Free YouTube QR Code Generator

Typing a YouTube address off a slide never goes well, which is where a QR code helps: one scan opens a channel, a single video, or a whole playlist. Paste the link above and download the PNG for a handout, menu, or classroom poster. You can even set the link to start partway through a long recording.

Make my QR code ↑

How to make your QR code

Open YouTube and find the channel, video, or playlist you want to share.
Use the Share option to copy the link. If your share menu offers a start-at time, check the box and set the moment you want.
Paste the YouTube link into the box above and click Generate.
Click Download PNG to save the code.
Scan the code on screen or on a printout with your phone, and check that the video starts where you expect before you use it anywhere.

Channel, video, or playlist?

The right link depends on what you want people to do after they scan.

When a printed item will reach lots of different people, a playlist or channel is a forgiving choice, because a single video can be removed or replaced while the bigger collection carries on.

Channel: best for general "watch more of our work" situations, like a trade show banner. Use the permanent link that looks like youtube.com/channel/UC... rather than the @handle link, because a handle can change and the UC link does not.
Single video: best for a specific talk, tutorial, or demo that the printed item refers to.
Playlist: best for a course or series. You can add new videos to a playlist later, and the same printed code keeps working.

Start-time links for talks and demos

If the part people need begins at 2:15 in a long recording, share the link with that start time set. Share menus usually have a way to do this, and the link ends up with a time marker in it.

Scan your finished code and confirm the video begins in the right place. If you later upload an edited version of the recording, the timing may no longer fit, and the new upload will have a different link and need a new code.

Where YouTube codes earn their keep

In a classroom, print the code on the handout so students can rewatch a lesson at home. In a talk, leave the code on the final slide long enough for people to lift their phones.

On a restaurant menu, a code that says "Watch our chef make this dish" works best when the clip is short.

Check the video's visibility first. Public and unlisted videos open for anyone with the link, but a private video shows strangers an error. Region or age restrictions can also block some viewers.

Frequently asked questions

Can the QR code start the video at a certain time?

Yes, if the link you paste already has a start time in it. Set the start-at option when you copy the share link, paste that link here, and test the finished code to confirm it begins at the right second.

Does editing my video's title break the QR code?

Changing a title or description does not change the video's link, so the code keeps working. Deleting the video, making it private, or replacing it with a new upload under a different link would break it.

Do viewers need a YouTube account to watch?

No. Public and unlisted videos play for anyone who has the link. An age-restricted video asks the viewer to sign in, and a private video does not play at all.

How should I put a YouTube QR code on a presentation slide?

Insert the PNG on the final slide, keep the background plain, and make the code as large as the slide allows. Check it by scanning from the back row before the talk starts.