Email QR Code Generator
Create free email QR codes instantly. Open the default email app with a pre-filled address, subject, and message. Perfect for support, bookings, feedback, and contact forms.
What Is an Email QR Code?
An email QR code is a two-dimensional barcode that encodes a mailto: link. When scanned with a smartphone camera, it opens the user’s default email app with a pre-filled recipient address, and optionally a subject line and message body. This makes it incredibly easy for customers to contact you without manually typing your email.
How Email QR Codes Work
Email QR codes use the standard mailto: URI scheme inside the QR code. When a user scans the code, their device recognizes the mailto: link and launches the default email application with the encoded details. You can include a single email address or multiple recipients, along with a predefined subject and message text.
Why Email QR Codes Are Useful
Email QR codes reduce friction for users who want to contact you, ask questions, request quotes, or send feedback. Instead of typing your email address, subject, and message from scratch, they scan once and start typing right in the email composer. This helps increase responses and reduce typos, especially in offline or print environments.
Common Uses
- Business cards – Let people email you with one scan
- Flyers and posters – Encourage inquiries, quotes, or bookings
- Product packaging – Provide a simple way to reach support
- Event materials – Collect RSVPs, feedback, or follow-up questions
- Restaurants and cafés – Receive feedback or reservation requests
- Real estate signs – Let buyers email agents instantly about a listing
How to Create an Email QR Code
- Enter your email address: Type the email address you want people to contact. This is usually your business, support, sales, or personal email address.
- Add an optional subject and message: Optionally, pre-fill a subject line and message body. This can help guide users, for example: “New booking request” or “Question about product XYZ.”
- Customize your QR code: Customize colors, add a logo, or adjust advanced settings like size, error correction level, and quiet zone so your email QR code matches your brand.
- Preview and download: Preview your email QR code to make sure it looks good and is easy to scan. Then download it in your preferred format (PNG, SVG, or PDF) for print or digital use.
- Test your QR code: Scan the QR code with multiple devices to confirm it opens the correct email app and pre-fills the recipient, subject, and message as expected.
Best Practices (Do's & Don'ts)
Do's
- Use a valid, monitored email address you actually check
- Keep the subject line short and clear
- Use simple, non-special characters in the subject and body when possible
- Test your email QR code on both iOS and Android devices
- Place the QR code where users naturally think about contacting you
- Provide a short text label like “Scan to email us” near the QR code
Don'ts
- Don't encode extremely long or complex message bodies
- Don't use an email address that you plan to change soon
- Don't rely solely on the QR code—include the plain email address nearby
- Don't use low-contrast colors that make the QR code hard to scan
- Don't make the QR code so small that it’s hard to scan from typical distances
- Don't forget to verify how the email looks in different email apps
Troubleshooting QR Code Issues
Email app doesn’t open
If scanning the QR code doesn’t open an email app, the device might not have a default email app configured, or the QR scanner may not support mailto: links. Ask users to try the built-in camera app on iOS/Android or a different QR scanning app. Also verify that the QR code encodes a valid mailto: link.
Recipient address is missing or incorrect
If the email opens but the 'To' field is empty or wrong, double-check the email address you entered when generating the code. Make sure there are no spaces, typos, or unsupported characters. If using multiple email addresses, separate them correctly with commas.
Subject or body text looks strange
Some special characters, emojis, or line breaks may appear differently across email apps. If your subject or body text looks broken, try simplifying it and avoiding unusual symbols. Test scanning the QR code on multiple devices and email clients to confirm consistent behavior.
QR code not scanning reliably
If the QR code is difficult to scan, it might be too small, low contrast, or printed on a glossy or curved surface. Increase the size, use high-contrast colors (like dark on light), and avoid placing it where glare or distortion can interfere with scanning.
QR code opens a browser instead of an email app
Some older or less capable QR scanners may treat mailto: links as regular links and open them in a browser. Encourage users to scan with the native camera app or a modern QR scanner that supports email links properly.
Users report not getting replies
If users are emailing you via the QR code but not receiving responses, verify that the email address points to an inbox you actively monitor. Set up filters or folders to keep these messages from getting lost, especially if you use a dedicated support or contact email address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the email address after generating the QR code?
No. Email QR codes generated here are static, which means the encoded email address cannot be changed after the code is created and printed. If you need to use a different address, you’ll need to generate and replace the QR code.
Can I include a subject and message in the email QR code?
Yes. You can optionally pre-fill both the subject line and the message body. This is useful for standardizing inquiries, booking requests, or support questions. Keep the text reasonably short to ensure good compatibility across email apps.
Do email QR codes work on all phones?
Email QR codes work on most modern smartphones, including iPhones and Android devices, as long as an email app is installed and set as the default. The exact appearance of the email composer may vary slightly between devices and apps.
Can I track how many people scan my email QR code?
Static email QR codes themselves do not collect analytics. You can approximate engagement by using a dedicated email address (like hello+qr@yourdomain.com) or by watching for email volume changes. For detailed scan analytics, you would need a dynamic QR code solution.
Can I add a logo or brand colors to my email QR code?
Yes. You can safely customize your email QR code with colors and a small logo as long as you maintain strong contrast and don’t cover key pattern areas. We recommend keeping the logo within 20–30% of the QR code area and testing thoroughly before printing.
What happens if the user has no email app installed?
If the device does not have an email app installed or configured, scanning an email QR code may not work as expected. In these cases, it’s a good idea to display your email address as text near the QR code so users can still contact you manually.
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