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On a flyer, is a QR code better than a short printed web address?

Best is both together, with the code opening the same address you print. A code saves typing and copes with long links and tracking tags, but some people will not scan a code without knowing where it leads, and a code cannot be remembered or read aloud. A short, readable address earns trust and sticks in memory, but it has to be typed correctly.

Published · 2 min read

Compared from the customer's side

  • Speed: a code is quicker for anyone holding a phone. An address means opening the browser and typing.
  • Trust: a printed address tells people where they are going before they decide. A code alone is a closed box.
  • Memory: someone who sees example.com/eid on a roadside sign may remember it later. Nobody remembers a code.
  • Other channels: an address can be said on a call, a radio spot or a voice note. A code cannot.
  • Length: a long link with tracking tags is impossible to type by hand, but a code carries it easily.

Combining them the smart way

Choose a short address on your site that is easy to type, such as https://example.com/eid, and make it exactly what the code holds. In the QR code generator that link takes 23 bytes and gives a symbol 25 modules wide. Add tracking tags to reach 76 bytes and the symbol grows to 37 modules and still scans, but you would never print that long version as text; the printed one stays short.

For a clean, typeable last part, shape the address in short lowercase Latin letters with no spaces using the URL slug generator. Avoid lookalike characters such as l and 1 or O and 0 in any part people will type by hand.

Designing the flyer

  1. Place the code on a flat area away from the fold, since a crease breaks the pattern.
  2. Print the short address right under the code in large, clear type, without https://, which people do not need to type.
  3. Add a line saying what they will find: 'Scan for our Eid offers'.
  4. Download the code as SVG, print a test copy and scan it, then type the address by hand into your phone's browser to confirm it opens the same page.

Common questions

Should the address be in Arabic?

Arabic addresses work in browsers, but they turn into long encoded strings when copied and are harder to type on some keyboards. For print, short Latin letters are usually easier.

The flyer is tiny. Should I drop the printed address?

If something has to go, drop the caption before the address. The address is what reassures people who hesitate to scan.