You have printed 500 flyers, a run of window stickers or a batch of packaging, and then the web page the QR code points to changes. Or the offer ends. Or you spot a typo in the address. Reprinting is the expensive answer. The cheap one is to change where the code leads, and that only works if you made the right kind of code in the first place.
Static and dynamic QR codes
There are two kinds of QR code, and they behave very differently once they are printed.
- A static QR code holds the destination itself, written into the pattern. If you want a different destination, the pattern has to change, so you have to print again. Static codes also cannot be tracked, because nothing passes through us when someone scans.
- A dynamic QR code holds a short link instead. The short link redirects to your destination, and you can change that destination at any time without touching the printed pattern. Because the scan passes through the short link, you can also see things like where, when and on what device people scanned.
The printed code looks the same either way. The difference is what is behind it.
How to tell which one you have
Scan it with your phone and look at the address before the page opens. If it shows the final page address, it is probably static. If it shows a short link first, such as one on your own short link domain, it is dynamic. If you made it with a free tool that never asked you to create an account, assume it is static.
How to change the destination of a dynamic code
- Sign in and open QR Codes in your dashboard.
- Find the code in the list and open its menu.
- Choose Edit QR.
- Change the link (or the file, phone number or other content, depending on the type of code) and save.
- Scan the printed code with your phone to check that it now goes where you expect.
That is all. Anyone who scans the old flyer from now on lands on the new page.
What stays the same and what does not
The printed pattern keeps working for as long as the code exists in your account. So:
- Do not delete the code in your dashboard while printed copies are still out there. Deleting it stops them working.
- You change the destination, not the printed pattern. The pattern on paper never changes, so you never need to reprint just to point it somewhere new.
- Test after every change. It takes ten seconds and catches mistakes before a customer does.
Where this saves you money
- Menus and price lists. Print the code once on the table cards and update the menu behind it each season.
- Posters for events. When the event is over, point the same poster at the next event, or at a "see you next year" page.
- Packaging. A code on a box can lead to setup instructions today and a reorder page later.
- Shop windows and vehicles. Things that are expensive to reprint are exactly where a code you can edit pays off.
Before you print next time
- Create a dynamic code from the start, even if the destination feels settled.
- Give the code a clear name in your dashboard so you can find it later, for example "Window sticker, spring".
- Print it large enough to scan comfortably and with a clear blank border around it.
- Use dark on light. Low contrast is the most common reason a good code will not scan.
- Scan the final proof, not just the screen version.
Ready to make one? Create a dynamic QR code and keep the option of changing it later.