Create a QR code

Q: How do I create a QR code that sends a text message?

Choose the Link card, then the SMS link type. Enter the number (for example +41 79 123 45 67) and, if you wish, a pre-filled message. When scanned, the phone opens a new text message already addressed to this number.

Q: How do I create a QR code that adds an appointment to a calendar?

Choose the Calendar card, then enter the event's title, start and end (location and description are optional). When scanned, the person is offered to add the event to their calendar.

A QR code created with QR Suisse is dynamic. It does not contain your destination directly, but a short address (…/r/xxxxxxxxxx) that redirects at the time of the scan. You can therefore change the destination at any time, even after the QR code has been printed and distributed, without reprinting.

Do you use a custom domain? While it is active, the image you download encodes the address of your domain (for example qr.your-company.ch/r/…), and no longer the QR Suisse address. An image downloaded before activation and an image downloaded after it therefore do not carry the same address, and these two addresses do not have the same lifespan. Read Use your own domain before printing.

Where to create a QR code

The Create a QR code screen opens from:

the Create a QR code button, above the list of your QR codes;
the Create a QR code shortcut on the Dashboard;
the Create your first QR code link, while your list is still empty.

These entry points only appear if you have the “Manager of my QR codes” or “Manager of the account's QR codes” permission (see Manage users).

Choose the QR code type

Three cards are offered:

Type	What happens when scanned
Link	Redirects to a website, a page, or an online document. You then choose the link type: Web, Email, Phone, SMS or FTP.
Business card	Lets people add a contact directly to their phone (name, company, phone…).
Calendar	Lets people add an event (appointment, webinar…) directly to their calendar.

Before saving, you can click on another card as many times as you need: the matching form appears below. Once the QR code is saved, its type (Link, Business card or Calendar) is final. For a Link QR code, however, the link type (Web, Email, Phone, SMS, FTP) can still be changed later.

Create a Link QR code

After choosing the Link card, fill in:

Label (required): the name you give this QR code in your dashboard (for example “Storefront poster”). The person scanning never sees it.

Link type, from five options:

Link type	Effect when scanned	Example entry
Web	Redirects to a website, a page or an online document	`https://example.ch`
Email	Opens a new message already addressed to this address	`name@example.ch`
Phone	Starts a call to this number	`+41 79 123 45 67`
SMS	Opens a new text message already addressed to this number	`+41 79 123 45 67`
FTP	Opens a complete FTP server address (without credentials)	`ftp://example.ch/folder`

The destination (required). The field's name changes with the link type: Destination (Web, FTP), Email address (Email) or Phone number (Phone, SMS). For Email, Phone and SMS, enter only the address or the number: QR Suisse adds the technical prefix itself (mailto:, tel: or sms:). The result appears below the field, after the words “Will be saved as:”.

Optional fields depending on the link type

Email: Subject (optional) and Message (optional). They are already filled in in the message that opens for the person scanning. Example: a pre-written appointment confirmation.
SMS: Message (optional), already filled in in the text message that opens.
Web: the collapsed section “Add campaign parameters (UTM)”, see below.

Measure a campaign with UTM parameters

For a Web link, the “Add campaign parameters (UTM)” section is optional. It is used to measure, in your website's analytics tool (for example Google Analytics 4), the visits coming from a printed or multi-channel campaign. You can enter:

Source (utm_source), for example flyer;
Medium (utm_medium), for example print;
Campaign (utm_campaign), for example summer-promo-2026;
Term (utm_term, optional);
Content (utm_content, optional), for example variant-a to compare two visuals.

The parameters are added to your destination address; the full address appears after “Will be saved as:”. Like the destination, they can be changed at any time, without reprinting.

Click Save to create the QR code.

Create a business card (vCard)

After choosing the Business card card, fill in:

Label (required): the internal name of the QR code, as for a Link.
First name and Last name (required).
Company and Job title (optional).
Contact method: up to 3 phone numbers (Work, Mobile or Fax, via “Add a phone number”), 2 email addresses (Work or Personal, via “Add an email”) and 1 website.
Address: up to 2 addresses (Work or Home, via “Add an address”), each with Street, Additional details, Postal code and City. Each field is optional; a completely empty address is not saved.

If you have several phone numbers, email addresses or addresses, the “Make preferred” button sets which one is offered first on the contact card.

No contact method is required. If you don't enter any, a message reminds you (“Without a phone, email or website added, only the name will be visible on the card when scanned.”) without blocking the save.

Click Save to create the business card.

If you enter another person's contact details (a colleague, for example), make sure you have the right to publish them.

Create a Calendar QR code

After choosing the Calendar card, fill in:

Label (required): the internal name of the QR code.
Event title (required), for example “Appointment with Dr. Smith”.
Start and End (required). The end must be after the start; otherwise, the message “The event's end must be after its start.” appears.
Location (optional), for example an address.
Description (optional), for example “Please arrive 10 minutes early.”

When scanned, the person is offered to add the event to their calendar, as a calendar file (.ics).

Click Save to create the QR code.

Once the QR code is created

After saving, you land on the QR code's page. There you will find:

the QR code image, with two buttons: Download as PNG (for the web and office documents) and Download as SVG (for the printer: SVG can be enlarged without loss of quality);
for a business card, a preview of the contact card and the exact technical content sent when scanned (collapsible under “Technical preview of vCard content”).

These previews only appear once the QR code is created, not during creation. For what comes next (editing, archiving, tracking scans), see Manage your QR codes.

If you cannot create a new QR code

The Free plan allows 3 active QR codes at most. Once this limit is reached, the screen shows “Free plan limit reached” instead of the form, with two buttons:

Upgrade to Pro: unlimited QR codes with the Pro and Entreprise plans;
Archive a QR code: an archived QR code no longer counts towards the limit, which frees up a slot.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the QR code type after creating it?

No. Link, Business card and Calendar are set at creation. If you made a mistake, create a new QR code of the right type and archive the old one. The only exception: in a Link QR code, you can switch from one link type to another (for example from Web to SMS) at any time.

If I change the destination later, do I need to reprint the QR code?

No. The image encodes a short address that does not change when you change the destination: only the redirection behind that address changes. Watch out for one special case: if you activate a custom domain, images downloaded afterwards carry your domain's address. See Use your own domain.

How do I create a QR code that sends a text message?

Choose the Link card, then the SMS link type. Enter the number (for example +41 79 123 45 67) and, if you wish, a pre-filled message. When scanned, the phone opens a new text message already addressed to this number.

How do I create a QR code that adds an appointment to a calendar?

Choose the Calendar card, then enter the event's title, start and end (location and description are optional). When scanned, the person is offered to add the event to their calendar.

What are UTM parameters for?

They let your website's analytics tool (for example Google Analytics 4) identify the visits coming from this QR code. They are optional and only available for Web links.

PNG or SVG: which format should I choose?

PNG for use on screen or in an office document. SVG for printing: it can be enlarged without loss of quality, and it is the format to send to your printer.

Do I have to enter a contact method on a business card?

No. Only the first name and last name are required. Without a contact method, the person scanning only sees your name.

How many QR codes can I create?

3 active QR codes at most on the Free plan, with no limit on the Pro and Entreprise plans. An archived QR code does not count towards this limit.