QR code for video: link a clip from print
Make a QR code for video on a manual, a poster, packaging or a menu: one scan opens the clip on YouTube, Vimeo or your own site. A QR code cannot hold the video itself, only its link, and that link is static, so the code never expires. It is free with no sign-up, made entirely in your browser, and verified by a real scanner before you download it.
Content: Video link
Paste the share link of the video (YouTube, Vimeo, or a file hosted on your site).
Style
PNG, JPG or SVG up to 2 MB. It stays on your device.
Your codes on this device
Off by default. When on, each downloaded code (type, content, style) is saved in this browser only, never uploaded. You can delete them at any time.
How to make a QR code for video
- Upload the video somewhere it can stream: YouTube (public or unlisted), Vimeo, or your own website with a video player page. A QR code cannot contain the video file, only its address.
- Copy the share link: on YouTube, press Share and Copy for a youtu.be link (tick 'Start at' to begin at a chosen moment); on Vimeo, Share then copy the link; on your site, the address of the page that plays the video, not the raw .mp4 file.
- Paste the address into Video link and press Test link on a phone, not only on a desktop, to see how it plays.
- Style it if you wish with a Style preset, your Foreground colour or your own logo via Upload logo.
- Wait for Verified: scans as URL, then Download PDF at the printed size or Download PNG for artwork files.
QR code for video details
The code contains the address of a video, not the video. A phone scans it, shows the link and opens it; YouTube, Vimeo or your own page then streams the clip. That is why hosting comes first and why the code cannot expire: the phone talks to the host directly, with no service in between that could lapse.
Choosing a host
YouTube is the simplest: upload, set the visibility to public or unlisted, press Share and copy the youtu.be link. It is 28 characters and fits a 29 × 29 module code at error correction M. Vimeo links are similar in length, and Vimeo lets you hide the video from its own site while still allowing it to play from the link. A video on your own website works too; link to a page with a player rather than the raw file, so the phone gets proper controls and a title. Whatever the host, open the link on a phone with mobile data to see what a stranger gets.
Timestamps and playback
To start at a moment, add ?t= and the seconds to a YouTube link, or #t=75s to a Vimeo link. Expect a play button rather than autoplay: phones block video with sound until the viewer taps, and a link cannot override that. Keep clips short; someone reading a manual wants thirty seconds on one step, not a twenty-minute tour.
Common mistakes
- Private videos. Only unlisted or public videos open from a scan.
- Copying the watch page address with extra parameters. Use the share link, keeping only the timestamp.
- Huge self-hosted files. A 200 MB file on a slow host stalls on mobile; use a streaming host or compress it.
For how this static link differs from paid dynamic codes that redirect through a server, read static vs dynamic QR codes.
This code never expires
The code stores the link to your hosted video, so it keeps working for as long as the video stays online at that address. This is a static QR code: the data is written into the pattern, so scanning it needs no server, no account and no subscription. There is nothing to renew and no redirect that can be switched off, which is why a code made here keeps working for as long as the printed copy exists. The trade-off is honest: a static code cannot be edited after printing and does not count scans. If you need either, encode a link to a page you control. Read how static and dynamic codes differ, and if a code you already have has stopped working, see why QR codes expire.
Styling, formats and print size
Every code can be styled in the Style panel: six dot shapes, corner shapes, solid or gradient colours, a transparent background, a quiet zone of 0–8 modules, and your own logo up to 30 percent of the width. A contrast checker warns below 3:1 and blocks downloads below 1.5:1, and after each change the preview is decoded again so the badge tells you whether the styled code still scans.
| Output | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Web, documents, quick prints | 256 to 4096 px; transparent background supported |
| SVG | Designers and print shops | Vector, scales without limit; logo embedded |
| Printing at an exact size | Vector modules at a chosen width in mm or inches, optional caption | |
| JPG | Platforms that reject PNG | White background; no transparency |
| EPS | Legacy print workflows | Vector from the module matrix, no logo |
| Copy / Print | Pasting into a document; a quick paper test | PNG to the clipboard; print view with caption |
Print size: as a rule of thumb the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance wide, with the quiet zone included.
| Scan distance | Minimum width |
|---|---|
| 0.5 m (arm's length) | 5 cm |
| 1 m | 10 cm |
| 2 m | 20 cm |
| 5 m | 50 cm |
On a manual or packaging the code is scanned from 20–30 cm, so 2.5–3 cm is enough; on a poster read from 2 m it needs 20 cm. A youtu.be link keeps the code small.
The QR code size guide has a calculator for module size, DPI and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Can a QR code contain a video?
No. A QR code holds at most 2,953 bytes of text; even a ten-second clip is several megabytes. The code holds the address where the video is hosted. When the phone scans it, the link opens and the video streams from YouTube, Vimeo or your site. Hosting is the first step, always.
Does a QR code for video expire?
No. The code stores the link as plain text and the phone opens it directly, so there is no service in the middle that can lapse. The code stops working only if the video is deleted, made private or moved to a different address. Unlisted videos are fine; private ones are not.
Will the video play automatically after the scan?
Often not. iPhones and many Android phones block video with sound until the viewer taps, so expect a play button rather than instant playback. The link opens the video ready to play, which is enough. Autoplay parameters in the link are ignored by most mobile browsers, so do not rely on them.
Can I start the video at a specific moment?
On YouTube, yes. Tick 'Start at' in the share dialog or add ?t= and the seconds to the link, for example youtu.be/ID?t=75. On Vimeo, add #t=75s to the link. This suits manuals that point to one step of a longer video, and the extra characters barely change the code.
Should I use an unlisted video?
Unlisted is ideal for instructions, product demos or event recordings meant only for people who have the printed material. Anyone with the link can watch, which is what the scan provides, but the video does not appear in search or on your channel. Private videos need a signed-in, invited viewer and will not work.
Related
Last updated . QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Open-source engines are listed on the how it works page.