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A Wi-Fi QR code usually stores a structured text string beginning with WIFI:. To make one work reliably, escape five reserved characters in network names and passwords, quote an SSID that could be mistaken for hexadecimal, and choose error correction with the capacity tradeoff in mind.
What a Wi-Fi QR code contains
A common ZXing-style payload looks like this:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:mynetwork;P:mypass;;T identifies the authentication type, S contains the network name (SSID), and P contains the password. The final double semicolon closes the payload. A hidden network can be indicated with the optional field H:true.
ZXing documents authentication values including WPA, WEP, WPA2-EAP, and nopass. The fields may appear in different orders, but device and scanner support for particular types or optional fields can vary. See ZXing’s Wi-Fi payload documentation.
Which characters must be escaped?
Within an SSID or password value, prefix each of these five characters with a backslash: backslash, semicolon, comma, colon, and double quote.
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The semicolon is especially easy to miss because it separates fields; an unescaped semicolon inside a value can make a parser treat the rest of that value as a new field. Comma is also on the documented escape list, even though it is not a field separator. ZXing documents the escape convention, and UseQR’s troubleshooting guide explains the same five-character set.
Escape literal backslashes first
When preparing a value, escape existing backslashes before adding escape markers for the other characters. If you add markers first and then escape every backslash, you may escape the markers you just inserted and change the intended value.
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For example, if a password contains a semicolon, encode it as:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:CafeGuest;P:p@ss;word;;That example illustrates the payload text convention; confirm how your specific encoder accepts input and inspect the decoded payload, since software may expose escaping differently at its user interface.
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Why an all-hex SSID can be misread
An SSID made only of hexadecimal characters can be ambiguous to a parser that supports hexadecimal input. ZXing’s documented convention is to surround an ASCII value that could be read as hexadecimal with double quotes. For a literal network name ABCD, use:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:"ABCD";P:example;;Apply this to the SSID when the intended name is literal text, rather than assuming a run of hex digits will always be interpreted that way. ZXing also notes the quoting convention for passwords that could be interpreted as hexadecimal; the issue and example here concern an all-hex SSID.
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What error-correction level H buys—and costs
QR error correction adds redundancy so a symbol may still be recoverable when part of it is damaged or obscured. ZXing documentation gives these approximate recovery estimates:
| Level | Approximate recovery estimate | Capacity tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| L | 7% | Lowest redundancy and greatest data capacity among these levels |
| M | 15% | More redundancy than L and less capacity |
| Q | 25% | More redundancy than M and less capacity |
| H | 30% | Highest redundancy and lowest capacity among these levels |
These are approximate figures in ZXing’s documentation, not guarantees for a particular kind of damage or print. H gives the most redundancy of the four levels, but the QR symbol has less room for payload data. If the payload no longer fits at the same QR version, a generator may need to use a larger version; the exact result depends on the string, encoding mode, and generator settings. The percentages alone do not establish a fixed increase in printed dimensions.
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Quick Recap
Check the payload before displaying or printing it
- Build the text payload. Include the correct authentication type, SSID, and password fields; add
H:trueonly if the network is hidden and your target readers support it. - Escape values. In the SSID and password, escape backslashes first, then semicolons, commas, colons, and double quotes.
- Quote ambiguous literal text. If the SSID consists only of hexadecimal characters and is meant as ASCII text, apply the documented double-quote convention.
- Choose an error-correction level. Use H when greater redundancy is worth reduced payload capacity; do not assume H guarantees readability after a specific kind of damage.
- Generate and decode-test the actual code. Scan it with the devices or readers guests are likely to use and verify that the decoded fields match the intended network details.
- Only then print or display it. A card or sign is optional; the important check is that the final generated code scans correctly before it is put out for guests.
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