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To track print marketing with a QR code, add campaign parameters to the destination URL before you generate the code. Then test the printed proof and the full link path. Google Analytics can report visits attributed to those tagged URLs, but those visits are not necessarily the same as the number of people who scanned the code.
How to create a QR code for a flyer or other print piece
- Choose the destination. Pick the page you want people to reach and check that it works well on a phone.
- Decide what you need to distinguish. Choose whether reports should separate a flyer from a poster, one location from another, or one design from another.
- Add campaign parameters. Build the tagged destination URL before encoding it in the QR code. Use the same naming convention across related materials.
- Generate and export the code. Use an image format and resolution suitable for your print workflow. Keep the modules square and preserve the blank margin around the code.
- Add a clear call to action. Tell people what scanning will do, such as “Scan for the menu.” Keep this copy outside the QR code’s quiet zone.
- Print and test a proof. Print it at the intended size. Scan it with more than one phone under realistic viewing conditions, and confirm it opens the right page with the tagged URL intact after redirects.
- Review campaign reporting. After distribution, look at tagged visits or sessions in your analytics platform. Call them scans only if your QR service documents a scan-event metric and explains how it is counted.
How to tag a QR code URL for Google Analytics
Google Analytics says campaign parameters on destination URLs help identify campaigns that refer traffic and make that information available in acquisition reporting: Google Analytics URL builders.
Use these three parameters as a consistent baseline:
utm_source: where the traffic came from, such asbrochureorstore_poster.utm_medium: the marketing medium, such asprint.utm_campaign: the campaign name, such asfall_open_house.
For example, a tagged URL might look like https://example.com/offer&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=fall_open_house. Replace the example domain and values with your actual destination and campaign details before generating the QR code.
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Google Analytics campaign values are case-sensitive, so choose a format and stick to it—for example, lowercase words with underscores. Add utm_content when you need to tell apart two creatives, calls to action, or placements within the same campaign. Do not put personally identifying information in campaign parameters.
Check every redirect
Test the complete route from the printed code to the final landing page. A redirect that drops query parameters can remove the UTMs, causing traffic to appear as (direct) / (none) instead of under the intended campaign. Google Analytics also notes that offline-document traffic may be classified that way: Google Analytics guidance on direct traffic.
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Can you track QR code scans in Google Analytics?
Google Analytics can show visits or sessions attributed to a tagged destination URL; it does not make those records an exact count of scans. A person can scan but leave before the page loads, analytics tracking may be blocked, or a redirect may remove the tags. A QR provider’s scan count, if offered, is a separate event metric whose definition depends on that provider.
Keep the measures distinct in reports:
- Scans: interactions counted by a QR-code service, if it provides a documented metric.
- Tagged visits or sessions: web analytics records attributed to the campaign URL after the destination loads and tracking works.
- Conversions: downstream actions such as a purchase or signup, not a synonym for either scans or visits.
Static versus editable QR code destinations
A code that directly encodes the final tagged URL will keep opening that address. After printing, changing the destination generally means changing the printed code, unless the encoded address is one you control and can redirect.
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A managed redirect service may let you change the destination and may provide its own scan metrics. Capabilities, link continuity, account dependence, privacy practices, export options, metric definitions, and pricing vary by provider. Check the selected service’s current documentation and terms before relying on those features. UTM-tagged visits can still be analyzed in your site’s analytics platform when the final URL and redirect preserve the parameters.
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Preserve the quiet zone and grid
GS1 defines the quiet zone as the empty margin around all four sides of a 2D barcode and specifies a width of four module widths for QR Codes: GS1 2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline. Keep text, borders, logos, and decorative elements outside this margin. Maintain strong light-dark contrast and an even, undistorted grid; poor contrast or distorted modules can make decoding harder.
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Choose a size for the actual job
There is no single print size established here as right for every marketing QR code. The appropriate size depends on viewing distance, material, and print method. GS1 US recommends high-resolution artwork and printing, but its guidance is primarily about retail product barcodes, so retail barcode dimensions should not be treated as universal marketing requirements: GS1 US 2D barcode guidance. Print a proof at the planned size and test it on the actual substrate.
Protect the code from the layout
- Use a plain, light background with clear contrast.
- Do not place the code across a fold, trim line, curve, glossy reflection, or busy image.
- Keep the call to action outside the quiet zone.
- If you add a logo or otherwise modify the code, test the result. Logos use error-correction capacity and can block encoded information; use verification for high-stakes or regulated packaging.
Keep the campaign setup easy to verify
Before sending a file to print, keep a simple worksheet that ties each printed placement to its destination and analytics naming. This helps prevent a correct-looking code from pointing to the wrong page or using inconsistent campaign values.
Quick Recap
- Print placement or creative name
- Final destination URL, including its campaign parameters
- QR image file and planned print size
- Proof-test result and any redirect in the route
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