QR codes by use Videos
QR codes for videos: YouTube, Vimeo and how-tos
A video explains in a minute what a manual takes a page to say. A code on the box, the poster or the card opens it on the phone already in the person's hand.
Free and static: paste your link, download SVG or PNG, no sign-up, never expires. Want art, a link you can change later and scan counts? Make it an art code.
QR codes for videos: the facts
- What the code holds
- A link to the video: a youtu.be short link, a Vimeo link, a Loom or a page on your site. YouTube links can start at a moment with ?t= and the number of seconds.
- Print size
- 1 in on a manual or insert, 1.25 in on packaging, 4 in or more on a poster.
- Scan distance
- In hand for inserts and boxes; 3 to 6 ft for posters.
- What breaks it
- Private videos do not play for anyone who scans. Use public or unlisted (unlisted plays for anyone with the link but stays out of search). Region-blocked music also stops playback.
- Good to know
- People watch on a phone held upright. A short vertical version of the video plays far better from a printed code than a wide one.
Make it art, tested to scan
We paint the code into a picture in your colours, then test it with three decoders under 16 print and phone conditions before you can download it.
Your codes outlive your subscription
Cancel and dynamic codes keep pointing at your last link. Read the promise.
Corner Roastery
Table tent for a coffee shop, 2026
Coffee bar artwork over a QR code, error correction H.
- Prints
- 1.25 in to 12 in
- Tested
- 10 of 10 core, 5 of 6 stress
- Opens
- the cafe menu
Questions
Can a QR code play a video directly?
The code opens the video's link, and the phone plays it in YouTube, Vimeo or the browser. A QR code cannot hold the video file itself.
Can the video start at a specific moment?
Yes. Add ?t=90 to a YouTube link to start at 1:30. The generator above keeps the link exactly as you paste it.
Will an unlisted YouTube video work?
Yes. Unlisted videos play for anyone with the link. Private videos do not.
Can I replace the video later?
With a dynamic code, yes: upload the new version and point the printed code at it.
Related uses
Generators that fit
Dynamic codes, scan counts and AI art start at $9 a month. See pricing.