Static vs. dynamic QR codes

A static QR codehas its content baked directly into the grid at generation time. Scan it in five years and it still points at exactly what it did on day one — there's nothing to update because there's no service in the middle; the phone decodes the grid and that's the end of the story. Static codes are free, work forever, and never require an account.

A dynamic QR codeencodes a short redirect link instead of the final destination. Scanning it sends the phone to that link, which then forwards to wherever you've currently set the destination to be — and that destination can change after the code is printed. Change the URL in your dashboard and every already- printed dynamic code updates instantly, with no reprint.

That trade brings two things a static code can't offer:

• Editability. Fix a typo, redirect a discontinued product page, point a sign at a new listing — all without touching the printed material.
• Scan tracking.Because the scan passes through RubyQR's redirect first, it can log when, where (approximate, from IP), and on what device the scan happened — the basis of the analytics on the Pro plan.

The cost is that a dynamic code depends on a service staying up to do the redirect — if that service disappears, the code stops working, unlike a static code which never depends on anyone else's server. For anything permanent and simple — a plain text note, a WiFi password, a one-off static link — a static code is the right, simpler choice. For anything that might need to change, or where scan data is useful (a restaurant menu, a yard sign, a marketing campaign), dynamic is worth the trade.