QR code API

⭐ Beginner's Pick Development / No Auth Required Beginner HTTPS CORS
Free to Use Varies (check documentation)

Overview

The QRtag QR Code API generates clean, scan-ready QR code images from any URL or text with a single GET request — no authentication or signup required. You can control the output size by appending a size suffix to the API endpoint and receive either a PNG or SVG image directly. It also doubles as a simple URL shortener, making it useful for print materials, event tickets, and product packaging workflows.

💡

Beginner Tip

No account or API key is needed — just construct a URL like https://api.qrtag.net/api/qr_10.svg?url=https://example.com and paste it into a browser or img tag to instantly see a QR code. The number after "qr_" sets the image size in centimetres (1-40). For a first test, try the SVG format as it scales perfectly at any resolution.

Available Data

shortened URL
original URL
click count
creation date
generated QR code image
encoded data string

Example Response

JSON Response
{
  "id": "abc123",
  "short_url": "https://short.ly/abc123",
  "long_url": "https://example.com/very/long/url/path",
  "clicks": 1542,
  "created_at": "2025-01-10T14:30:00Z"
}

Field Reference

(binary image) Raw PNG or SVG image data returned directly in the response body; save to a file or embed via an img tag src attribute

Implementation Example

// ⚠️ Note: This URL may be a documentation page. Check official docs for actual API endpoint.
const url = "https://www.qrtag.net/api/";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

Blank or broken image returned The url parameter was not URL-encoded, so special characters corrupted the query string
URL-encode your target URL before passing it — in JavaScript use encodeURIComponent(), in curl encode special characters manually
QR code generated but does not scan Requested size is too small for the amount of data encoded
Increase the size suffix (e.g., qr_5 or qr_10) to give scanners enough pixels to decode the pattern reliably
CORS error when fetching from JavaScript Browser security prevents direct fetch of cross-origin image responses with JavaScript
Use an img tag with the API URL as the src attribute instead of fetching programmatically, or proxy through your backend

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 15/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 20/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 460ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS YES
Category Development
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-04

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