Dynamic QR Code: Definition, Benefits & Use cases

Picture this: You’ve planned for a large advertising campaign with QR Codes. You plan to use them at a stadium or on a digital billboard where fans can scan and participate in a fun poll.

But when it actually gets screened, you realize fans are staring at a 404 error on their mobile devices.

When you revisit the link, you find the source of the issue: a minor typo in the URL.

Unable to modify it now, you may be left with a campaign that didn’t yield as much of a response as you had planned for.

This would be the situation with static QR Codes. On the other hand, if you used dynamic QR Codes, you could’ve rectified this error with a simple ‘edit’ option to redirect your audience to the right content.

Still wondering why dynamic QR Codes have the upper hand? That’s exactly what we delve into in this blog post.

Table of contents

1. What is a dynamic QR Code?
2. How do dynamic QR Codes work?
3. How to create a dynamic QR Code?
4. What are some examples of dynamic QR Codes?
5. What are the benefits of dynamic QR Codes?
6. Best practices to create and deploy dynamic QR Codes
7. Frequently asked questions

What is Dynamic QR Code?

A Dynamic QR Code is an editable QR Code that lets you change the content or the destination URL even after creating or printing the QR Code. Static QR Codes do not have this feature.

Additionally, dynamic QR Codes also include beneficial features such as tracking QR Code scans, performance, and customizable QR Code designs.

Also read: All about static vs dynamic QR Codes

How do dynamic QR Codes work?

A dynamic QR Code works by using a short URL, rather than directly encoding the information on its pattern. You can later decide where the short URL should redirect. This could be to your website, an online course, a landing page, etc.

Static QR Codes encode the information in their data pattern, thus making them uneditable. This mechanism of using a short URL allows dynamic QR Codes to be edited and updated even after being created. 

How to create a dynamic QR Code?

Generating a dynamic QR Code is easy with Uniqode’s dynamic QR Code generator. You can also share varied content depending on your campaign or use case.

Step 1: Log in to the Uniqode dashboard and click “+Create”

To access the Uniqode dashboard, you can sign up for a free trial. Once you login to the dashboard, click “+create” and then “QR Codes”

Step 2: Choose the type of dynamic QR Code

You can use dynamic QR Codes to show varied content- from PDFs to landing pages. 

Step 3: Insert the URL of the content 

For instance, if you plan to share a PDF, you can choose the ‘PDF’ option and either upload the PDF or insert the URL if it is hosted online. Ensure to enable the sharing settings such that it is viewable by your audience. 

Step 4: Customize the dynamic QR Code

You can customize the dynamic QR Code as per your branding: 

1. Customize the eyes and the eye shape
2. Customize the data pattern, change its color, or add a gradient
3. Go for a color background, add an image, or keep it transparent
4. Add a QR Code border 
5. Add a CTA that provides a preview of where the QR Code leads to 

Step 5: Download the dynamic QR Code in the format of your choice

You can download the dynamic QR Code in the format of your choice. If you plan to share it on printed materials, formats such as PNG and JPEG are recommended. For resizing purposes or usage on larger materials and screens, go for high-quality QR Code formats such as SVG and EPS. 

What are some examples of Dynamic QR Codes?

Dynamic QR Codes are used in several cases where their features have the upper hand over the restrictive features of static QR Codes:

1. QR Code menus

Picture a restaurant that makes things easy with a dynamic QR Code for its menu. In the morning, when you scan the code, you’ll see a breakfast menu. Later in the day, it switches to a lunch menu and, finally, a dinner menu in the evening. 

This is made possible with dynamic QR Codes. This avoids having separate static QR Codes for each menu.

2. App download QR Code

You can use an App download QR Code to direct users to the appropriate app store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store) based on their device’s operating system. 

This simplifies promoting your app and increases downloads. You can customize the QR Code as per your branding and share it across flyers, brochures, and so on, instead of creating a separate, static QR Code for each link. 

When users scan it, they will be seamlessly redirected to either the App Store or Play Store, depending on their device’s operating system. This streamlined approach makes the process efficient and user-friendly.

3.Digital business card

Networking events are a great way to capture leads. But to ensure that lead generation doesn’t just stop at exchanging paper business cards, which are prone to being misplaced, digital business cards are the better solution.

Digital business cards are dynamic QR Codes that lead to a landing page with your contact information, email, social media links such as Linkedin, or any other links as needed.

Digital business cards can be saved onto the recipient’s phone, making it easier for them to revisit your contact information after the event. This saves you the cost of printing paper business cards as well.

