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Email QR code generator

Make a QR code that opens an email. Whoever scans it gets a new message with the address, subject and text already filled in, and only has to tap send. Handy on business cards, flyers, packaging and posters.

Error correction

Higher stays readable when the code is damaged or partly covered, but makes it busier.

How it works

  1. Type your text or link

    The code appears immediately as you type.

  2. Choose the settings

    Size, colours and other options; the preview changes straight away.

  3. Download

    As a PNG for a website or a document, or as an SVG for print.

How to use it

  1. Enter the Email address the messages should go to.
  2. Type a Subject (optional) and a Message (optional). Leave them empty for a code that only starts a blank message.
  3. Check the code with your own phone, then download it with Download PNG or Download SVG. Use the SVG for print, because it scales without losing sharpness.

What is inside the code

The code holds a mailto: link. The example that is filled in when you open the page gives:

mailto:info@example.com?subject=Question%20about%20your%20product&body=Hello%2C%20I%20have%20a%20question.

That is 106 bytes, a 41 × 41 grid of modules, and the status line shows the size as you type. Spaces and special characters are converted into % codes for you. Here is a trickier subject and message:

  • Subject Table for 4 & a "quiet" corner becomes Table%20for%204%20%26%20a%20%22quiet%22%20corner.
  • A message of two lines, Hello, and Is Friday free?, becomes Hello%2C%0AIs%20Friday%20free%3F.

%20 is a space, %26 an ampersand, %22 a quotation mark and %0A a line break. Without this conversion the & in the subject would cut the link in two. A scan of the code above decodes to exactly this text.

What the tool checks

The address needs an @ and no spaces, commas or semicolons. If it doesn't, the status line says "This doesn't look like a valid email address." and no code is made. Only the address is required; empty fields are simply left out of the link, so with only an address the code holds mailto:info@example.com and nothing more.

Where it works well

A support address on a product box, a "report a problem" poster at a station, a feedback request on a receipt. Because the address can be read by anyone with a scanner, use a dedicated address for it instead of a personal inbox. To share a full contact card rather than an email, use the vCard QR code generator. To start a text message instead, use the SMS QR code generator. For any other text or link, see text to QR code.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add CC, BCC or more than one recipient?

No. The tool takes one address and refuses commas and semicolons in it, which are what separate several addresses. The person who scans can add more recipients in the message itself.

Can the message have several lines?

Yes. Press Enter in *Message (optional)* and the line break is stored as `%0A` in the link, which mail apps turn back into a new line. Keep the text short, though: every extra character makes the code denser.

What does a phone do when it scans the code?

It reads the `mailto:` link and opens the default mail app with a new message. If no mail app is set up on the phone, nothing useful happens, so for an audience on a desktop or without a mail app a link to a contact page is the safer choice.

Can I tell which poster or flyer a message came from?

Yes, put a marker in the subject, such as "Question from poster 3". Make one code per place and the subject line of the incoming mail tells you where it was scanned.

Is the address uploaded or stored?

No. The code is built in your browser from what you type. The address is not sent anywhere, but remember that anyone who scans the code can read it.