QR Code Types Explained: URL, vCard, Wi-Fi, and More

Most people think of a QR code as “a link you can scan.” That is true, but it undersells the format. A QR code is a general-purpose container for text, and the text inside can follow a convention that tells the scanner what to do — open a URL, connect to Wi-Fi, save a contact, draft an SMS, and more. Understanding these content types helps you generate QR codes that do something useful the moment they are scanned.

What a QR code actually stores

At the lowest level, a QR code stores a string of bytes — up to a few thousand alphanumeric characters depending on the error-correction level. The scanner reads the bytes and hands the result to the operating system. What happens next depends on the content of that string: if it starts with http, the phone opens a browser; if it looks like a Wi-Fi credential string, the phone offers to join the network.

There is no magic type field inside the QR code itself. The “type” is just a text convention that the scanner recognizes. This means any QR Code Generator that outputs arbitrary text can produce every type described below — you just have to format the string correctly.

URL

The simplest and most common type. The QR code contains a URL such as https://example.com/menu. Modern phone cameras recognize URLs and offer to open them in the browser.

Best practices:

• Use a short URL. Long URLs produce dense QR codes that are harder to scan. A shortener or a clean path keeps the code compact.
• Prefer HTTPS. Some phones warn before opening insecure HTTP links.
• Test on multiple phones. Camera apps vary in how aggressively they parse URLs.

Wi-Fi credentials

A QR code can let guests join your Wi-Fi by scanning instead of typing a long password. The string follows the convention:

WIFI:S:YourNetworkName;T:WPA;P:YourPassword;;

• S — the network name (SSID).
• T — the security type: WPA, WEP, or nopass.
• P — the password.

When scanned, most phones display a prompt to join the network. This is invaluable for cafes, hotels, and home guests. Generate a strong network password with the Password Generator and encode the credential string with the QR generator.

vCard (contact card)

A vCard QR code encodes contact information in the vCard format so that scanning it opens an “Add to contacts” prompt:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
FN:Alice Smith
ORG:DevToolsBox
TEL:+1-555-0100
EMAIL:alice@example.com
URL:https://example.com
END:VCARD

This is ideal for business cards and conference badges — the recipient scans and saves your details without retyping anything.

Plain text

A QR code can simply contain a sentence, a code, or an ID. Scanners display the text and let the user copy it. Use this for serial numbers, warranty codes, or short instructions where opening a browser is unnecessary.

SMS and phone

A sms: or tel: URL lets the scanner draft a text message or start a call:

sms:+15550100?body=Hello
tel:+15550100

Useful for feedback campaigns (“scan to text us”) or quick-call links on printed materials.

Email

A mailto: URL pre-fills an email:

mailto:support@example.com?subject=Help&body=I%20need%20assistance

Note that the body must be URL-encoded — see the URL Encoder for the correct escaping of spaces and special characters.

Choosing the right type

Goal	Content type	Example
Drive traffic to a page	URL	https://example.com
Guest Wi-Fi access	Wi-Fi	WIFI:S:Home;T:WPA;P:secret;;
Share contact info	vCard	BEGIN:VCARD...
Reusable ID or code	Plain text	ABC-1234
Collect feedback	SMS	sms:+15550100?body=Feedback

Design tips for scannable codes

• Keep it short. More data means more modules, which means a denser, harder-to-scan code. A short URL beats a long one.
• Use high contrast. A dark foreground on a light background scans best. Avoid inverting the colors. You can pick brand colors with the Color Converter to stay on-brand while keeping contrast.
• Size for the distance. A code on a business card can be small; a code on a poster across the room must be large. A rule of thumb: the code’s side should be at least 1/10 the scanning distance.
• Leave quiet zone. Keep a margin of white space around the code so the scanner can find it.
• Test before you print. Scan with your own phone before committing to a print run.

QR codes do not expire

A common misconception is that QR codes “expire.” They do not — the data is encoded in the image itself, with no server involved. What can expire is the destination: if your QR points to https://example.com/promo and you take that page down, the code still scans but leads nowhere. Use a stable, permanent URL, or use a redirect you control if you might change the destination later.

Generate any of these QR types with our free QR Code Generator — no sign-up, no watermark, and the code is yours to download as a PNG.