What the generator writes into the code
Three platforms have their own content type in Link2QR. The rest use the URL type. Here is what each type encodes, taken from the generator source:
- Instagram: you type a username, a leading @ is removed, and the code holds
https://instagram.com/username. - WhatsApp: you type a phone number. Spaces, brackets, dashes, and a leading + are removed, and the code holds
https://wa.me/number. If you fill in the pre-filled message field, it is URL-encoded and added as?text=. - YouTube and Spotify: you paste a full URL. If it does not start with http:// or https://, the generator adds https://.
- Everything else (TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Zoom): use the URL type and paste the link.
Advertisement
Profile: instagram.com/username. Post: instagram.com/p/CODE/. Reel: instagram.com/reel/CODE/. For a post or reel, use the URL type and paste the link from the Share or Copy link menu. Copied links often end in ?igsh=...; you can delete that part and the link still opens the same page.
TikTok
Profile: tiktok.com/@username. Video: tiktok.com/@username/video/VIDEO_ID. The Share button in the app often gives a short vm.tiktok.com link that redirects to the full one. Either works in a QR code. The full profile URL is easier to check by eye before you print, because the username is visible in it.
YouTube
Channel: youtube.com/@handle. Video: youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID or the short form youtu.be/VIDEO_ID. Short: youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID. To start a video at a set point, add a time in seconds: youtu.be/VIDEO_ID?t=42. On desktop, right-click the player and choose Copy video URL at current time. Links from the Share button add ?si=..., which can be removed.
Unlisted videos work in a QR code because anyone with the link can watch them. Private videos do not, since the viewer must be invited.
Page or profile with a username: facebook.com/username. Group: facebook.com/groups/GROUP_ID. Event: facebook.com/events/EVENT_ID. The Share menu may give a facebook.com/share/... link; that redirects and works too. Private groups show a join request to people who are not members.
Personal profile: linkedin.com/in/your-slug. Company page: linkedin.com/company/company-slug. You can set a readable slug under Edit public profile and URL in your profile settings. Do this before printing, because changing it later breaks every code that holds the old slug.
X (Twitter)
Profile: x.com/handle. Post: x.com/handle/status/POST_ID. Older twitter.com links redirect to x.com, but new codes should use x.com so the destination matches what the phone shows before opening.
Format: wa.me/15551234567. The number is in international format: country code first, then the number, with no + sign, spaces, or dashes. Drop the leading 0 of a national number. A UK mobile written as 07700 900123 becomes wa.me/447700900123. The generator removes + and separators for you but does not remove a leading 0, so type the number with its country code.
A pre-filled message goes after ?text=, URL-encoded. Keep it short. The message in the table below adds two QR versions compared with the bare number link at error correction M.
Spotify
Links look like open.spotify.com/track/ID, with track replaced by album, playlist, artist, show, or episode. Copy them from Share, then Copy link. Spotify Codes (the sound-wave bars) are a different format that only the Spotify app reads. A QR code with the open.spotify.com link opens in any camera app and falls back to the web player.
Zoom
Join link: zoom.us/j/MEETING_ID?pwd=.... Company accounts may use a subdomain such as yourcompany.zoom.us/j/MEETING_ID. Copy it from Copy Invitation. If the link includes pwd, anyone who scans the code joins without typing the passcode. That is convenient for a room sign, and a problem for a poster in a public place. A recurring meeting keeps the same join link, so one printed code can serve every session.
Measured: how link length changes the code
Longer text needs a higher QR version, which means more modules squeezed into the same printed square. These values were measured with the qrcode library that Link2QR uses for its 3D and animated exports, which picks the smallest version that fits. Error correction M is the generator default; H is the highest level.
| Encoded link | Version at M (modules) | Version at H (modules) |
|---|---|---|
| https://wa.me/15551234567 | 2 (25x25) | 3 (29x29) |
| https://instagram.com/yourname | 3 (29x29) | 4 (33x33) |
| https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ?t=42 | 3 (29x29) | 4 (33x33) |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&t=42s | 4 (33x33) | 6 (41x41) |
| https://wa.me/15551234567?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20a%20quote | 4 (33x33) | 7 (45x45) |
| https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXcBWIGoYBM5M?si=1a2b3c4d5e6f4a7b | 5 (37x37) | 8 (49x49) |
The practical rule: strip tracking parameters, prefer the short youtu.be form, and keep WhatsApp messages brief when the code will be printed small.
Pitfalls
- Wrong type for the link. The Instagram type expects a username. Pasting a full instagram.com URL there produces a broken address. Use the URL type for full links.
- Renamed accounts. A static code cannot follow a username change. Settle the handle or slug before printing.
- Private content. Private accounts, private videos, and private groups open, but the viewer cannot see the content.
- Too small to scan. The print size calculator sizes the code at at least one tenth of the scanning distance, with a 2 cm minimum.
- Low contrast brand colors. Platform colors on a light background can fail on older cameras. Keep the code dark on light and check it with the reliability checker before printing.
- Several profiles, one space. Use a multi-link QR code instead of printing four small codes side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need the platform's own QR feature?
No. A standard QR code that holds the profile URL opens in the phone's camera app. Some in-app codes, such as Spotify Codes, can only be read by that app's scanner, so a normal QR code reaches more people on printed material.
Why does my copied link have ?igsh= or ?si= at the end?
Instagram and YouTube add a sharing parameter to copied links. The link works without it. Removing it makes the text shorter, which can lower the QR version and make the modules larger at the same print size.
Can I put several social profiles in one QR code?
Yes. The multi-link QR code holds up to 20 links in one code and opens a list page on link2qr.com/m. The links are stored in the URL fragment, which browsers do not send to the server.
What happens if I change my username?
The QR code keeps the old URL forever because it is a static code. Most platforms do not redirect an old username to the new one, so generate and print a new code after a rename.
Can I see how many people scanned it?
Not from the QR code itself. Link2QR codes are static and do not pass through a tracking server. If you need numbers, point the code at a page you control that has analytics, or add UTM parameters to a website link.
Is a WhatsApp QR code safe for my phone number?
The number is part of the wa.me link inside the code, so anyone who scans it can see the number once the chat opens. Use a number you are comfortable sharing publicly, such as a WhatsApp Business line.