You can create a QR Code for your website in minutes with Bitly. According to a July 2025 Ipsos poll of 1,083 US adults, 65% have used a QR Code menu at a restaurant or bar. That’s up from 42% in 2022.
The harder part comes after the scan. Menus, flyers, packaging, signage, and social posts each live in a separate channel. That makes it tough to connect the dots and tell which touchpoints send people to your site.
A trackable QR Code closes that gap. With Bitly’s Free plan, you can turn a link into a QR Code, customize it, and track every scan from one place.
Key takeaways
- Bitly lets you create a QR Code for your website URL in six steps, and the Free plan includes two QR Codes per month.
- Dynamic QR Codes let you change your website destination after you print, with redirects available on our Core tier plan and above.
- Custom colors, logos, and frames help your QR Code match your brand and stand out on print materials.
- Branded short links help people recognize your URL in the scan preview, so they can click through with more confidence.
- Test every QR Code on more than one phone before you print or share it.
How to create a QR Code for your website with Bitly
To generate a QR Code for a website, sign up for Bitly, paste your URL, customize the design, download the file, and test it before deployment. The whole process takes a few minutes and requires no technical background.
1. Create a free Bitly account
Start by creating your free Bitly account with your email and a secure password. You can also sign up with your Google account. If you already have an account, log in with your regular credentials.
2. Open the QR Code generator
From your Bitly dashboard, select Create new in the left sidebar. Then select Create a QR Code to open the generator.
3. Enter your website URL
Paste the website URL you want your code to open into the Destination URL field. Add a title to keep your codes organized, especially if you plan to create several.
Next, turn on the toggle that pairs your QR Code with a short link (labeled Share as a short link). This option gives you one trackable short link and one QR Code for the same page. You can personalize the back half of the link, and on paid plans, you can add your own custom domain.
Want a deeper walkthrough for any URL? Read our guide on how to make a QR Code for a link.
4. Customize your QR Code
Select Design your code. Every Bitly plan lets you adjust your code’s colors, patterns, and frames. Paid plans add advanced options, like logos for the center of your code. Our guide to designing a custom QR Code covers each option in detail.
Design choices pay off. Our data shows a 3.8x increase in scans for customized QR Codes.
Maintaining brand consistency promotes recognition and can help build trust and loyalty, according to the Forbes Communications Council.
5. Generate and download your QR Code
When you like your design, select Create your code. Then copy the code or download it as a PNG, JPEG, or SVG file for digital and print use.
6. Test your QR Code
Scan your code on both iPhone and Android devices to confirm it opens the right page. Check a printed proof, too, since paper, ink, and size can affect scanning. Our QR Code testing guide walks through a full pre-launch checklist.
If a scan fails, check the destination URL first. Then raise the contrast between your foreground and background colors.
Static vs. Dynamic QR Codes for websites
A static QR Code stores a fixed URL inside its pattern. A Dynamic QR Code points to a link you can update and track, so the printed code stays the same while its destination can change.
| QR Code type | Editable destination | Scan tracking | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static | No, the URL is fixed in the code | No | A page that never changes |
| Dynamic | Yes, with redirects available on Core tier plans and above | Yes, with expanding scope and data retention by plan | Print, packaging, events, and campaigns |
All Bitly QR Codes are Dynamic by default. Link & QR Code redirects on the Core plan and above let you change the destination URL anytime, with no new code and no reprint. That flexibility saves time and budget when a campaign page moves or a promotion ends.
Learn more about each type in our guide to Static vs. Dynamic QR Codes.
Browsers like Chrome and Edge can also generate a basic static QR Code for the page you’re viewing. These codes work for a quick share, but they don’t include branding, scan tracking, or editing. For a code you plan to print or measure, use a Dynamic QR Code.
How much does it cost to create a QR Code for a website?
You can create a QR Code for a website for free with Bitly. Paid plans start at $10/month, billed annually, and add more codes, advanced design options, and longer data history.
| Plan | Price | QR Codes/month | Links/month | Landing pages | Key extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free (with ads) | $0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | Unlimited clicks and scans, QR Code customizations, 3 custom back-halves/month |
| Core | $10/month | 5 | 100 | 5 | Advanced customizations, Link & QR Code redirects, UTM Builder, 30 days of data retention, Bitly Assist |
| Growth | $29/month | 10 | 500 | 10 | Complimentary custom domain, branded links, bulk link & QR Code creation, 4 months of data retention |
| Premium | $199/month | 200 | 3,000 | 20 | 1 year of data, campaign-level tracking, city and device data, mobile deep linking |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Custom | Custom | Custom | Talk to sales for plan details |
The Free plan works well as a QR Code generator for a single site or for small tests. Our Core tier adds Bitly Assist, our AI assistant, which answers questions about your link and QR Code performance in plain language. Core also adds the UTM Builder, so you can easily attach standardized UTM tracking parameters (short tags added to a URL that show where your traffic comes from) to every scan.
