QR codes
The QR codes page (/dashboard/qr-codes) is where you create, customize, and download QR codes. Every QR code points at a URL — either a LinkSnap short link (recommended — you get analytics) or any arbitrary URL.
Why route QR codes through a short link
QR codes are physical. They get printed on packaging, posters, stickers, and business cards. Once printed, you can't change the URL they encode.
A LinkSnap short link gives you indirection: the QR encodes the short URL, the short URL redirects to your destination, and you can update the destination later without reprinting. You also get scan analytics.
The QR generator's default flow is "point at a short link" precisely for this reason.
Generating a QR code
From the QR codes page, click New QR code. The form has:
- Link source — either an existing short link (pick from a search), a new short link (we'll create one), or a raw URL.
- Label — your name for the QR code. Doesn't appear on the QR itself; just for the dashboard.
- Foreground color — default black. Hex input.
- Background color — default white. Hex input.
- Logo — optional. Upload a square PNG or SVG. We embed it in the center with appropriate error-correction margin.
- Format — PNG (everyone) or SVG (PRO and BUSINESS).
Click Generate. A preview renders immediately. Click Download to save.
Custom colors and logos require error-correction level H. We auto-bump the QR's error-correction when you add a logo, which slightly increases the QR's density. Still scannable by any reader.
Plan caveats
| Feature | FREE | PRO | BUSINESS |
|---|---|---|---|
| QR codes per month | 2 | 500 | unlimited |
| Watermark | LinkSnap logo | none | none |
| Custom colors | — | yes | yes |
| Logo embed | — | yes | yes |
| SVG export | — | yes | yes |
The watermark on FREE-plan QR codes is a small "linksnap.com" tag below the QR. It doesn't affect scannability, but if you're printing on packaging or paid advertising, you'll likely want to upgrade.
Downloading
Two ways to download:
- Click Download from the detail page. Generates the QR and streams it to your browser. Honors your color and logo settings.
- Use the download token API. For programmatic downloads, call
POST /api/v1/qr-codes/:id/download-tokento mint a time-bounded (15-minute) signed URL, then download from that URL without authentication. Useful when piping into Figma plugins, design tools, or CI pipelines that can't store API keys.
Tracking scans
When a QR code is bound to a short link, every scan is a redirect through that link — so scans count toward the link's click stats. The QR code's own detail page also shows a scan-only view of the same data (filtered to redirects that came in via the QR's specific scan-path).
Stats include: total scans, recent scans with country/device/referrer, and a 30-day time-series chart.
Raw URL QR codes (no short link) don't produce telemetry — they bypass LinkSnap entirely once scanned. Use them only when you don't need analytics.
Updating a QR code
You can update a QR code's label, colors, and logo any time. The visual QR pattern changes when you change the encoded URL, so we don't let you swap the URL on an existing QR — create a new QR instead. (This protects anyone who's already printed it.)
The destination behind the short link is freely editable from the Links page — that's exactly the indirection the QR-through-link pattern buys you.
Deleting a QR code
Click Delete on the QR's detail page. This:
- Removes the QR row from the dashboard.
- Stops counting future scans toward the QR's stats (the underlying short link, if any, continues to track clicks).
- Doesn't reach into the wild — printed QR codes will still scan and still redirect through the short link. To "kill" a QR code you've already printed, also delete the short link it points at.
Next
- Links — the linked-link half of the workflow.
- Custom domains — QR codes pointing at branded short URLs.
- API reference — generate and download QR codes programmatically.