QR Codes — Methodology Handbook

How CalculatorAI's QR Code generator and QR Codes tracker work: static vs dynamic codes, scan analytics, password protection and privacy.

👉 Open the tracker: calculatorai.app/qr-codes · Create a code: QR Code generator

What a QR code actually is

A QR ("Quick Response") code is a square matrix barcode that stores a short piece of data — most often a URL. A phone camera decodes the pattern and opens whatever it encodes. The three large corner squares are finder patterns that let a scanner locate and orient the code; the smaller cells around them carry the data plus error-correction information.

Error correction means a QR code still scans when part of it is damaged, dirty, or covered — for example by a logo in the centre. Higher error-correction levels reserve more of the code for recovery data, which is why adding a logo works best at the "High" level.

Static vs dynamic codes

There are two fundamentally different kinds of QR code, and choosing the right one matters before you print anything.

Static codes

A static code encodes the final destination directly inside the pattern. Whatever you type is baked into the pixels forever.

• Free and permanent — no account needed.
• The destination can never be changed. If the link breaks, the printed code is dead.
• No scan tracking is possible: the code points straight at your link, so nothing sits in between to count scans.
• Best for: Wi-Fi credentials, a permanent homepage, plain text, a phone number.

Dynamic codes

A dynamic code encodes a short redirect link that you own. Scanning it lands on that short link, which instantly forwards to your real destination.

• You can change the destination at any time — even after the code is printed on a thousand flyers. The pattern never changes; only where it points does.
• Every scan passes through the redirect, so it can be counted and analysed.
• Optional password protection can gate the destination behind a prompt.
• Best for: marketing campaigns, packaging, business cards, menus, event signage — anywhere the target may change or you want analytics.

The rule of thumb: if it's printed and permanent, or the destination might ever change, use dynamic.

Customisation

Both code types support the same visual options:

• Colours — foreground and background, including a two-colour gradient (linear or radial). Keep strong contrast between the code and its background, or scanners struggle.
• Module shapes — square, rounded or circular body dots, plus separate styles for the corner finder frames and their centre dots.
• Logo overlay — drop a logo in the centre. Because a logo covers part of the pattern, use High error correction so the code still scans reliably. A small margin around the logo improves contrast.
• Export — download as PNG (high-resolution raster, good for print) or SVG (vector, scales to any size without blur).

Scan analytics (dynamic codes)

Every scan of a dynamic code records a lightweight, privacy-respecting event so you can measure performance:

• Total scans across all your codes and per individual code.
• Location — approximate country and city, derived from the network, never a precise address.
• Device type — mobile, tablet or desktop.
• Browser and operating system.
• Trend — a daily scan timeline so you can see campaign spikes.

The QR Codes tracker aggregates all of this into a dashboard: headline totals, a 30-day scan chart, and breakdowns by country, device and browser.

A note on privacy

Scan analytics are designed to be useful without being invasive. We store only coarse location (country/city level) and device class. We do not store the raw IP address of the person scanning — it is turned into an irreversible fingerprint used purely to distinguish scans, then discarded. There is no cross-site tracking and no personal profile of the scanner.

Password protection

A dynamic code can require a password before it redirects. When someone scans it they see a small unlock page; only after entering the correct password are they forwarded to the destination. This is a lightweight access gate — useful for private documents, gated content or internal links — not a substitute for real authentication on the destination itself.

Managing your codes

The QR Codes tracker is where dynamic codes live after you create them:

• Edit the destination of any code in place — the printed pattern keeps working, it just points somewhere new.
• Pause and resume a code without deleting it. A paused code stops redirecting.
• Delete a code (it moves to a recoverable state before being permanently removed), which retires the printed code.
• Copy the short link to share it directly, without a printed code at all.

Free vs Pro

The generator is free for everyone: unlimited static codes, full customisation, PNG and SVG export — no account required. Dynamic codes need a free account. The free plan includes one active dynamic code so you can try the full flow (editable destination + scan analytics); Pro removes the limit for unlimited dynamic codes.

Good practice checklist

• Test-scan the final exported image with more than one phone before printing.
• Keep high contrast between foreground and background.
• Use dynamic codes for anything printed or campaign-related.
• Use High error correction whenever you overlay a logo.
• Give the code quiet space (a margin) around it on the final artwork.
• Print at a size appropriate to scanning distance — bigger for posters, smaller for business cards.

Ready to create and measure your codes? Open the QR Codes tracker → or start with the generator →.