Plain-Text QR Code Generator — encode a message into a code
Want a scan to show a piece of text instead of sending people to a website? Use a plain-text QR code: type any text and scanning displays it verbatim. Common for device notes, asset numbers, exhibit labels, event passphrases, and one-line messages. Local, no upload, never expires.
A plain-text QR code encodes a piece of text straight into the pattern, so scanning it just displays that text — it never opens a website. It's ideal for instructions, asset IDs, serial numbers, notes, passphrases, or a short message. Type your text below to generate and download PNG / SVG; everything is processed locally and never uploaded.
Style
Enter content to see your QR code
How a text code differs from a URL code
A URL code scans into a link, and the phone asks whether to open a web page. A text code scans into the words themselves — the phone just shows them (or offers to copy them); it doesn't go online or redirect anywhere. That makes text codes perfect for 'I just want to convey one piece of information' — a sticker on a machine that scans open to its model, warranty and contact, rather than dragging someone to a page. It's also fully offline: scanning never needed a network anyway.
What belongs in a text code
Typical uses: a product's or asset's ID and specs, a museum exhibit's caption, an on-site passphrase, a maintenance reminder, a longer message that's awkward to dictate, even a short poem or a greeting. Note that more text means denser modules and harder scans, so keep it tight; for genuinely long content, put it on a web page and use a URL code instead. Don't turn passwords or private keys into a code stuck somewhere public — anyone who photographs it has the plaintext.
Frequently asked questions
Does scanning a text code open a web page?
No. A text code holds the words themselves, so after recognizing it the phone just displays the text (or offers to copy it) — it doesn't go online or open any URL. That's the key difference from a URL code.
How much text fits in one code?
In theory a few thousand characters, but the more you add the denser and harder to scan it gets. A few dozen to a couple hundred characters is the safe range; beyond that, host the content on a page and switch to a URL code. Multi-byte characters (like Chinese) use more capacity and pack tighter than the same number of Latin letters.
Is my text uploaded to your servers?
No. The code is generated entirely in your browser with JavaScript; not a single character of your text is sent to a server, and we don't log it.
Updated · QR Cat team