The URL to encode
The canonical listing link is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=YOUR.PACKAGE.NAME. Two refinements worth making before you print anything:
Add an install referrer for attribution
Google Play passes a referrer parameter through to the installed app, and Play Console's acquisition reports break installs down by it. Append UTM-style values:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dqr%26utm_medium%3Dcounter%26utm_campaign%3DlaunchNote the referrer value is itself URL-encoded (%3D for =, %26 for &). Use a different utm_medium per placement - counter, receipt, packaging, poster - and you will know which one drives installs.
Or point at a redirect you control
https://yoursite.com/app → 302 to the Play link (and, later, to an iOS link for Apple devices if you ever ship one). Printed material outlives campaigns; a redirect lets you change the destination without reprinting. It also produces a shorter URL, so a sparser, more scannable code.
Scannability
- Contrast: dark modules on light background. Inverted codes fail on some older cameras.
- Quiet zone: keep the blank margin the tool adds; don't crop into it in your layout.
- Logo: with medium (M) error correction about 15% of modules can be covered. Stay inside the marked centre area.
- Dark on light: keep a dark code on a light background with strong contrast; inverted (light-on-dark) codes fail on many phone scanners. The tool warns you when the colours are risky.
- Shorter URL → bigger modules → scans from further away. The redirect approach helps here too.
Print sizes
| Placement | Minimum size | Export |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt, business card, packaging label | 20 mm | 1080 px |
| Counter card, menu, flyer | 30-40 mm | 1080 px |
| Poster / window (1-2 m away) | 10 cm or more | 4K |
| Vehicle / banner (5 m) | 50 cm | 4K, vector recreation recommended |
Rule of thumb: one tenth of the scanning distance. Always print a proof and test with two phones before a production run.
Caption and badge
Pair the code with the official Get it on Google Play badge where space allows - Google's badge guidelines require the badge unaltered, at least 40 px high, with clear space around it, and used only to link to your listing. The caption on your printed card can say "Scan to install" or "Get the app"; avoid claims about the app ("the #1 bakery app") which fall under the same metadata rules as the listing.
Before September 2026 this tool drew a decorative pattern that only resembled a QR code and did not encode the link. Codes generated earlier should be regenerated.