Not all QR codes work the same way. Choosing the right type can save you from reprinting materials and give you data you'd otherwise never see.
Static QR codes
A static QR code encodes its data directly — a URL, a phone number, plain text — permanently. Once printed, it can never be edited, and it won't tell you how many times it was scanned.
Static codes are a fine choice for one-off, low-stakes use cases where the destination will never change.
Dynamic QR codes
A dynamic QR code instead points to a short redirect URL that you control. The QR image itself never changes, but you can update where it points at any time, and every scan is tracked.
Why that matters
- Fix a broken link without reprinting anything
- See scan counts, locations, and devices
- Reuse the same code across seasonal campaigns
For anything going on a physical product, sign, or packaging that's expensive to replace, dynamic is almost always the safer bet.