WiFi QR code generator: let guests join your network in one scan

A WiFi QR code holds a short line of text in a standard format that phones recognize as network settings. When the camera reads it, the phone shows a "Join network" prompt and connects using the details inside the code.

The format

The text follows a convention popularized by the open-source ZXing barcode library and is now read natively by iPhone and Android cameras:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:Northwind-Guest;P:welcome2026;H:false;;

• T: the security type. WPA (covers WPA and WPA2 personal), WEP, or nopass for an open network.
• S: the network name (SSID).
• P: the password. Left out for open networks.
• H: true if the network is hidden, false or omitted if it broadcasts its name.
• ;; ends the string.

Escaping special characters

Semicolons, colons and commas separate the fields, so if your network name or password contains a backslash, semicolon, comma, colon or double quote, each one must be preceded by a backslash. A password of pass;word is written as pass\;word. CardDeck escapes these characters for you, which is the most common thing hand-made WiFi codes get wrong.

What the phone does

The phone parses the text locally and joins the network directly. No web page opens and no internet connection is needed to read the code, which is exactly why guests can use it before they are online.

Enter the network name, password and security type, then download the code. It takes less than a minute in the free CardDeck tool.

Step by step

1. Find your exact network name. Check it on a connected phone or your router's label. SSIDs are case-sensitive, and a trailing space counts. 2. Enter the password exactly. Copy and paste it if you can. 3. Choose the security type. - WPA/WPA2 for almost all modern home and business routers. - WEP only for very old equipment. - None for an open network with no password. 4. Tick "hidden" only if your network does not broadcast its name. 5. Style it. Add your logo and colors. Keep a dark code on a light background. 6. Download SVG for print or PNG for a screen or digital sign. 7. Test it with at least one iPhone and one Android phone before printing many copies.

WPA3 networks

Many phones join WPA3 and mixed WPA2/WPA3 networks from a code marked WPA, but support varies by device. If your router runs WPA3 only, test with the phones your guests are likely to use, or run a WPA2/WPA3 transition mode on the guest network.

Enterprise networks

Networks that need a username, certificate or 802.1X login are not a good fit for a WiFi QR code. Use a separate guest network with a simple password instead.

No. A WiFi QR code is always static, because the phone reads the network name and password directly from the code instead of opening a link. If you change your WiFi password, you need a new code.

Why WiFi codes cannot be dynamic

A dynamic QR code stores a web link and redirects it. A link can only open a browser, and a web page cannot change a phone's WiFi settings. So the network details have to be inside the code itself.

Planning for password changes

• Use a separate guest network. Your guest password can stay stable while your staff network changes on its own schedule.
• Rotate on a timetable. If you change the guest password every quarter, print codes on cheap inserts that slide into a reusable stand.
• Show the code on a screen if you rotate passwords often, such as in a coworking space.

A dynamic alternative

If you want a code you can edit, make a dynamic code that opens a welcome page showing the network name, the current password and your house rules, plus links to your menu or booking page. Guests then type the password once. It is one more step, but you never reprint.

Sharing WiFi with a QR code is as safe as writing the password on a card, because anyone who scans it can read the password. Keep guests on a separate guest network, and the QR code itself adds no extra risk.

Good practice

• Put guests on a guest network that is isolated from your staff devices, printers and payment terminals. Most business routers offer this.
• Never encode your main office or staff password in a public code.
• Use WPA2 or WPA3, not WEP or an open network, so traffic between devices and the router is encrypted.
• Place codes where you want them used, such as inside the cafe, not in a window facing the street.
• Check for tampering. In public spaces, make sure no one has stuck a different code over yours.
• Change the guest password if you suspect it is being misused, then print a new code.

Privacy of the generator

The CardDeck WiFi QR code generator builds the code in your browser. Your network name and password are not sent to CardDeck or stored anywhere unless you create an account and choose to save the code.

Print a WiFi QR code at least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 in) for scanning in hand, and make it about one-tenth of the scanning distance for signs further away. Put it where guests naturally sit or wait.

Sizes by placement

• Table tent or room card (scanned at 20–30 cm): 3 cm or more.
• Reception counter sign (about 50 cm): 5 cm.
• Wall poster (about 1 m): 10 cm.

Include a quiet zone of at least four modules around the code, and do not print it on a glossy surface under bright lights without testing.

Good placements

• Cafes and restaurants: table tents, menus and the counter. Pair it with a menu QR code.
• Offices and meeting rooms: reception desk and each meeting room.
• Hotels and rental homes: the welcome folder, the bedside and the fridge door.
• Events and coworking spaces: registration desk, badges and session rooms.
• Clinics and salons: waiting area signs.
• Retail stores: a small sign at the fitting rooms or checkout.

What to print next to it

Always print the network name and the password in text as well. Some guests use laptops without cameras, and a fallback avoids queues at the counter.

Most WiFi QR code failures come from a typo in the network name or password, the wrong security type, or unescaped special characters. Check those three first.

Troubleshooting checklist

1. Network name. Is it exactly right, including capital letters and spaces?
2. Password. Copy it straight from your router settings rather than retyping it.
3. Security type. A WPA network set as WEP in the code, or the other way round, will fail.
4. Special characters. If you made the code elsewhere, a ; , : " or \ in the password may not have been escaped. Recreate it in CardDeck.
5. Hidden network. If the SSID is hidden, the H:true flag must be set.
6. Range. Is the guest actually in range of the network named in the code?
7. Phone settings. QR scanning can be switched off in camera settings on some phones. Try another phone to rule this out.
8. Print quality. Low contrast, a missing quiet zone or a tiny print size stops the scan itself.

If the phone shows the join prompt but cannot connect, the problem is in the details. If no prompt appears at all, the problem is in the print or the camera.

For small businesses that want WiFi, menus and reviews handled from one place, see CardDeck for small business.