4. Inventory management 

Using dynamic QR Codes for inventory management helps you update real-time inventory data. This overcomes the limitation of static QR Codes, which mostly hold limited product information and serial numbers,

With dynamic QR Codes you can redirect scanners to a tracking page or a landing page to reflect the current status of the package. This makes tracking and managing inventory easier. Plus, users with a smartphone can scan the QR Code and instantly access information, making the whole process more efficient.

Also read: Our simple guide to using QR Codes for inventory management

5. QR Code for product packaging

With dynamic QR Codes on product packaging, you can redirect your audience to promotional pages, usage instructions, updated recipes, or even links to additional resources. 

For instance, brands such as Cocokind and Lush utilize dynamic QR Codes to redirect users to information about sustainability and their products. 

This, coupled with the option to customize and add a CTA such as “Scan for recipes” or “Scan to know more” can improve customer engagement. Consumers can scan the QR Code for the latest insights, interactive content, or coupons, fostering better brand-consumer interaction and a personalized experience with your product.

6. Review QR Code

Dynamic QR Codes help redirect your audience to the review page of your choice. Be it Google reviews or Yelp, you can direct consumers to your business profile, or have a landing page with different platforms for them to review based on their preference or the product they purchased. 

This tailored approach encourages more reviews by making it convenient for customers to share their feedback. Additionally, if you decide to change review platforms or update your process, dynamic QR Codes allow you to update or edit links seamlessly, ensuring that customers can always leave their reviews effortlessly.

Also read: How to use a Google review QR Code to boost reviews

What are the benefits of dynamic QR Codes?

Dynamic QR Codes come with many benefits- and features that make them stand out among the limiting features of static QR Codes. These benefits include:

1. Editability

Dynamic QR Codes allow you to change QR Code destination or content as per your requirements. 

Think of a coffee packet with a dynamic QR Code. This QR Code can link to cold coffee recipes in the summer, and steaming cappuccino & mocha recipes in the winter!

2. Customization

Dynamic QR Codes are versatile and have customizable elements, compared to a black-and-white QR Code. This is why they’re preferred by designers and brands alike. You get to choose the color, add a brand logo, a background image, or even add text below the QR Code. 

All these elements ultimately make the QR Code interactive and enhance brand recall among your audience, nudging them to scan and view the content.

3. Tracking

Dynamic QR Codes allow you to track metrics such as the number of scans, unique users, time and day of scans, city, country, best-performing campaigns, and so on. 

This helps you measure the ROI and even A/B test your campaigns. For instance, if you’ve deployed two coupon QR Codes on your products with different CTA’s, such as “Scan me” and “Scan for coupon”, you can track which campaign or CTA performs better. 

Over time, you also gain insights on how to modify them to improve customer engagement.

Bonus: How to use Uniqode and track QR Codes with Google Analytics 4 :

1. Uniqode offers a Google Analytics integration that helps you view your campaign data on Google Analytics to understand your user’s demography and interests better.
2. If you want to track specific attribute scans to certain campaigns and push data into your existing CRM, you can add UTM parameters to the link. (You can create campaign UTM links here). This can help you check QR Code scan data for specific campaigns and even compare performance between campaigns.

4. Bulk generation

If your business deals with a high volume of products or marketing materials, bulk-generating QR Codes can be a game changer. You can easily use Google Sheets or Excel to assign links to your QR Codes, customize and deploy them using a bulk QR Code generator. 

With dynamic QR Codes you go a step ahead and have the option to encode more information or share content such as websites, tracking details, a survey, and so on.

5. Integrations

Imagine you use QR Codes to track your class attendance. Each time a student scans their assigned QR Code, there’s an automatic entry in your Excel or spreadsheet mentioning so.

That’s the power of dynamic QR Codes and their integrations. Integrating with CRMs, or the software of your choice, enables you to automate actions or even trigger an action, such as sending an email or being notified whenever a user scans the QR Code.

With Uniqode, you can use popular integration tools such as Zapier, Workato, Google Analytics, Slack, and much more.

6. Security

Dynamic QR Codes are more secure than static ones as they come with a layer of security that static QR Codes lack. Uniqode’s QR Code services offer authentication and authorization features, such as password protection or access controls, to restrict access to the encoded data. These measures can enhance security by limiting who can interact with the QR Code.

Also read: Why Uniqode is the safest QR Code generator

7. Conditional logic

Also known as smart QR Codes, this feature allows users to set conditional logic, enabling different actions or content based on factors such as time, location, or device type.

