What is a dynamic QR code?
A dynamic QR code holds a short link instead of your destination. Ours look like qrfinity.link/ plus a few characters. When someone scans the code, their phone opens the short link, our redirect service looks up where the code should go, and forwards them there, usually in a fraction of a second.
Because the destination lives in your account instead of in the printed pattern, you can change it whenever you like. A menu link, a PDF, a campaign page, a booking form: point the same printed code at something new without reprinting anything. And because every scan passes through the short link, we can count it.
If you’re not sure you need one, the static vs dynamic guide explains when each makes sense.
What do you get for free?
- Unlimited dynamic codes. Make one for every flyer, table, product and poster.
- Edit the destination at any time. Changes are usually live within a minute.
- Scan analytics. Total and unique scans, scans over time, devices, operating systems, countries and cities, with up to 2 years of history.
- No watermark. PNG and JPG downloads are free; SVG, PDF and EPS come with a plan.
- The full designer. Colours, gradients, shapes, frames and your logo, with a live scan check that warns you before you print something that won’t scan.
- Pause and resume. Turn a code off yourself for a while, and back on when you’re ready.
- Export. Download all your codes and destinations as CSV or JSON from your account.
No trial, no scan cap and no credit card. Advanced features, like custom short links and redirect rules by phone, country or time, are free on one code; paid plans let you use them on more. What’s free stays free.
Why do our dynamic codes never stop working?
Because we decided they wouldn’t, and wrote it down. Many generators that offer a free trial deactivate dynamic codes when the trial ends, and send scanners to a page about upgrading. We don’t. We never deactivate, pause or meter a free code, and that promise is in our terms.
A QRfinity code stops redirecting in only two cases:
- You pause it. Scanners see a page saying the code is paused by its owner, until you turn it back on.
- It breaks our acceptable use policy. We screen destinations with URL-reputation checks and disable codes used for phishing, malware or similar harm, to protect the people who scan them.
More on what that promise covers is on QR codes with no expiration.
How do you make a dynamic QR code?
- Choose Dynamic. It’s already selected in the generator above.
- Enter your link. Paste the address you want people to reach. You can change it later.
- Design it. Pick colours, add a frame with a call to action like “Scan for the menu”, add your logo if you like. Watch the scan check as you go.
- Save your dynamic code. Choose “Save your dynamic code” and sign in with a link sent to your email, or with Google. The account is free and takes under a minute.
- Download and print. Use SVG, PDF or EPS for print, PNG for screens.
From then on, your dashboard shows every code, its short link, its scans and its current destination.
Which types of QR code can be dynamic?
| Type | What the scan opens | Why dynamic helps |
|---|---|---|
| Link | Any web page, PDF, form or file | Swap the page without reprinting |
| A chat with your number, message ready | Change the number or message later | |
| Location | Your address in the phone’s maps app | Update it if you move |
| App store | Your app’s App Store or Google Play page | Point it at a new listing if your app changes |
| Social | Your profile on Instagram, YouTube and others | Change the handle or platform later |
Wi-Fi logins, contact cards, plain text, email, SMS and calendar events are always static. Phones read those straight from the code, which also means they work offline and never depend on us.
What do we do with scan data?
We count scans without collecting personal data:
- No raw IP addresses are stored. Unique scans use a short fingerprint made with a salt that changes every day and is then deleted.
- No cookies on the redirect, and no ads.
- Bots and link previewers are excluded, so pasting your short link into a chat doesn’t inflate your numbers.
The scan tracking guide explains exactly what is and isn’t measured.
Is a dynamic code right for you?
We recommend: dynamic
Use a dynamic code for anything that’s expensive to reprint or that you want to measure: menus, packaging, signage, posters, business cards. On QRfinity it costs nothing and never expires.
If the content is fixed and you don’t need scan counts, a static code needs no account at all. Switch the generator above to Static, or use the free QR code generator.