Do static QR codes expire?

When a QR code can stop working

• The website or page it links to is removed or moved.
• The Wi-Fi password encoded in it is changed.
• It is a dynamic code and the service that redirects it shuts down or ends a trial.
• The printed code is damaged, faded or too small to scan.

How to make a code that lasts

For permanent print (signage, packaging, business cards), use a static code pointing to a link you control, and keep a copy of the SVG file so you can reprint it at any size. If you expect the destination to change, a dynamic code lets you update it without reprinting — as long as the service keeps running.

Why a static code cannot expire

A static QR code is simply your information — a web address, Wi-Fi details or contact card — turned into a pattern of squares. Any phone camera decodes that pattern on the device itself. There is no server, account or licence involved, so nothing exists that could switch the code off.

That is also why a static code works offline when it contains text, Wi-Fi details or a contact card: the phone reads everything from the code.

Real reasons a "never-expiring" code stops working

• The website it links to is taken down, moved, or the domain is not renewed.
• A shared file link (Google Drive, Dropbox) has its sharing turned off or the file is deleted.
• The print fades, gets scratched or is covered, so cameras cannot read it.
• The code was actually a dynamic code from a service that later disabled it.

How to keep a static code working for years

• Link to a page you control, on your own domain, and keep that address stable.
• Print with strong contrast on durable, matte material; laminate codes used outdoors.
• Keep the original SVG or PDF so you can reprint the same code if a print is damaged.
• Check important codes once in a while by scanning them.

Frequently asked questions