You can offer a personalized user experience by triggering varied actions based on pre-defined rules. Imagine content redirection, but varied, based on the time of the day, the number of scans, or any rule you set. For example, your QR Code menu will change as per the time of the day to offer morning brunch or dinner main course.

Best practices to create and deploy dynamic QR Codes

To ensure that your dynamic QR Codes work as intended, here’s our 101 checklist on creating and deploying dynamic QR Codes:

1. Ensure access to content

You can use a dynamic QR Code to redirect to a PDF, landing page, form, website, business page, etc. Regardless of the type, ensure that the content is updated and accessible by your audience at all times.

2. Customize your QR Code 

Customize the dynamic QR Code to reflect your branding by adding a logo, brand color, or image as the background. With dynamic QR Codes, you get to make minor tweaks- such as changing the eye shape, color of the QR Code dots and even resizing your logo. Such customizations can enhance brand recall and boost customer trust.

3. Download the right format

With Uniqode, you get dynamic QR Codes in vector and raster formats. Raster formats such as PNG and JPEG are best for cases where there is no resizing. Vector formats such as SVG and EPS are best for larger marketing materials that need resizing, such as digital screens and billboards. Ensure you use the right format to avoid blurry QR Codes post-resizing.

4. Test before deploying 

Before deploying your dynamic QR Codes, testing it via multiple mobile devices is best. This can help you identify and address any potential issues in the content you’ve shared or in the scannability.

5. Promote scans via CTA

Given that dynamic QR Codes lead to varied content, you can use a QR Code CTA to provide a preview of the content. For instance, a CTA such as “Scan to avail coupon” can encourage scans, compared to a static QR Code with no CTA.

Why choose Uniqode to create dynamic QR Codes

With Uniqode’s Dynamic QR Codes, you can customize your QR Codes, get access to your campaign performance, and overall, ensure a secure experience with SOC® 2 and GDPR compliance. 

And if your requirements diversify, you can always access added features such as QR Code API, integrations, whitelabelling, and so on by upgrading to higher plans. For larger businesses with varying security requirements and flexibility, check out our dynamic QR Code pricing.

Still wondering if dynamic QR Codes are worth the investment? Try creating your first one below.

Frequently asked questions

1. How do I know if my QR Code is static or dynamic?

Visually, static QR Codes are often associated with their black-and-white look, while dynamic QR Codes are customizable and have less dense data patterns. If you’re still unsure whether a QR Code is static or dynamic, try scanning it. If you’re led to a short URL such as “qrcodes.pro”, and then to the website, it is a dynamic QR Code. Static QR Codes prompt you to open the website directly, for instance, “www.uniqode.com”.

2. How do I create a free dynamic QR Code?

You can sign up for Uniqode’s 14-day free trial to create a dynamic QR Code at zero cost. After signing up for a free trial –

1. Log in to the Uniqode dashboard.
2. Go to the ‘QR Codes’ section and choose the QR type you wish to create.
3. Enter all relevant information.
4. Customize your dynamic QR Code.
5. Generate, test, download, and deploy the code.

However, keep in mind that you need to upgrade to a paid plan after the trial period ends to continue using your dynamic QR Codes.

4. Can you convert your dynamic QR Code to static?

No, you cannot convert your dynamic QR Code to static or vice versa. This is because static QR Codes encode the information in their data pattern and have limited features compared to dynamic QR Code features such as editability, trackability, etc. Both are two distinct types of QR Codes. 

4. How much does a dynamic QR Code cost?

Dynamic QR Codes often come with a cost due to the features they offer over static QR Codes. Dynamic QR Code pricing starts at about $15 for 3 dynamic QR Codes and prices can differ based on the number of QR Codes and additional features needed.

5. Why do dynamic QR Codes cost money?

Dynamic QR Codes offer a host of features such as customization, tracking, editability, and so on that static QR Codes don’t. For their limited features, static QR Codes are free, but dynamic QR Codes start from as low as $5 for all these additional features

• Author Details

Author Details

Monika Adarsh

Monika Adarsh is the Director of Inbound Marketing at Uniqode where her primary job is to help users find answers to anything related to QR Codes. She works closely with customers to understand QR Code usage trends and build a framework for successful QR Code campaigns. She enjoys documenting her learnings about the QR Code market as posts and playbooks. She also anchors a podcast to uncover ways of using QR Codes in DTC/CPG brands. In her free time, she loves gardening and decorating spaces.

https://www.uniqode.com/qr-code-generator

monika@mobstac.com