Do QR codes expire?

Short answer: a QR code itself never expires. It is just a pattern of squares that stores some text, usually a web address. What can stop working is the address it points to. Whether your code is at risk depends on one thing: is it a static code or a dynamic code?

Static QR codes: they work forever

A static QR code stores your information directly inside the pattern. If it holds the link https://yourshop.com/menu, any phone that scans it reads that exact link and opens it. No company sits in the middle, so there is nothing to switch off. A static code printed today will still scan in twenty years, as long as the print is readable and the web page still exists.

Static codes are also used for things that do not need the internet at all, such as Wi-Fi logins, contact cards (vCards), phone numbers and plain text. Those keep working even if the generator you used disappears.

Dynamic QR codes: they can stop working

A dynamic QR code stores a short link that belongs to the QR code company, for example qr.provider.com/a8F3k. When someone scans it, they go to the provider's server first, and the provider forwards them to your real page. This lets you change the destination later and see scan statistics, which can be useful.

The catch is that the code only works while the provider keeps forwarding it. Many services offer dynamic codes free for a trial period, then ask for a monthly subscription. If you stop paying, or the company closes, the short link stops forwarding and every printed code leads to an error page or an advert. This is the usual reason people find that their "QR code expired".

How to check which type you have

1. Scan the code with your phone camera, but do not open the link yet.
2. Look at the address your phone shows.
3. If it is your own website address (or Wi-Fi details, a phone number and so on), it is a static code and will not expire.
4. If it is a short link on a QR company's domain, it is dynamic. Check that company's terms to see what happens if you cancel.

Static or dynamic: which should you use?

• Use static for anything printed that you cannot easily reprint: packaging, business cards, signs, menus, flyers, product labels and invoices. Point it at a page you control, such as yourshop.com/menu, and update that page instead of the code.
• Consider dynamic only if you really need to change the destination without reprinting, or need scan statistics, and you are happy to keep paying for as long as the code is in use.

A simple trick gives you most of the benefits of a dynamic code for free: make a static QR code that points to a page on your own website. You can change what that page shows whenever you like, and nobody can switch your code off.

Other reasons a QR code stops scanning

• The page was deleted or moved. The code works, but the link leads nowhere. Keep the page live, or redirect it to the new address.
• Low contrast or inverted colours. Light codes on dark backgrounds, or pale colours, fail on many phones.
• Printed too small or too dense. Long links make crowded codes. Print at least 2 cm wide for short links, larger for long ones.
• Damage or glare. Scratches, folds or shiny laminate can block scanning.

Make a QR code that never expires

The DocNova QR code generator only makes static codes. Your link, Wi-Fi details or contact card are stored inside the code itself, nothing is tracked, and there is no subscription that could end. Download PNG for screens or SVG for print, and always test-scan before printing.

Frequently asked questions

How long do QR codes last?

A static QR code lasts indefinitely: it works as long as the print is readable and the link inside still works. A dynamic code lasts only as long as the provider keeps its redirect running.

Do Canva QR codes expire?

Canva's QR code feature makes static codes that point straight to your link, so the code itself does not expire. It stops working only if the page it points to is removed or moved.

How can I check whether a QR code is static or dynamic?

Scan it and look at the link before it opens. If it shows a short address from a QR company rather than your own website, it is dynamic and depends on that company.

Do free QR code generators expire?

Some "free" generators make dynamic codes that stop working after a trial. A generator that makes static codes, like DocNova, creates codes that never expire.