Benefits of using a QR Code for your website
A website QR code provides a quick path from the physical world to your site. It also gives you data on how they got there.
Instant mobile access to your website
One scan takes people straight to your site, with no typing. Your audience opens their phone camera, points it at the code, and lands on the exact page you chose.
That speed matters most on mobile, where long URLs invite typos.
Easy connectivity for print, events, and packaging
QR Codes link physical materials to your online presence. Add them to flyers, brochures, signage, business cards, event materials, and product packaging.
Dynamic QR Codes keep those materials useful longer. When your page changes, you update the destination in Bitly instead of reprinting anything that has the old code.
Stronger marketing and engagement
QR Codes help you measure offline marketing. Create a unique code for each flyer, poster, or package. Then compare scans to see which placement drives the most visits.
Bitly Analytics shows scans by location, device, and date in one dashboard. Our guide to QR Code tracking explains how to read that scan data and act on it.
Revco Electric used QR Codes to turn in-store visits into online sign-ups. Andrew Carr, eCommerce Manager at Revco Electric, shared the results: “Using QR Codes to encourage counter traffic to register for our B2B website has increased registrations 300% and allowed us to create an easy-to-track registration contest between branches.”
Best practices for using website QR Codes
A few design and trust choices help more people scan your code.
- Use a short, clean, branded URL: Shorten your website link with the Bitly URL Shortener so the scan preview looks clean and professional.
- Keep high contrast: Pair a dark pattern with a light background so phone cameras read the code quickly.
- Size it for scanning: Use a minimum QR Code size of 2 cm x 2 cm, as smaller codes scan less reliably.
- Download a high-resolution file: Use SVG for print so your code stays crisp at any size.
- Add a clear call to action (CTA) and mobile-friendly destination: Tell people why to scan, and send them to mobile-friendly landing pages built for small screens.
- Build trust and safety: Use branded links on a custom domain so scanners recognize your URL in the preview.
Trust matters because scammers try to interfere with legitimate codes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alert about fake parking QR Codes warns that scammers cover real parking meter codes with fake QR Code stickers. The FTC tells consumers to inspect the URL preview before they open it.
Many people skip that check. CNBC reports that NordVPN data shows 73% of Americans scan QR Codes without verification. A recognizable branded domain gives those scanners a clear signal.
To set one up, follow the steps to add your own custom domain to Bitly. Then review our QR Code security guide for more ways to protect your audience.
Start driving website traffic with a custom QR Code
Creating a QR Code for your website takes six steps: sign up, paste your URL, customize, download, test, and track. A Dynamic QR Code lets you update your destination at any time, and branded links help people scan with confidence.
Your print, packaging, and event materials can finally report back. Bitly is the marketing platform that helps businesses of all sizes see what’s working. Simply and clearly.
Link your marketing. Get started now and create a QR Code for your website today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free way to create a QR Code for a website?
Yes. Bitly’s Free plan lets you create two QR Codes per month at $0, with unlimited scans and QR Code customizations. Sign up for Bitly and paste your website URL to get started.
Do QR Codes for websites expire?
Bitly QR Codes don’t expire on their own. Your code keeps working as long as your website stays live. On paid plans, you can set an optional expiration date for time-limited campaigns.
Can I change the website a QR Code points to?
Yes, if you use a Dynamic QR Code. All Bitly QR Codes are Dynamic. Link & QR Code redirects on the Core plan and above let you update the destination anytime.
How do I make a QR Code for my website on my phone or in my browser?
Browsers like Chrome and Edge can create a basic static QR Code for the page you’re viewing. These codes don’t include branding, scan tracking, or editing. For a code you can customize and track, create it in Bitly.
What is the FBI warning about QR Codes?
The FBI warned about scammers who mail unsolicited packages with QR Codes that lead to fraud, in a July 31, 2025 public service announcement. The FBI advises people to avoid scanning QR Codes from unknown sources. Branded short links help your audience recognize your URL before they open it.
How do I create a QR Code with Bitly?
Sign in to Bitly, select Create new, and choose Create a QR Code. Paste your website URL, customize your design, and download it as a PNG, JPEG, or SVG. Follow our step-by-step Bitly QR Code guide for more detail.
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