an image.

Do QR codes expire?

A static code holds the link itself, so it works for as long as that link works. Adobe Express says its codes never expire, and Canva codes only expire if you set an expiry date on a paid plan. Dynamic codes from any service depend on that service forwarding the scan.

Can I change the link on a QR code after printing it?

Only if it is a dynamic code, or if it points to a page you control. A static code that points straight at one link cannot be changed. Pointing the code at a link page lets you change everything on the page without touching the code.

What size should a QR code be?

Canva recommends at least 2 x 2 cm, about 0.79 inches. For codes read from further away, make the code about one tenth of the scanning distance, so roughly 10 cm wide for a code read from 1 meter.

Why won't my QR code scan?

The usual causes are low contrast, a code that is too small, no blank margin around it, or too much decoration. Print a test copy at the real size, scan it in good light with a clean lens, and fix whichever of those applies before printing more.