How to Make a QR Code for a Website Link

A QR code for a website is the most common kind there is. Put it on a flyer, a menu, a window sign or a business card, and people can open your page with their phone camera instead of typing the address. It takes about a minute to make one. A few extra minutes of care make sure it scans for everyone.

Make it in five steps

1. Open the website QR code generator and paste your link. If you leave off https://, it’s added for you.
2. Pick a design. Start from one of the 10 templates, or set your own colors, dot and corner styles. You can also upload a logo and add a frame with call-to-action text, like “Scan to order”.
3. Watch the scan check. The preview tells you when the code “Scans reliably in our check”. If a design change makes it harder to read, you’ll see it straight away.
4. Download the file you need: PNG, SVG or PDF.
5. Test it on real phones before you print a batch.

It’s free, there’s no signup, and your code has no watermark. The code is made in your browser, so the link you type is never sent to our servers.

Tidy the link first

The link you paste goes straight into the code, and every extra character adds more squares. A shorter link makes a simpler code that’s easier to scan, especially when printed small.

Before you paste, check the address:

• Use the page you actually mean. Copy it from your own site, not from a search result or a social media post.
• Remove leftover tracking codes. Links copied from emails, ads or social apps often carry extra text after a ?. If the page loads fine without it, delete it.
• Use https. Most sites support it, and many browsers label plain http pages as not secure.
• Choose an address you’ll keep. A link like yourshop.com/menu that you update over time lasts longer than one tied to this month’s file name.

A note on UTM parameters

UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a link, like ?utm_source=flyer. If your website uses an analytics tool, they help you see which visits came from a printed code.

They’re useful, but they make the link longer, so the code gets denser. Keep them short:

• use one or two tags instead of the full set
• choose short values, like flyer rather than spring-2026-downtown-flyer-v2
• skip them on small prints like business cards, where space is tight

If a code holds more than 300 bytes, the generator warns you that it’s dense. A dense code needs a bigger print to scan easily, so trim the link or plan for more space. Our QR code size guide explains how big to go.

app.keptlink.com

Test before you print

The scan check in the generator is a good first sign, but nothing replaces a real phone. Before you print hundreds of copies:

• print one at the final size, on the paper you’ll really use
• scan it with two or three phones, including an older one if you can
• scan from the distance your customers will use, not just up close
• open the page on mobile data as well as WiFi, and check it loads and looks right on a small screen

If people will stand back from a sign, use the print-size calculator under the download buttons. It works out a width of about the scan distance divided by 10, and never less than 0.8 inch (2 cm).

Choose the right file format

Pick the file based on where the code will appear:

• SVG for designers and print shops. It’s a vector file, so it stays sharp at any size.
• PDF for printing at home or the office. It comes at exactly 1, 2 or 3 inches wide.
• PNG for websites, emails, social posts and slides. Choose 512, 1024 or 2048 pixels, or a custom size. For print, use 1024 or larger.

Our guide to SVG vs PNG vs PDF goes into more detail. And because codes made on KeptLink are static, your code keeps working for as long as your web page does. If you’re wondering whether you’ll need to change the link later, read about static vs dynamic QR codes.