How to track QR code scans
Updated · 5 min read
A standard QR code cannot be tracked: it simply contains your content. To measure scans you need a dynamic QR code, which sends every scan through a short link first.
How scan tracking works
A dynamic QR code contains a short link. When someone scans it, their phone requests the short link, the service records the scan and immediately redirects them to your destination. The redirect takes a fraction of a second, so people do not notice it.
Metrics worth watching
- Total scans: every visit from a real person, excluding bots and link previews.
- Unique visitors: how many different people scanned, which is more meaningful than raw totals.
- Devices and browsers: whether your audience is mostly on iPhone or Android.
- Countries: where scans come from.
- Peak hours: when people scan, useful for timing offers and staffing.
Measure a campaign properly
- Create one dynamic QR code per placement (for example, window poster vs flyer) so you can compare them.
- Print and place the codes at the same time.
- Compare unique visitors per placement after one or two weeks.
- Move budget to the placements that perform, and update destinations without reprinting.
Privacy-friendly tracking
Good scan analytics do not need personal data. This service counts unique visitors with a daily-rotating one-way hash and never stores IP addresses or full browser strings.
Frequently asked questions
Can I track a static QR code?
No. A static QR code contains the content itself, so scans never pass through a service that could count them. Use a dynamic QR code for tracking.
Are scan counts exact?
They count requests to the short link, with bots, link previews and prefetches filtered out. Unique visitors are an estimate because the same person on a different network or day can be counted again.
Try it: a dynamic QR code with scan analytics
2 free dynamic QR codes, full analytics on the first one. No card needed.
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