PDF QR Code Generator
Point a code at any PDF link free, or host the PDF behind the code with Pro and swap the file any time without reprinting.
Continue reading3 links free · unlimited scans · no card, no expiry
Look around a demo workspacego.yourdomain.com/sauce
Live
Describe it. Reticle AI plans the link.
Tell Reticle AI what your code should do. It drafts the dynamic link, smart routing, link page, and password setup for you to review and apply.
Free to use with a Reticle account. Sign in and Reticle AI plans your link.
Everything a printed code should be able to do
Once a code is on a menu, a box, or a billboard, reprinting is the expensive part. Dynamic links move the decisions into your account instead.
Per-scan analytics
ProEvery scan recorded with approximate city, device, OS, and time, exportable to CSV. Free plans keep aggregate counts by day, device, and country.
Repoint any time
FreeChange where a printed code goes in seconds. 3 links free with unlimited scans; unlimited links on Pro.
Your domain on the code
ProScanners see your name, not ours, with custom endings you choose instead of a random slug.
A file behind the code
ProHost a PDF or image at the code itself and swap the file without reprinting. Menus, spec sheets, price lists.
replaced, same code
Smart routing
ProOne code, many destinations: route each scan by country, language, device platform, or time of day.
Link pages
ProA hosted page of up to 12 link buttons behind one code, editable any time. One QR for everything you do.
Made in your browser
Static codes are generated entirely on your device. Nothing is uploaded unless you create a dynamic link or host a file, and we say exactly what those store.
No scan-count paywall
Free dynamic links have unlimited scans and no expiry. A code you printed keeps working; we do not hold it hostage.
Data you can erase
Free plans keep aggregate counts only. Pro per-scan records are kept about 90 days, and you can export or delete them at any time.
Free static QR code generator
Free forever · no sign-upUnlimited static codes for URLs, Wi-Fi, vCards, text, email, SMS, phone, events, locations, and crypto. Full styling, logos and icons, SVG, PNG, JPEG, and PDF export, batch CSV. No watermarks, no expiry.
- L
- Lowest. Fine on a clean screen. Breaks if smudged or covered.
- M
- Balanced. The right choice for most uses.
- Q
- Sturdier. Good for small prints or busy backgrounds.
- H
- Toughest. Survives wear and works with a center logo.
- Crisp
- Few modules, large and easy to read, even small or on screen.
- Moderate
- Denser. Print at a decent size and keep good contrast.
- Dense
- Lots of data. Print large, raise error correction, or shorten the content.
Start free. Go Pro to know who scanned.
- Unlimited static codes, full styling, every export
- 3 dynamic links with unlimited scans
- Aggregate scan stats and email digests
- 100 saved codes, synced to your account
- Your own domain on printed codes, with custom endings
- Unlimited dynamic links and bulk CSV import
- Per-scan analytics, exportable to CSV
- File codes, smart routing, link pages, passwords, scheduling
Two ways to put a PDF behind a QR code
If your PDF already lives somewhere online (your website, a shared drive with a public link), the free path is simple: paste that URL into the generator above and download the code. It renders entirely in your browser, with no watermark and no sign-up.
If you'd rather not host the file yourself, or you want to be able to swap it later, Reticle Pro adds file QR codes: upload the PDF and Reticle serves it directly at the code's short link. No interstitial page, no "download our app", just the document.
Replace the file, keep the code
A file QR code separates the printed code from the document behind it. Upload a new version from My codes and every printed copy of the code serves it immediately: this month's menu, the current price list, the latest spec sheet. The code on the table tent, the box, or the trade-show banner never has to change.
What a file QR code supports
A PDF or an image (PNG, JPEG, GIF, or WebP), up to 10 MiB. Scan counts work like any other dynamic link: totals, per-day, device, hour, and country, with per-scan detail on Pro. Scheduling, expiry dates, scan limits, custom domains, and custom endings all apply to file links too.
Keeping a document semi-private
A QR code is an invitation: anyone who scans it can open the file. If the document isn't meant to be public, set a password on the link and scanners see a prompt before the file is served. For anything truly sensitive, don't put it behind a QR code at all.
Tips for PDF codes that get used
Name the file clearly before uploading, since that name shows when someone saves it. Keep the PDF lean (photos compressed, a few MB at most) so it opens fast on cellular. And print the code at least 2 cm square with a caption like "Scan for menu" or "Scan for manual", then Test scan it at final size before the print run.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a PDF QR code for free?
Yes, if the PDF is already online: paste its URL into the generator and download the code, free and with no watermark. Hosting the file itself behind the code (so you can replace it later) is a Pro feature called a file QR code.
What file types and sizes can a file QR code host?
A PDF or an image (PNG, JPEG, GIF, or WebP), up to 10 MiB. Scanning the code opens the file directly in the phone's browser, with no interstitial page in between.
Can I update the PDF after the code is printed?
Yes. A file QR code's file can be replaced at any time from My codes, and the printed code immediately serves the new file. That is the point: menus, price lists, and spec sheets change; the code on the table or the box does not have to.
Does the person scanning need an app or an account?
No. The phone's camera scans the code and the PDF opens in the browser, like any other link. Anyone who scans the code can download the file, so if it is not meant to be public, set a password on the link.
Can I password-protect the PDF?
Yes. Any dynamic link, file QR codes included, can require a password: scanners see a prompt first, and the file is served only after the right password is entered.
What happens to the file if I cancel Pro?
Files already behind file links keep being served, so printed codes keep working. You lose the ability to create new file links or replace the file, not the links themselves, and you can always delete a file or a link on any plan.