Do QR codes expire?
The code itself never expires. What it points to can.
In short
A static QR code contains its content directly and never expires: it works as long as the content is valid — a website that still exists, a Wi-Fi password that has not changed. A dynamic QR code points to a redirection service and stops working if that service closes or your subscription ends.
Key takeaways
- Static: never expires.
- Dynamic: depends on a third-party service.
- A static code can still lead to a page that no longer exists.
Static codes
The text, address or Wi-Fi details are written in the pattern itself. No server is involved, so there is nothing to expire. The code made by the generator on this site is static.
Dynamic codes
The pattern contains a short address on the provider’s server, which redirects to your real content. Many free QR sites make dynamic codes by default, then deactivate them after a trial period unless you pay.
How to tell them apart
Scan the code and look at the address: if it is the provider’s domain rather than yours, it is dynamic.
Codes that break anyway
- A website that changes address or closes.
- A Wi-Fi network whose password changes.
- A phone number or email that is no longer used.
For printed material that will last years, point the code to an address you control and keep it alive.
QR code generator: Wi-Fi, vCard, URL
A QR code that contains its own content: no redirect, no tracking, no expiry.
Open the tool