How to make a QR code for a website

A website QR code opens a web page when someone points their phone camera at it. It's the most common kind of QR code: use it for your online shop, a booking page, a sign-up form, a product page or anything else with a web address. On QR Crab this type is called URL.

Make your website QR code

1. Start a new code. In the dashboard, click New QR code and choose URL under Basics.
2. Choose Trackable or Static. The switch at the top of URL content starts on Trackable. Keep it if you want scan stats and the option to change the link later; pick Static for a fixed, unlimited link. You can't switch after the code is created.
3. Paste the full web address. Copy the address from your browser's address bar into Website URL, including https://.
4. Name it. In Name & link, give it a name only you see, like “Spring flyer”. On Pro you can also pick a Custom link such as qrcrab.com/r/spring-sale.
5. Style it. Pick a preset, colors, a frame or your logo in the sections below. The preview updates as you go and shows whether the code scans well.
6. Create and download. Click Create QR code, then choose a format and size and click Download. Scan the downloaded file with your own phone before you print it.

In the new guided editor (Try the new editor (beta) at the top of the page), the same choices come in three steps, Content, Look and Finish, and the download appears once the code is created.

Trackable or static?

A URL code can work two ways. You choose when you create it, and the choice is fixed afterwards.

If the code is going on anything printed (flyers, packaging, signs), trackable is usually the safer choice: if the page moves, you update the code instead of reprinting. Trackable and static website codes both open through a qrcrab.com link, so creating either one needs a confirmed email address. For the full comparison, see Static vs trackable QR codes: what's the difference?.

Useful extras for website codes

• Automatic UTM tags (Premium and Pro): adds utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign to the link when people scan, so Google Analytics and similar tools can tell QR visits apart. See How to add UTM tags to a QR code for Google Analytics.
• Smart redirects (Pro): send people to different pages depending on the time, their device or country, or split traffic for an A/B test. See How to redirect a QR code by time, device or country.
• Custom link (Pro): choose a readable short link like qrcrab.com/r/your-name instead of a random one. It can't be changed later.
• Password and Expiry & scan limit (Pro): ask for a password before the page opens, or stop the code on a date or after a number of scans.

Tips for a website code that works

• Link to a page that works well on phones. Almost everyone who scans is on a phone, so check the page on a small screen first.
• Link to the exact page. If the flyer is about a sale, link to the sale page, not your home page.
• Tell people what they'll get. A frame with a short call to action, like “Scan for the menu” or “Scan to book”, gets more scans than a bare code.
• Test before you print. Scan the downloaded file from a phone, at the size you'll print it. How to download and print your QR code explains sizes and formats.

Common questions

Can I change the website after the code is printed?

Yes, if the code is trackable. Open the code, go to Edit & design, paste the new address and click Save changes. The printed code sends people to the new address from then on. A static code's destination can't be changed: make a new code instead.

Why does it say the URL must start with http:// or https://?

The code needs a complete web address. The easiest way to get one is to open the page in your browser and copy the whole address from the address bar, rather than typing www.example.com by hand.

Do website QR codes expire?

No. Trackable and static codes keep working for as long as they exist and are switched on. Going over your monthly scan limit doesn't stop them either: extra scans just aren't counted until the next month. A code only stops if you delete it, switch it off, or (on Pro) give it an expiry date or scan limit yourself.

Does a static website code work without QR Crab?

Static URL codes made now hold a short qrcrab.com link that forwards to your website, so we can count total traffic and switch off codes used for abuse. They're unlimited and free, but they don't record stats for you and their destination is fixed.

Can I see where the scans came from?

For trackable codes, yes: open the code's Stats tab. On Premium and Pro you can also add UTM tags so your website analytics shows the visits as coming from the QR code.