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Redirects

QR code redirect

A QR code redirect is what lets a printed code keep working when the destination changes. Create a code that redirects to any URL, then change that URL as often as you like.

Create a QR code

Any destination, changeable forever

The code redirects to a URL stored in your dashboard, so the printed pattern never changes.

Redirect existing codes

If your code is dynamic, you can redirect it for free as many times as you like.

Conditional redirection

Redirect by country, device or language so each scan lands on the right page.

  1. 1

    Create the code

    Point a dynamic QR code at the first destination you want to use.

  2. 2

    Print it

    Download the SVG and print at any size. The URL is not baked into the pattern.

  3. 3

    Change the redirect later

    Edit the destination in the dashboard. The printed code is untouched.

A code that redirects vs one that does not

Both are free to generate and scan identically. The difference is what you can do afterwards.

AttributeStatic codeRedirecting code
Where the destination livesIn the patternOn our server, behind a short link
Changing it laterReprint requiredEdit it and print nothing
Scan trackingNoneDay, country, device, browser
Conditional rulesNot possibleCountry, device, OS, language
Needs a connectionNoYes — one request
Reaches the destinationDirectlyVia one temporary redirect
PriceFree foreverFree for 3 codes, then $4/month

How a QR code redirect works

The QR code encodes a short link such as yourdomain.com/r/ab12cd. When someone scans, our server looks up the current destination and forwards them. Changing the redirect is a database update — instant, and invisible on the printed code.

  • Scan resolves the short link
  • Server matches rules and picks a destination
  • Visitor is forwarded (302 redirect) and the scan is logged

Redirecting an existing code

You can redirect an existing code only if it is dynamic, because the redirect lives on the server. A static code cannot be redirected — but if you own its destination URL, you can redirect from there.

Redirects and tracking together

Because every scan passes through the redirect, the same request can also be counted. That gives you per-code totals by day, country and device without adding anything to the destination page.

  • Redirect and analytics from one request
  • Nothing to install on the destination site
  • Privacy-first: only a salted IP hash is stored

Temporary, not permanent — and why that matters

A redirect can be sent as permanent (301) or temporary (302). We always use a temporary redirect, and that is deliberate: browsers, and sometimes phone operating systems, cache a permanent redirect indefinitely.

A cached 301 would send every scanner straight to the old destination, bypassing our server entirely — so the redirect could no longer be changed, and the scan would never be counted. Temporary means the lookup happens on every scan, which is the whole point.

  • Temporary redirect: never cached, always editable
  • The visitor lands on your page, not on an interstitial
  • The short link is served over HTTPS

Redirect by country, device, OS or language

A redirect does not have to be a single fixed URL. Add rules and one printed code can behave differently depending on who scanned it — the request carries enough information to tell where the visitor is and what they are holding.

Rules are evaluated in order and the first match wins. Anything that matches nothing falls through to the default destination, so every scan still lands somewhere sensible.

  • Country and region, from the network the scan arrived on
  • Device: mobile, tablet or desktop
  • Operating system, for App Store versus Play Store
  • Browser language, for localized destinations

Redirecting to an app store, not a website

One of the most common redirects is the one nobody sees: a code on packaging or a poster that should open the App Store on an iPhone and Google Play on an Android phone. A device or OS rule handles it, and the code on the box stays the same even after you ship a new version.

  • iOS to the App Store, Android to Google Play
  • Desktop to a landing page that explains the app
  • Everything else to your normal website

Redirecting a code after the page moves

The classic reason to redirect is that the destination changed: a page was renamed, a campaign ended, a store moved, a product was replaced. The printed code is still out there on a wall, so the failure mode is a 404 on something you paid to print.

Because the redirect is edited in the dashboard, this is a one-minute fix rather than a reprint — but do open the new destination in a browser before you save it.

  • Renamed pages and restructured sites
  • Seasonal pages that should not be live all year
  • Products that have been replaced or retired
  • Campaigns that have finished

Keep the redirect chain short

Point the code at the final URL wherever you can. If your destination is itself a redirect — a marketing link that bounces to a landing page that bounces again — every scan pays for each hop, and the browser shows an address that does not match what you printed.

One hop is the goal: short link, then the real page. If the destination legitimately redirects, that is usually a sign the code should point at the end of the chain instead.

What a redirect cannot do

Worth being straight about, because these are the questions that decide whether a redirect is the right tool at all.

  • It cannot change a static code — the URL is inside the pattern
  • It cannot work offline, because the lookup happens on the server
  • It cannot hide the destination from someone who inspects the request
  • It cannot help if the destination itself is gone and you have no replacement
  • It cannot survive the short domain expiring — keep the domain you print

Frequently asked questions

Can I redirect a QR code for free?
Yes — on a dynamic code, editing the redirect is free and unlimited. Static codes cannot be redirected.
How many times can I change the redirect?
As many times as you like. There is no limit and no reprint.
Do redirects slow down the scan?
The redirect adds a few milliseconds. In practice, scanning feels instant.
Can I redirect based on the visitor's country?
Yes. Add country, device or language rules and a fallback destination.
Do QR redirects work offline?
No. A dynamic redirect needs a connection to resolve. Static codes resolve entirely on the device.
Can I redirect to a PDF or a file?
Yes, as long as the destination is a reachable https:// URL.
What is the difference between a QR redirect and a short link?
They are the same mechanism. The short link is what the code contains; the redirect is what happens when someone follows it. A shortener just redirects to one fixed URL — this one can also route by country, device or language and count the scan.
Does a QR redirect use a 301 or a 302?
A temporary redirect. A permanent one gets cached by browsers and search engines, which would pin scanners to the old destination and bypass the redirect — and the tracking — entirely.
Can I redirect a code I printed last year?
If it is a dynamic code, yes — the redirect lives in your account, not on the page. If it is static, the destination is fixed and has to be reprinted.
How do I know whether my QR code can be redirected?
Scan it and look at the address that appears. A short link on a domain you do not own, with a short code at the end, is dynamic and can be redirected. If the address is your own full URL, the code is static.
Can I redirect a QR code to an app store?
Yes. Use an OS or device rule so iPhones open the App Store, Android phones open Google Play, and desktop visitors get a page about the app — all from one printed code.

Related

Redirect existing codes →Conditional redirects →Dynamic QR codes →

Create your first dynamic QR code

Free to start. One code, editable forever, with scan tracking from the first scan.

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Privacy-first analyticsNo per-scan feesEdit links anytimeNo contract