Measuring QR codes: scans, opens or visits?

Separate three steps in the journey

These steps do not produce interchangeable numbers. Qurl receives no signal whenever a static QR code is read and offers no scan counter.

Add campaign information to the link

UTM parameters name the source, medium and campaign. A compatible measurement tool configured on the destination can use them to attribute traffic. Adding these words to a URL installs no script and creates no report by itself.

In the following fictional example, affiche identifies the source, qr the chosen medium and portes-ouvertes the campaign:

https://example.org/menu?utm_source=affiche&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=portes-ouvertes

The value qr is a naming convention. It does not guarantee a particular channel group in analytics software. Choose names consistent with the reports you already use, then check how they appear.

Compare two materials without double counting

For a fictional test, you could use the value entree for utm_content on one poster and comptoir on another, while keeping the same campaign. Prepare both links in the UTM builder, check the difference and keep a record for each placement.

Before sharing, define what you will compare: for example, attributed visits during the same period with identical settings. Also record locations, dates and distribution volumes. A more visible placement may receive more visits without its design alone explaining the difference.

If the same link is copied into an email or shared between people, it keeps its parameters. A visit attributed to the poster may therefore come from that sharing. Do not automatically add estimated reads, server requests and analytics visits: they may cover the same journey.

Understand discrepancies and missing data

• Someone reads the address but does not open it.
• The connection fails, the page closes quickly or parameters disappear during a redirect.
• Privacy choices, a blocker or website configuration limit the events collected.
• A preview service or bot may request a page without representing a human visit.
• One person may return several times; several people may use the same shared link.

Hosting logs and analytics tools therefore do not necessarily describe the same thing. A dynamic QR service may measure its redirect requests under its own rules, but that number does not prove how many people saw or read the QR code either. Consult the relevant service's definitions.

Check a campaign before printing

1. Choose a destination you can maintain and a non-personal campaign name.
2. Prepare the link, check preserved parameters and confirm any explicit replacement.
3. Generate the QR code, then read its image in the local reader. Compare the exact content with the expected link.
4. Open the destination yourself on a test device and check that the expected page appears.
5. If you manage measurement on that destination, check campaign attribution with its verification tools under the intended privacy conditions.
6. Test the finished material before printing and record the date and shared link.

Qurl does not access your reports or validate their configuration. Testing the generator or reader does not replace checking the destination's setup.

Keep names public and simple

Parameters are visible in the link, can be copied and may appear in systems receiving the address. Use names of materials and campaigns; avoid people's names, email addresses, individual identifiers and secrets.

Qurl's builder works in your browser without requesting the destination page or enabling measurement. The QR code stays static: its content does not change after printing. The guide to possible corrections after sharing helps you choose a lasting address; the guide to QR density explains the effect of a longer link.