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Restaurant and café menus
Put the code on the table or in the window and update prices or specials without reprinting a single menu. Guests scan, the PDF opens in their browser, and you see how many tables used it.
PDF hostingFree and trackable
PDF QR Code Generator
Host a PDF behind a QR code and print it on anything. When the document changes, replace the file — the code on the wall stays exactly the same.
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Start with your document
What should your QR code open?
No account required
Change the link later
Track every scan
Preview your QR code
Scan test
Checking scannability...
Tested with two QR readers at several sizes and reduced image quality. Not a guarantee; test with your phone before sharing or printing.
- ∞QR codes you can create
- 3Free tracked codes after sign-in
- 0Ads or watermarks
- AnytimeEditable after printing
What is a PDF QR code?
A PDF QR code is a QR code that opens a PDF document when scanned. Instead of pointing at a web page, it opens a file: a menu, a brochure, a product manual, a warranty sheet or any other document people need in their hands. The PDF appears in the phone's normal viewer, so nobody installs anything.
Here the file is hosted for you. When you create the code, the PDF is stored on our servers and the QR code holds a short link to it. That makes the code dynamic: upload a newer version of the document at any time and every scan opens the new file, while the printed code stays the same. It works like our trackable QR codes for websites, except the destination is a document you update instead of a URL.
That is the difference from a static PDF QR code, which encodes the address of a file somewhere on the web. If the file moves, or the link changes, older prints stop working. A hosted code keeps one stable link for as long as the code exists and counts every scan, so you can see whether the document was worth printing. Looking for another format? Every type lives in our free QR code generator, including Google review QR codes and vCard QR codes.
- One scan opens your PDF in the phone's built-in viewer
- Swap the file for a new version without reprinting
- Hosting and the redirect are included, so you need no website
- Count scans by day, country and device
How to create a PDF QR code
You need a PDF and a couple of minutes. No website, file host or developer required.
Upload your PDF
Click Upload PDF in the generator and choose a document up to 10 MB. The file is stored for you and served through your code, so there is no file hosting to set up.
Choose a template
Start with a PDF template, then change the colors, add your logo or edit the call to action to something like Scan to open the menu. Every design is scan-tested before you can save it.
Download and print
Click Create QR code and download the image as PNG, SVG or PDF. The print file stays sharp at any size: put it on menus, manuals, posters or shipping inserts. Sign in for free to keep the code in your dashboard.
Replace the file when it changes
New prices or a new edition? Open the code in your dashboard and upload a replacement PDF. The printed code and its link never change — the next scan opens the new document.
Documents people actually need
A PDF QR code saves paper and keeps the latest version in everyone's pocket. These are the places where it earns its print.
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Brochures and catalogues
Print one short code on a flyer and attach the full catalogue as a PDF. When the product line changes, replace the file and the flyer keeps working.
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Product manuals
Ship the document in the box without stuffing pages into it. Customers scan for setup guides, care instructions or specification sheets, and you can correct a manual after the batch has shipped.
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Warranty cards and receipts
A code on the warranty card opens the terms, the claim form or the spare-parts list. Update the form whenever the claims process changes.
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Event programs
A printed program is out of date the moment a speaker changes. One scan opens the current schedule, map or speaker list, and the organizer updates the file in the dashboard.
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Lead magnets and printables
Offer a checklist, worksheet or sample chapter behind a code on packaging, store signage or a business card. Swap the freebie for the next campaign without a new print run.
A PDF that keeps up with the print
A static code ties a document to one address; a hosted code ties it to you. Every scan is counted, so you finally know whether the print was worth it. Free accounts track up to three codes, and paid plans track more.
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Replace without reprinting
Change the document as often as you like. The short link never moves, so old prints keep opening the current file.
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See every scan
Scans are counted by day, country and device. Compare a menu on the table with one at the door, or a manual in one product line with another.
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Disable or remove a file
Turn the code off to show an unavailable page instead of the document, or delete it to remove the file completely. Designs are scan-tested before you can save them, so the printed code works the first time.
Where your PDF is stored and who can open it
Hosting is part of the product. Your file is stored on our servers and served through the code's link, with no public file library to browse.
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Anyone with the link can open it
Like every QR code, the link is public by design. Treat the PDF as something you would hand out in print: no payroll, contracts or ID scans.
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10 MB per file
Each PDF can be up to 10 MB, which covers most menus, manuals and brochures. For a larger file, compress the images or split it into two documents with one code each.
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Delete removes the file
Deleting a code removes its PDF from storage along with its scan history. Disable it instead if you want to keep the analytics and restore access later.
The file route is kept out of search engines, so a PDF is only reachable through its code link. Do not use PDF codes for private files or documents that need a password.
PDF QR code questions
What is a PDF QR code?
A PDF QR code is a QR code that opens a PDF file when scanned. Here the PDF is uploaded and hosted for you, and the code contains a short link to it. One scan opens the document in the phone's PDF viewer, and you can swap the file later without changing the printed code.
Is the PDF QR code generator free?
Yes. You can upload a PDF, design the code and download it without an account. A free account keeps the code in your dashboard so you can replace the file and see scan analytics, and paid plans add more tracked codes.
How large can my PDF be?
Up to 10 MB per file. That is enough for most menus, brochures and manuals. If a document is larger, compress its images or split it into two files and create a code for each.
Is my PDF public?
The link is public in the same way a printed URL is: anyone who has the code or the link can open the PDF. The file route is kept out of search engines, and you can disable the code or delete it to take the file down. Do not upload confidential documents.
Can I replace the PDF after the code is printed?
Yes. Open the code in your dashboard and upload a new file. The QR image and its short link stay the same, and every later scan opens the replacement PDF, so the old print is still valid.
Can I track scans and PDF opens?
Every scan of the QR code is counted, with daily trends, countries and devices, so you can compare placements and print runs. The analytics count scans of the code; they do not tell you which page of the PDF someone read.
Does the PDF open on iPhone and Android?
Yes. iPhone and Android phones open the file in their built-in PDF viewer through the camera or browser, with no app to install. Very large files can load slowly on a weak connection, so keep that in mind when you design the document.
How is this different from a normal link QR code?
A link code sends people to a page you host elsewhere. A PDF code hosts the document for you, so there is no web server to set up, and it opens a file instead of a web page. Both are dynamic: the link encoded in the code stays the same while you change what it opens.
Put a document behind your next QR code
Upload a PDF, pick a design and print. Replace the file whenever it changes.
Create a PDF QR codeFree, no account required. Up to 10 MB per file.