Guide

Do QR codes expire?

The pattern itself never expires. What expires is whatever the pattern points at — and for a lot of codes, that is somebody else's business decision.

Short answer

A QR code cannot expire on its own. The data is physically encoded in the printed pattern and does not change. Codes stop working when the destination they point at stops existing — most often a redirect service that has been discontinued, or a subscription that has lapsed.

Four causes, in order of frequency

The redirect service ended. Dynamic codes encode a short link on a provider's domain. If the trial ends, the plan lapses or the company closes, every printed code dies at once. This is by far the most common cause.
The destination page moved. A site redesign changes URLs, and every printed code points at a 404. Preventable with a redirect on your own server.
The domain lapsed. The registration was not renewed, and the code now points at a parking page or, worse, at whoever bought the domain next.
The content behind it changed meaning. The code works, the page loads, but the menu is three years out of date. Technically fine, practically broken.

Notice that none of these are properties of the QR code. All four are properties of what it points at.

Payloads with no destination at all

Some payloads contain everything they need, with nothing to go stale:

Plain text — the words are in the pattern, readable with no network at all.
Wi-Fi credentials — valid until you change the password.
vCard contacts — valid until the details change.
Calendar events — the entry is complete in the code.
Phone numbers — valid as long as the number is.

These are the only genuinely permanent codes. Everything with a link depends on a server somewhere.

Practical permanence for URL codes

Point at a domain you own. Not a shortener, not a generator's domain. Yours.
Use a short, stable path. yoursite.com/menu, not yoursite.com/2026/autumn/menu-v3-final.pdf.
Set a calendar reminder for the domain renewal. Print runs outlive most people's memory of when a domain expires.
Keep a redirect map. When the site is rebuilt, redirect old paths rather than letting them 404. Record which paths have codes printed against them.
Document the codes. A simple list of what is printed where, pointing at which URL. Most organisations have no idea what codes exist in the world with their name on.

Is yours at risk?

Decode it with the reader and read the domain.

What you see	Meaning
Your own URL	Static and permanent — nothing can switch it off
A generator's short domain	Dynamic — dependent on that company
A shortener like bit.ly	Dependent on that service and its policies
Wi-Fi, vCard or plain text	No destination at all, permanent

If you find a printed code pointing at somebody else's short domain, you have a dependency you probably did not choose deliberately. It may be fine for years. It is worth knowing about.

Frequently asked

Do QR codes expire after a certain time?

No. The pattern is fixed and cannot change. Codes stop working when the destination stops existing, which is a property of the link rather than the code.

Why did my free QR code stop working?

It was almost certainly dynamic — pointing at a redirect on the generator's domain that has since been disabled, usually at the end of a trial.

How long does a QR code last?

Physically, as long as the printed surface lasts. Functionally, as long as the destination exists. Text, Wi-Fi and vCard codes have no destination and last indefinitely.

Can I renew an expired QR code?

Not the printed one. If the destination is gone, you either restore the destination at the same URL or reprint with a new code.

Keep going

Last reviewed 24 August 2026 · Written and reviewed by the QR Code Builder team