A dynamic QR code encodes a short link instead of the final web address. Scanning it opens the short link, which redirects to a destination you can change at any time. Because each scan passes through that redirect, it can be counted. A static QR code encodes the destination itself and can't be edited after printing.
Static vs dynamic QR codes
A static code stores the full URL in its pattern. Once printed, it points there for good. If the page moves and nobody redirects the old address, the code breaks and needs a reprint.
A dynamic code stores a short link, such as rqk.sh/menu. The short link decides where the scan ends up. You change the destination in a dashboard and the printed code follows.
The trade-off is that a dynamic code depends on a service. A static code keeps working as long as the page exists. A dynamic code stops working if its short link is deleted or switched off. For a museum plaque meant to last decades, static can be the safer choice. For menus and packaging, where destinations change, dynamic fits better.
Why a short link makes a cleaner pattern
A QR code gets denser as it stores more characters. At level Q, a 120-character URL with tracking tags needs a grid of 53 by 53 tiny squares. The short link https://rqk.sh/menu needs 25 by 25. Tiny squares are harder to scan when the code is printed small or read from across a room. A short link keeps the pattern open. The tracking tags live behind the redirect, out of the printed code.
Error correction and logos
QR codes carry spare data, so a scanner can still read a code that is scuffed or partly covered. Reqlick generates codes at error correction level Q. According to Denso Wave, which developed the QR code, level Q can restore about 25% of a code's data (QRcode.com). That margin is what lets a logo sit in the middle. Reqlick clears the squares behind the logo, so the logo never sits on top of half-hidden squares.
How dynamic QR codes work in Reqlick
Every QR code you create in Reqlick is dynamic. It encodes a short link on rqk.sh or on your own custom domain.
- Edit the destination from the dashboard, and printed codes follow right away.
- Count scans with time, country, city and device. QR scans are reported apart from link clicks.
- Style the code with your colors, a gradient, body and eye shapes, and a logo. Download it as PNG, SVG or JPEG.
Scans are unlimited on every plan. Starter stops recording scans and clicks after 25,000 in a month, but codes keep working. Starter includes 50 QR codes, Pro 300 and Business 3,000. Pro and Business add password protection, expiration dates, and separate destinations for iPhone and Android. You can also turn a file, like a PDF menu, into a QR code. You can upload a new version behind the same code later. See Reqlick QR codes for the full feature list.
Worked example: a menu that changes every season
Suppose a restaurant prints a QR code on 30 table cards, linked to its menu PDF. In spring, prices and dishes change, and the new PDF gets a new address.
With a static code, the cards point at the old file's address. The owner either leaves the old PDF online, showing outdated prices, or reprints all 30 cards. With a Reqlick code, the owner uploads the spring menu behind the same link. The table cards stay where they are.
The scan counts help with a second decision. If guests barely scan the cards, the restaurant knows to keep printed menus on hand. If scans climb every weekend, it can print fewer paper menus next season.