Dynamic QR codes that don't expire
A dynamic QR code holds a short link instead of your web address, so you can change where it goes after it's printed and see how often it's scanned. Here, codes aren't switched off when a trial ends, because there's no trial.
Updated
Static or dynamic?
Every QR code is a pattern that holds some text. What that text is decides what you can do with the code later.
| Static code | Dynamic code | |
|---|---|---|
| What it holds | Your content itself: a Wi-Fi login, a phone number, a web address | A short link, like makemyqrcodes.com/spring-menu, that forwards to your page |
| Change it after printing | No. You print a new code | Yes, any time |
| Scan counts | No | Yes: by day, country and device |
| Needs a service to keep working | No | Yes: the short link runs through the site that made it |
| Pattern | Gets denser as the content gets longer | Stays simple, because the link is short |
| Best for | Wi-Fi, phone numbers, things that never change | Menus, packaging, flyers, business cards |
Here, website links and contact cards are dynamic. Wi-Fi, text, email, phone and text-message codes are static.
Why some "free" QR codes stop working
A dynamic code only works while the company behind its short link keeps that link running. Some QR sites hand out dynamic codes on a free trial, then switch the link off when the trial ends or a scan limit is reached, unless you start paying. By then the code is on your packaging or menus, and the only fix is to reprint.
Before you print a dynamic code from any site, check its terms for three things:
- Does the free code stop after a trial period?
- Is there a monthly or lifetime scan limit?
- Do codes stop if your account is inactive or unpaid?
Our promise
- No trial. Codes aren't switched off to push anyone onto a paid plan. If a plan ends, every code you made keeps working.
- No scan limits and no ads: people go straight to your page.
- Short links are never reused, even after a code or account is deleted, so a printed code can't end up opening someone else's page.
- You can download your codes and scan history whenever you like.
To be straight with you: a dynamic code depends on the service behind it, and that includes us. Our domain renews automatically, and we only switch off codes that break the rules (phishing, scams, malware). Static codes, like Wi-Fi, hold their content directly and don't depend on us at all.
How to make a dynamic code here
Create a free account
Sign up with your email. No credit card.
Choose "Website link"
Paste the address it should open. Or choose "Contact card" to share your details.
Pick an ending (optional)
makemyqrcodes.com/your-ending is easier to type and recognize. Leave it blank for a short random one, which keeps the pattern simpler. The ending can't change later, because it's what the printed code holds.
Style it and check the scan test
Choose colors, shapes, a logo and a label. Every design is decoded the way a phone reads it, and flagged if it doesn't scan.
Download and print
SVG or PDF for a print shop, PNG for documents and websites.
Change it whenever you like
Open the code, paste a new address and save. The printed code opens the new page straight away.
Sizes, file types and testing are in the printing guide.
What it costs
Your first changeable code (a website link or contact card) is free. After that, a plan adds 5 changeable codes for $11.99 a year, plus sales tax where it applies, and renews yearly until you cancel. Wi-Fi, text, email, phone and text-message codes are always free.
If a plan ends, every code you've made keeps working. You just can't edit changeable codes beyond your free allowance, or make new ones, until you renew.
Common questions
Do QR codes expire?
The pattern itself never expires. A static code works as long as what it holds still works: your website, your Wi-Fi password. A dynamic code works as long as its short link is kept running.
Does changing the link change the code?
No. The pattern holds the short link, which never changes, so old printouts and new ones are the same code.
Can I turn a static code into a dynamic one?
No. A printed code always holds what it held when it was made. Make a dynamic code for your next print run.
Can I change codes I made on another QR website?
Only through that website. The printed code holds their short link, so only they can forward it somewhere new.