How to Create a QR Code
Learn what QR codes can hold, how to create one for a URL, WiFi network or UPI payment, and the best practices for a code that always scans.
By the ToolsHub team · Updated August 21, 2026
A QR code is a square barcode that a phone camera reads instantly. It can hold far more than a link — text, contact details, a WiFi login, or a UPI payment request — which is why they're everywhere from posters to shop counters.
What a QR code can hold
- A URL — the most common use; opens a website when scanned.
- Plain text or a contact card — share info without a link.
- WiFi credentials — guests join your network by scanning, no typing.
- A UPI payment — encode your UPI ID so people can pay you directly.
Creating one
Use the QR Code Generator for a link or text, the WiFi QR Code Generator to share your network, and the UPI QR Code Generator to collect payments. All run in your browser, so nothing you enter — including a WiFi password — is uploaded.
Best practices for a code that always scans
- Keep good contrast — dark code on a light background.
- Don't shrink it too far; leave a quiet margin around the edges.
- Always test it with a phone (or the QR Code Scanner) before you print.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I create a QR code?
- Enter what you want it to hold — a link, text, WiFi details or a UPI ID — into a QR generator and download the image. Our QR Code Generator makes one in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
- How do I make a WiFi QR code?
- Enter your network name and password in the WiFi QR Code Generator; guests scan it and their phone joins automatically, with no password to type.
- How do I make a UPI payment QR code?
- Enter your UPI ID (and optionally an amount) in the UPI QR Code Generator; anyone can scan it to pay you directly from their UPI app.
- Do QR codes expire?
- A static QR code (the kind these tools make) never expires — it encodes the data directly, so it works as long as the destination it points to still exists.