To redirect a QR code to a new URL, it must be a dynamic code. A dynamic code encodes a short redirect link, not the destination, so the destination lives online where you can change it. Open your provider's dashboard, find the code, edit the destination field, and save. The next scan follows the new URL.
A static code cannot be redirected. Its destination is baked into the pattern of squares, so changing where it points means printing a new code. Below are the exact steps for a dynamic code, how fast the change propagates, and the one honest workaround if you already printed a static one.
Can you redirect a QR code to a different URL?
Only a dynamic code can be redirected. The decision is made when you generate the code, not later. A static code stores the destination itself, written as black and white modules, so the URL is fixed the moment it prints. A dynamic code stores a short link like qranite.com/r/x7k2, and that link's destination is a field in a database.
So the real question is which kind you have. If you generated a plain URL code from a free tool with no account, it is almost certainly static and cannot be redirected. If you made it inside a dashboard that shows scan counts, it is dynamic and can. When in doubt, check whether the provider lets you edit the destination — that ability is the definition of dynamic.
How do I redirect a dynamic QR code?
Editing the destination takes under a minute. The printed image never changes; only the field behind it does. On Qranite the steps are:
- Sign in and open your dashboard.
- Find the code you want to redirect in your list of dynamic codes.
- Open it and edit the destination URL to the new address.
- Save. The redirect updates immediately.
- Scan the printed code with your own phone to confirm it lands on the new page.
How fast does a redirected QR code update?
Immediately. The printed code points at a short link, and the redirect server looks up the current destination on every scan. Change the destination and the very next scan follows it. There is nothing to reprint and nothing to wait for.
Qranite serves each redirect as a 302 with a no-store header, so phones never cache an old destination. That matters when you re-point a code mid-campaign. A cached 301 could send some scanners to the stale URL for hours. A no-store 302 sends everyone to whatever you last saved.
When is redirecting better than reprinting?
Redirecting wins whenever a printed code outlives the URL behind it. Here are the common cases.
| Situation | Redirect or reprint | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign landing page moved | Redirect | Point the same code at the new URL. Nothing on paper changes. |
| Menu link changed for the season | Redirect | Every printed table tent keeps working. Edit once. |
| Destination page returns a 404 | Redirect | Fix the broken link in seconds instead of recalling flyers. |
| Event page swaps after the date passes | Redirect | Send old scans to a recap or a next-event page. |
| One sign on one wall | Reprint | A static code is free, and reprinting costs a sheet of paper. |
| Code was made static | Reprint | A static code cannot be redirected. Make a dynamic one and reprint once. |
What if I already printed a static QR code?
You cannot redirect it, but there is one honest workaround. If the static code points at a page you control, like yoursite.com/menu, change what that page does. Add a redirect on your own server, or just update the page. The code's data never changes; the page it lands on does. You depend on nobody but your own hosting, and you get no scan analytics.
If the static code points straight at a URL you do not control, there is no workaround. Generate a dynamic code and reprint. Anything already printed keeps its original destination forever. To avoid this next time, decide before you print: use a dynamic code whenever the destination might ever change.
Can I redirect a QR code for free?
Yes, within limits. A free Qranite account includes 2 dynamic codes with unlimited scans and no ads. You can re-point either one as often as you like. That is enough for a menu and a campaign, or two signs whose destinations drift.
Beyond two codes, Pro is $9/mo or $72/yr for 50 dynamic codes, and a $79 lifetime plan covers 10 codes forever. Redirecting a live code is the whole reason dynamic codes exist, so it is included at every tier, not gated behind a higher one. Details on pricing.
Will my QR code stop redirecting if I stop paying?
On Qranite, no. If you stop paying, your dynamic codes keep redirecting at whatever destination you last set. You lose editing and analytics beyond the free limits. You never lose the redirect, and your scanners never see ads or upsell pages. A redirect costs almost nothing to serve, so holding printed codes hostage is a pricing choice, not a technical need.
Much of the industry chooses otherwise. Read the fine print before you print a code you cannot afford to lose.
- qr-code-generator.com deactivates dynamic codes made during its 14-day free trial when the trial ends, per their support docs. Scans then redirect to an upsell page.
- QR Tiger stops free dynamic codes after 500 scans each, and all dynamic codes stop working if your plan lapses, per their own policy.
- ME-QR shows full-screen interstitial ads to people who scan free dynamic codes. Removing them costs $27.99 per month, per their pricing page.
- QRFY pauses codes 7 days after creation unless you subscribe, per their pricing page.