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QR Code Generator

Email QR Code Generator

Open a pre-filled email with a single scan. Perfect for support, RSVPs, and lead capture.

Enter an email address to generate

This is a true static QR code. The data is encoded directly into the pattern, so it works offline and never expires.

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What is an email QR code?

An email QR encodes a standard mailto: link. When scanned, the user's default email app opens with the recipient, subject, and optional message body already filled in. They just tap send. The mailto:scheme is part of every operating system, so this works equally well on iOS Mail, Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail on desktop, Thunderbird, and any other client that registers as the default mail handler.

Encoding a mailto link reduces friction enormously compared to printing an email address and asking someone to type it. Typos vanish, the subject line lands consistently for easier triage, and the conversion rate from "saw the sign" to "actually sent the email" goes up dramatically.

Static and private

The QR contains the mailto link directly — there is no third-party redirect. FixedQRCode does not store the recipient or message body. Compared with services that wrap your email in a tracked redirect (and which can read whatever subject/body you pre-fill), a static mailto QR is the cleanest possible option.

Use cases

  • Customer support cards in product packaging, with a subject like "Order #12345 support".
  • RSVPs and event responses on printed invitations — pre-fill the subject so guests don't have to think.
  • Lead capture on flyers, business cards, billboards, and signs.
  • Feedback requests on receipts, menus, and packaging — pre-fill a subject like "Feedback for Acme".
  • Job applications on hiring posters with subject "Application: [Role]".
  • Press contact on the back of book jackets, album sleeves, and brochures.
  • Returns and warranty claims on packing slips with the order number pre-filled.

Static vs dynamic

Dynamic email QRs route through a tracking redirect that silently logs each scan, can be disabled by the provider, and stops working when the service shuts down. A static mailto QR has no third party in the path — it just works. For long-lived signage, packaging, or anything you can't reprint cheaply, static is the only sane choice.

Printing recommendations

Long subject lines and message bodies inflate the QR pattern. Keep pre-filled text short for the smallest, most scannable code — under 100 characters in the body is a good rule. Use SVG for print and at least 2 cm / 0.8 in width. For email-only QRs without pre-filled text, the code is very compact and remains scannable even at 1.5 cm.

URL-encoding handles spaces and punctuation in the subject and body automatically, but extremely long emoji sequences can push the QR into a denser version — if you need to print very small, drop the emoji from the subject.

Business use cases

Service businesses, nonprofits, and event organizers use email QRs to reduce typing friction and increase response rates from printed material. A pre-filled subject line also helps with triage on the receiving side — support tickets arrive consistently formatted, which makes routing much easier in shared inboxes.

Local government, schools, and healthcare providers all benefit from static email QRs on permanent signage. There is no expiration risk: even decades from now, every modern phone will still understand mailto links.

Anatomy of the encoded URL

A mailto QR encodes a string likemailto:hello@acme.com?subject=Order%20support&body=Hi%20team%2C. The recipient is required, the query string is optional. Multiple parameters are joined with &, and every value is URL-encoded — that is why spaces become %20 and special characters become percent sequences. FixedQRCode handles all of this for you when you fill in the form, but if you're hand-crafting the link for a designer's mockup, following the RFC keeps it portable.

For multi-line message bodies, newlines are encoded as %0A. iOS Mail, Gmail, and Outlook all respect formatted bodies, so you can pre-fill a short template with line breaks that the user only has to fill the specifics into.

Designing the printed asset

Pair the QR with a short call to action like "Scan to email us" — it dramatically increases scan rates because people pattern-match QR codes for "thing to do" cues. On dark backgrounds, place the QR inside a white rounded rectangle so the quiet zone stays intact. For badges and lanyards, vertical layouts with the email address printed below the QR work best because the eye reads top-to-bottom faster than scanning a horizontal block.

Troubleshooting

  • On devices without a default mail app configured, the link will prompt the user to pick one — show them this is normal.
  • Some browsers strip very long mailto bodies — keep them under ~500 characters for best results.
  • Always include a valid email address; the subject and body are optional.
  • On corporate iPhones with mail apps disabled by MDM policy, mailto links may silently fail. Consider including a fallback URL QR.
  • If special characters in the subject look broken in Gmail, your locale may not match the encoding — stick to UTF-8.
  • Newlines in the message body use %0A when URL-encoded. FixedQRCode handles this for you when you press Enter in the textarea.