Can you change a QR code after printing?
, updated
Yes, if the code holds a short link instead of the final address. Change where the short link goes, and every printed copy of the code follows on the next scan. A code that holds the final address cannot change: the address is the printed pattern.
Why a printed code cannot change
A QR code stores its text in the pattern itself. The standard, ISO/IEC 18004, turns each byte of the text into dark and light modules, the squares that Denso Wave describes as the dots of
the code. A code that holds https://example.com/menu holds those characters, so a new
address needs a new pattern and a new print. Generators call this a static code.
How an editable code works
An editable code, which generators call dynamic, holds a short link such as https://go.example.com/menu. When a phone scans it, the phone asks the short-link
service where to go, and the service answers with a redirect to the current destination. You
change the destination in the service; the printed pattern stays the same.
The type of redirect matters. A 301 redirect is permanent, and the HTTP standard lets
browsers cache it, so a phone that scanned the code before can keep going to the old address.
Flared answers with a 302 redirect and cache-control: no-store, so each scan asks
again and a change takes effect on the next scan.
Check these before you print
- Whose domain is in the code. If the code holds the generator’s domain, the
code works only while that company keeps your account. Some generators stop dynamic codes
when a subscription ends. A code on your own subdomain, such as
go.example.com, goes wherever you point that subdomain, with any provider. - Whether you can edit without limits. Some services count destination edits per month. Flared allows edits at any time, on every plan.
- Whether you can leave. Export your links before you need to. Flared exports every link and its analytics as JSON.
- What the service learns from each scan. Flared counts scans as clicks by country, device, browser, and referrer, with no raw IP addresses. It sets no visitor cookies, unless the workspace forwards clicks to an analytics tool.
- How long the address is. A shorter address needs fewer modules, so the code can use a lower version with larger squares at the same print size, which scans more easily from a distance.
Make an editable QR code with Flared
Every Flared link has a QR code, on every plan, including Free. In the dashboard, create a link, open it, and download its code as SVG or PNG. Use SVG for print: it stays sharp at any size. From the terminal, with the flared CLI:
flared link create https://example.com/menu --slug menu --domain go.example.com
flared link qr menu --format svg --out menu.svg
# Months later, after the code is printed:
flared link update menu --destination https://example.com/winter-menuThe update keeps the short address, so the printed code now opens the winter menu. The link keeps its click history, and scans count in the link’s analytics. To use your own subdomain, add one CNAME record; see custom domains. Free includes one custom domain.
Common questions
Can I make a static code editable?
No. The pattern holds the address, so you must print a new code. If the static code points to a page on your own website, you can make that page redirect elsewhere, which moves the visitors without a reprint.
How do I know if my code is static or dynamic?
Scan it with your phone camera and read the address it shows before it opens. A short link on a short-link domain is dynamic. The full address of the final page is static.
What if a destination page goes offline?
Point the link at a working page. You can also turn the link off with flared link disable and turn it back on later; the address and the printed code stay
reserved for you.