QR code checker, what is really inside.

Is your QR code the real address, or a short link that a vendor can switch off? Drop it in and find out. The image stays in your browser and the link is never opened.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • The link is never opened
  • Image stays in your browser
The autopsy appears here
  1. Give it a QR code: an image, a paste, or the text your phone showed.
  2. It reads what is written in the code.
  3. You get a verdict on whether the code depends on a service that can switch it off.

How to check a QR code before you scan it

  1. Add the code

    Upload a photo or screenshot, drop a file, paste from the clipboard, or paste the text.

  2. Read what it holds

    See the exact content, its type, and whether it runs through a QR service or link shortener.

  3. Check the flags

    Look at any warnings, such as http links or look-alike domains, before you open it.

Drop in a QR code and see what it really holds. Is it the actual address, or a short link on a vendor’s server that can be switched off? The image is read in your browser, the link is never opened, and nothing is uploaded.

What it does

  • Reads a QR code from an uploaded photo, a screenshot, a dropped file or the clipboard, or analyses text you paste.
  • Names known QR services and link shorteners, so you can see if a code is dynamic.
  • Flags http links, look-alike domains, IP addresses, hidden usernames, tracking parameters and direct downloads.
  • Understands Wi-Fi, email, phone, SMS, contact card, UPI payment and two-factor codes.
  • Never opens the link and never uploads the image.

Checking by eye

Scan the code with your phone and read the address before you open it. If it starts with a QR service’s own short address, the code is dynamic and depends on that service. If it is the real site, the code is static and yours. To print a code that cannot expire, use the QR code generator.

QR code checker: questions and answers

What does this tool check?

It reads the QR code, shows exactly what is written in it, and says what kind of content it is. For web links it also says whether the address belongs to a known QR service or link shortener, and it flags patterns that deserve a second look, such as http links, look-alike domains, IP addresses and tracking parameters.

How can it tell that a QR code is dynamic?

A dynamic code does not hold the destination. It holds a short address on the vendor’s server, and that server forwards each scan. If the address belongs to a QR service or a link shortener the tool knows about, it says so. It cannot see paid plans that put the redirect on the owner’s own domain, so “no sign of a redirect service” is a good sign, not a guarantee.

Why does it not show where the link finally goes?

A web page cannot follow another site’s redirects, and following them would mean opening the link, which is the risky step. If you need the final address, use a link expander, or ask whoever made the code.

Is my image uploaded anywhere?

No. The image is read in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. The tool never opens the link inside the code either. The page loads the site’s normal analytics, which record a visit but not your image or what it contains.

My printed QR code stopped working. Why?

Most often it was a dynamic code and the account behind it ended. QR Code Generator’s own help pages say that dynamic codes made during a free trial are deactivated when the trial ends. The printed pattern cannot be pointed somewhere else, so you either reactivate the account or reprint with a static code.

Can a QR code be dangerous?

The code hides the address from you, so it can lead somewhere you did not expect. Stickers pasted over real codes on posters, parking meters and shop counters are a known trick. Read the address your phone shows before you open it, and check the payee name before you approve a payment.

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