Quick answer: To make a QR code in Canva, open your design, go to Elements and search “QR code”, then choose Create static or Create dynamic. Paste your link, adjust the style and select Save to drop the code onto your design. Both types are free on every Canva plan. Pick dynamic if you might need to change the link after printing.
Canva’s QR code tools sit right inside the editor, so you can design a flyer, menu or business card and add a scannable code in the same place. This guide walks through both code types, how to style them, how to download them for print and how to keep them scannable.
Steps checked against the Canva Help Center in October 2026. Canva updates its menus often, so labels on your screen may differ slightly.
Static or Dynamic: Which QR Code Should You Make?
| Static QR code | Dynamic QR code | |
|---|---|---|
| Change the link later | No | Yes, without reprinting |
| Style options | Background color, foreground color and margin | Colors, patterns and corner styles |
| Canva logo on the code | No | Yes, unless you’re on Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit |
| Scan insights | No | Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit |
| Expiry date | No | Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit |
| Best for | Permanent links, like your homepage on a business card | Menus, events, campaigns and anything that might change |
You can’t turn a static code into a dynamic one later, or the other way round, so decide before you print.
How to Make a QR Code in Canva, Step by Step
- Open the design you want to add the code to, or start a new one.
- Go to Elements in the side panel and search for “QR code”. A banner appears with Create static and Create dynamic.
- For a static code: choose Create static, paste your link into the URL field, optionally change the background color, foreground color and margin, then select Save.
- For a dynamic code: choose Create dynamic, pick a pattern, paste your link, optionally give the code a name so it’s easy to find later, then select Save.
- Drag the code into place and resize it. Keep it at least 2 x 2 cm on anything printed.
- Scan it with your phone camera to check it opens the right page before you download or print.
You can also open both tools from Apps by searching “QR code”. Dynamic QR codes work on the web and in the Canva mobile app.
How to Customize a Canva QR Code
Static codes keep things simple: you can change the code color, the background color and the margin around it when you create the code.
Dynamic codes give you more control. Select the code in your design and choose Edit to change:
- Colors: the code and background colors. Brand Kit colors are available on Canva Pro and above.
- Patterns and corners: different dot and corner styles. Canva says these visual choices don’t affect scanning.
- Logo: dynamic codes show a Canva logo by default. Removing it, choosing a preset logo or uploading your own needs Canva Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit.
Restyling a code that’s already printed means reprinting, so finish the look before you send files to the printer.
How to Change a Dynamic QR Code’s Link Later
This is the main reason to choose dynamic. Select the QR code in your design, select Edit, update the URL and select Save. Anyone scanning the printed code now lands on the new page, with no reprint needed.
By default, only the person who created a dynamic code can change it, even if others can edit the design. On Canva Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit, the creator can turn on Allow collaborators to edit, and can also set an expiry date with a fallback link. Our guide to whether Canva QR codes expire covers expiry in detail.
How to Download Your QR Code
Select Share, then Download, and pick the file type that suits where the code is going:
- PDF Print for flyers, cards, menus and anything you send to a print shop.
- PNG for websites, emails, slides and social posts.
- SVG if you need a vector file for large signs or other design software. SVG downloads need a paid Canva plan.
If you only need the code itself, put it on a small blank design first and download that. To send the design straight to your own printer, see how to print from Canva.
Tips to Keep Your QR Code Scannable
Canva’s own best practices for QR codes come down to a few rules:
- Size: no smaller than 2 x 2 cm (0.79 x 0.79 in). Go bigger for posters and signs people scan from a distance.
- Short links: shorter URLs make simpler codes that scan more reliably.
- Contrast: use clearly different colors and avoid transparency. If your colors are close, add a solid border in another color.
- Space: keep other elements off the code and leave a blank quiet zone around it at least four modules (the small squares) wide.
- A clear prompt: a line like “Scan to see the menu” tells people why to scan.
How to Track QR Code Scans
On Canva Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit, select a dynamic code and choose Insights to see total scans, unique scans, locations and device types. On any plan, you can also add UTM parameters to your link, for example ?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr, and see the visits in Google Analytics.
Canva QR Code Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The code won’t scan | Make it bigger, increase the color contrast, remove transparency and leave more blank space around it |
| A static code points to the wrong link | Static links can’t change. Create a new code and replace it in your design |
| You can’t remove the Canva logo | That needs Canva Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit. Static codes have no logo |
| A teammate can’t edit the code | Only the creator can edit by default. On Business plans, the creator can allow collaborators to edit |
| You see an upgrade prompt for expiry or Insights | Those features are only on Business, Enterprise and Nonprofit plans |
| You deleted a dynamic code by mistake | Contact Canva support within 60 days. Canva can restore dynamic codes created on or after October 1, 2026 |
FAQs
Is Canva’s QR code generator free?
Yes. Static and dynamic QR codes are available on every plan, including Canva Free. Scan insights, expiry dates, collaborator editing and removing the Canva logo need Canva Business, Enterprise or Nonprofit. See how much Canva Pro costs to compare plans.
Do Canva QR codes expire?
Static codes never expire. Dynamic codes keep working unless you set an expiry date, which is a Business plan feature. Read our full guide to whether Canva QR codes expire.
Can I make a QR code in the Canva app?
Yes. Canva says dynamic QR codes are available on the web and on mobile, so you can add and edit them in the Canva app as well as in a browser.
Can I make a QR code for a PDF, form or Google Drive file?
Yes, as long as it has a public link. Set the file or form to “anyone with the link can view”, copy that link and paste it into the QR code’s URL field. For digital PDFs, you can also add a clickable link in a Canva PDF instead.
Can I convert a static QR code to dynamic?
No. Canva doesn’t convert codes in either direction. Create a new dynamic code and replace the static one in your design.
The Bottom Line
Making a QR code in Canva takes under a minute: Elements, search “QR code”, choose static or dynamic, paste your link and save. Use static for permanent links and dynamic for anything you might update, then size it properly, give it room to breathe and test it before you print. For more shortcuts, see our Canva tips and tricks.
