QR Code Content Formats

We all occasionally scan a QR codes and are taken to a website, but did you know that QR codes can do so much more? For example they can be used to store contact information, WiFi credentials, or geolocation data. In this guide we will cover the different types of QR codes and how to create them.

URL

The most common type of QR code is a URL QR code. When scanned, the QR code will take you to a website. To create a URL QR code, simply enter the URL you want to link (for example: https://artsy-code.com) as the content and generate your Artsy Code. Be sure to include the protocol (http:// or https://) in the URL.

Contact Information

A contact information QR code can store a person's name, phone number, email address, and physical address. When scanned, the QR code will prompt the user to save the contact information to their phone. There are several formats available for encoding contact information, including meCard and vCard. MeCard was developed by NTT DoCoMo and is a simpler format than vCard. For example imagine we want to encode the contact information for John Doe with the phone number 123-456-7890 and address of 123 Main St, Anytown, USA and email address of [email protected] The meCard format would be:
MECARD:N:Doe, John;TEL:1234567890;ADR:123 Main St, Anytown, USA;EMAIL:[email protected];;

WiFi Credentials

A WiFi credentials QR code can store the SSID, password, and encryption type for a WiFi network. When scanned, the QR code will prompt the user to connect to the WiFi network. There are several formats available for encoding WiFi credentials, including Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) and plain text. For example imagine we want to encode the WiFi credentials for the network with the SSID of MyNetwork with the password of MyPassword and encryption type of WPA The WPS format would be:
WIFI:S:MyNetwork;T:WPA;P:MyPassword;;

SMS/FaceTime

An SMS QR code can store a phone number and message. When scanned, the QR code will prompt the user to send a text message to the phone number. There are several formats available for encoding SMS, including plain text. For example imagine we want to encode the SMS for the phone number 123-456-7890 with the message `quot;Hello, World!`quot; The plain text format would be:
sms:+1234567890:Hello, World!And for FaceTime Audio the format would be:
facetime-audio:+1234567890For facetime video the format would be:
facetime-video:+1234567890

Geolocation

A geolocation QR code can store the latitude and longitude of a location. When scanned, the QR code will prompt the user to view the location on a map. There are several formats available for encoding geolocation, including Geo URI and plain text. For example imagine we want to encode the geolocation for the location with the latitude of 37.7749 and longitude of -122.4194 The Geo URI format would be:
geo:37.7749,-122.4194

Calendar Events

A calendar event QR code can store the details of a calendar event, including the title, location, start date, end date, and description. When scanned, the QR code will prompt the user to add the event to their calendar. There are several formats available for encoding calendar events, including plain text. For example imagine we want to encode the calendar event for the title of Meeting with the location of 123 Main St, Anytown, USA starting on 2022-01-01 and ending on 2022-01-02. The plain text format would be:
BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Meeting LOCATION:123 Main St, Anytown, USA DTSTART:20240101T000000 DTEND:20240102T000000 END:VEVENT

Conclusion

We have covered the different types of QR codes and how to create them. We hope this guide has been helpful and that you are now able to create the QR codes you need.