QR code generator for website links: track scans without a vendor
Tag the URL, keep it short, and send scans to a page made for phones, so QR visits show up in your own analytics.
By ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom, Editorial team··3 min read
The best QR code generator for website links is one that encodes your exact URL, tags included, with no redirect in between. AyeTab's free QR Code Generator does that in your browser, so the scan lands on your page and your own analytics see it, with no third-party link in the path.
For anyone who works on search and traffic, that last part is the real question. A QR code is just another referral source, and how you build it decides whether the visit shows up in your reports or disappears into "direct".
Why QR traffic shows up as direct
A phone camera opens the link in a QR code without a referrer. Your analytics tool has no idea the visitor came from a poster, a business card or a slide, so the session lands in direct traffic. Over a few months that hides which printed pieces work.
The fix is old and simple: put UTM parameters on the URL before you make the code.
| Parameter | Example | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | flyer | Where the code was placed |
| utm_medium | qr | That the visit came from a scan |
| utm_campaign | autumn-launch | Which campaign it belongs to |
| utm_content | back-page | Which version or spot, if you test two |
A full link might read https://example.com/launch?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=autumn-launch. Paste that into AyeTab, generate, and every scan reports itself.
The length trade-off
UTM tags make the URL longer, and a longer URL makes a denser code. Dense codes are harder to read when printed small or scanned from a distance. Three ways to handle it:
- Keep tag values short: "qr" instead of "qr-code-scan".
- Drop parameters you will not use. Source, medium and campaign are usually enough.
- Use a short path on your own domain, such as
/go/flyer, that redirects to the tagged URL. Your server does the redirect, so you keep control and can change the destination later.
That last option is the self-hosted version of a dynamic QR code. It gives you edits and tracking without depending on a QR vendor's redirect, which can stop working if the account ends.
Landing pages for QR visitors
People who scan are on a phone, often standing up. The page they reach should load fast, work well on a small screen and say what the printed piece promised. Sending a scan from a product box to your home page wastes it. If the code is for a menu, a manual or a signup form, link straight to that page.
It also helps to keep the landing URL stable. A static code cannot be edited after printing, so a page that moves later breaks every copy in circulation. Treat printed URLs like any other link you want to preserve, and redirect them properly if the site changes.
Picking the generator
AyeTab is our pick for website links. It is free, needs no account, builds the code locally and encodes the URL exactly as you paste it. The styled version adds brand colours, a logo and higher error correction for print. Developers and SEO people who make codes often can keep it on their new tab with the AyeTab extension for Chrome.
When a hosted service is the better choice: if a team without server access needs to change destinations and see scan reports by device and location, a dynamic QR service such as qr-code-generator.com, part of Bitly, provides that, with an account.
Before you print
Scan the code with two phones and confirm the tagged visit appears in your real-time analytics report. If it shows up with the right source and medium, the code is ready.