QR code best practices
By Prabhneet Singh Narula, founder of RelyQr · Updated
Short answer
Good QR codes are big enough for the distance, dark on light with a clear margin, and labelled with what people get, like “Scan for the menu”. Use a dynamic code for anything printed so you can fix mistakes, send people to a fast mobile page, test the printed copy before a full run, and track each placement separately.
Design
- 1
Size it for the distance
At least 2 cm (0.8 in), and about a tenth of the scanning distance. See the size guide.
- 2
Keep it dark on light
Dark dots on a light background with strong contrast. Light-on-dark codes fail on many cameras.
- 3
Leave a margin
A clear border about four dots wide on every side.
- 4
Logo with care
Under a quarter of the code, centred, off the corner squares, with high error correction. See adding a logo.
- 5
Say what it does
A frame or line like “Scan for the menu” or “Scan to join Wi-Fi” gets far more scans than a bare code.
Content
- 1
Use dynamic codes for print
You can fix a typo or change the destination without reprinting, and you can count scans.
- 2
Send people to a mobile page
Everyone scanning is on a phone. A desktop page or a big PDF loses them.
- 3
Keep it fast
Pages that load slowly on mobile data lose people. Small images, short pages.
- 4
Match the promise
If the code says “10% off”, open the offer, not your home page.
- 5
Print the address too
A short web address under the code helps people who can't scan.
Placement
- 1
Put it where people can stop
Tables, counters, queues and waiting areas, at eye or hand height. Not on moving vehicles people can't catch up with, unless it's big.
- 2
Check the signal
A code in a basement or on the underground needs content that works offline, or it frustrates people.
- 3
Mind the surface
Matte beats gloss; flat beats curved; protect outdoor codes from weather.
Testing and tracking
- 1
Test the printed copy
Scan a real print, at the real size and distance and in the real light, with an older phone too.
- 2
Track each placement
One code per window, table or flyer, so you see which works. Add UTM tags for Google Analytics; see tracking scans.
Questions people also ask
Should I put a QR code on my website?
Only for people on a computer who want to continue on their phone. Phone visitors can't scan their own screen easily, so give them a link instead.
Where should a QR code go on a poster?
Where people can see it at the distance they'll stand, usually the lower right or centre, at least a tenth of the viewing distance wide, with a line saying what it does.
Should a QR code be in colour?
Colour is fine if the dots stay dark and the background light, with strong contrast between them.
How do I know if my QR code works?
Scan a printed copy at its real size and distance with two phones, and check where it opens, not just that it scans.
Make a QR code that lasts forever
Free static codes with your logo and no watermark. Dynamic codes you can change after printing keep working on every plan.