How does QR code generation work?

Your URL is encoded as bytes, padded, and protected with Reed-Solomon error-correction codewords. Those codewords are laid out into a grid alongside finder, timing, and alignment patterns, then one of eight data masks is applied to make the code easy to scan.

Will this QR code work with any scanner?

Yes. The encoder follows the QR Model 2 specification and automatically picks the lowest-penalty mask, so the output decodes in standard phone cameras and dedicated QR apps on iOS and Android.

What is the maximum URL length?

This generator supports versions 1 through 8 at error-correction level L, which holds roughly 190 bytes of data. Most URLs fit easily; if yours is longer, shorten it with a link shortener first.

Why download SVG instead of PNG?

SVG is vector-based, so it scales to any size, from a business card to a billboard, without becoming blurry or pixelated. It also stays a tiny file and can be recolored without re-exporting.

Is my URL sent to a server?

No. The entire QR code is built in your browser with no network requests, so your URL is never uploaded, logged, or tracked.

QR Code Generator (URL)

A QR code turns a link into something anyone can open by pointing a camera at it. This generator builds the code entirely in your browser from a clean, from-scratch QR encoder, so there is no server, no account, and no tracking.

How it works

Generating a QR code is more than drawing squares. The encoder follows the QR Model 2 specification step by step:

The URL is converted to UTF-8 bytes and wrapped in a byte-mode header with a length count and terminator.
The data is split into blocks, and each block gets Reed-Solomon error-correction codewords computed over the Galois field GF(256). This is what lets a partly damaged or dirty code still scan.
The data and error codewords are interleaved and woven into the module grid, skipping the finder, timing, and alignment patterns.
All eight standard data masks are evaluated with the specification’s penalty rules, and the lowest-scoring mask is chosen so the final pattern scans reliably.

The matching BCH-protected format information is written in, and the grid is rendered to a crisp SVG.

Tips and notes

Always test a generated code by scanning it before you commit it to print. Maintain a clear quiet zone (the tool adds one automatically) and keep high contrast between the foreground and background — dark code on a light background is safest. Avoid very light foreground colors, which can defeat a camera’s edge detection. For physical use, larger module sizes and SVG export ensure the code stays sharp at any scale.