The brochure, manual, or price list people need is usually a PDF, and a QR code can put it on their phone with one scan. This generator makes the code from a link, so your PDF needs to be online first. Paste the share link into the box above and click Generate. With a PDF, the sharing setting on the file matters as much as the code, so check it before you print.
Make my QR code ↑A common reason a PDF code fails is a file that is still private. Your cloud drive has a sharing setting, often worded something like "anyone with the link can view". Choose view-only, so strangers can open the file but not change it.
Then test it the way a stranger would. Scan the code from a phone that is not signed into your account. If it asks for a login or an access request, the sharing setting needs another look.
This generator does not host your file. It only turns a link into a code, so the file stays wherever you keep it.
The printed code cannot be edited, but the link inside it can stay the same. When your brochure or manual changes, replace the file in a way that keeps the same link, whatever your drive calls that option. Every printed copy then opens the current version.
If your host gives you a new link for every re-upload, old codes would point at old files. In that case, put a simple page on your website that links to the latest PDF, and make the code for that page instead.
Give the file a plain name like "Spring-Price-List" rather than "final_v7_REAL". People see the name when they save it.
Readers will scan with a phone, so open the PDF on one before you print anything. Check that the text is readable without pinching and zooming. Wide tables and tiny type made for a desk are hard to read on a small screen.
Large files load slowly on a weak signal, and some people will give up waiting. Shrink the images or trim pages nobody needs. For a long manual, consider linking to a one-page quick-start guide instead of the whole thing.
Use the setting that lets anyone with the link view the file but not edit or comment on it. Then test the link in a private browser window or on a phone that is signed out of your account, since that is what a stranger will see.
Yes, if you replace the file while keeping the same link, because the code only stores the link. If your host gives a new link each time, make a small web page that points to the current PDF and use that page's address.
The file is probably still private. Open its sharing settings, allow anyone with the link to view it, then test the link in a private browser window or on a phone that is signed out of your account before you trust the printed code.
The code itself does not expire. What matters is the link inside it: if the file is deleted, moved, or its sharing is turned off, scans will fail. Keep the file in place for as long as printed copies are around.
This tool sets no limit, because it only handles the link. Smaller files are kinder to people on a weak signal, though. Aim for a file that opens within a few seconds on a phone, and compress heavy images if it does not.
Social media & links
Business & local
Events & causes
Guides
Free QR Code Maker is a non-profit initiative powered by Live & Vibrant Production. Make a QR code