How to Make a QR Code for a Video
Paper cannot play a video, but a video QR code gets close: a small square on the card in the box, the instruction sheet or the poster, and the phone everybody already carries plays the video. No app to install, nothing to type.
Any video link works. YouTube and Vimeo are the usual choices, but a TikTok, an Instagram Reel, a Loom recording or a video file on your own website can sit behind the QR code just the same.
Why make it with Linkly?
Most QR generators encode the video's address directly into the QR code, which means the QR code plays that one video forever. Linkly's QR codes point at a short link instead, so:
- You can swap the video later. Re-record the setup guide next year and the QR code already printed on ten thousand boxes plays the new one.
- Every scan is counted, so you know how many people watched and roughly where they were.
- The QR code stays small and clean enough to carry your logo, because it only has to hold a short link.
How to create a video QR code
Copy the video's link.
Open the video on YouTube, Vimeo or wherever it lives, click Share, and copy the link. On YouTube you can tick Start at to make the video begin partway through. This is the only time you will touch the video platform.
Sign in to Linkly and click Create New Link.
Create a free account if you don't have one yet.
Paste the video link into the Destination field.
Give the link a short ending such as /setup or /how-to, and a Nickname such as "Kettle setup video" that you will recognise next year.
Click Save.
The QR code is drawn as soon as the link exists. There is no second tool and no export step.
Download the QR code.
Click the QR code to style it, then download a PNG for print or an SVG if it is going on packaging, and hand that to whoever does your artwork. See SVG QR codes.
Scan it before it goes to print.
Point a phone at the QR code on your screen. Some phones open the YouTube app and some open the browser; both play the video without an install.
Swap the video later
This is the part people miss. Open the link in Linkly, paste the new video's link into Destination, and save. The QR code that is already printed starts playing the new video the same afternoon, and nobody needs to know.
That makes a printed QR code safe to commit to: a product insert can outlive three versions of the setup video, a museum label can get a better recording, and a conference poster can point at the talk once it has been uploaded.
Every scan is counted
Every scan is a click on the short link, so Linkly's QR code analytics show how many people watched, when, and roughly where. If nobody is scanning, the QR code is probably in the wrong place on the box. If you put the same video on the packaging and the instruction sheet, give each its own short link and QR code and you will know which one people actually use.
Where video QR codes get used
- Packaging inserts and product cards, for the unboxing or setup video.
- Instruction manuals, where a two-minute video beats four pages of diagrams.
- Posters and flyers for an event, with the trailer behind the QR code.
- Business cards, linking to a short introduction.
- Menus, labels and museum captions, for the story behind the thing.
Tips for video QR codes
- Tell people what they will get. "Scan to watch the setup video" next to the QR code gets more scans than a bare square.
- Unlisted videos work. A YouTube video set to unlisted plays for anyone with the link, so the video does not have to appear on your channel.
- Keep the video short and phone-shaped. People are usually standing up when they scan. A vertical video under two minutes is watched to the end far more often.
- Host the file on a video platform. Linkly hosts PDFs but not video files, so upload the video to YouTube, Vimeo or your own site and link to it.
Frequently asked questions
Do people need the YouTube app to watch?
No. If the app is installed the video opens there; if not, it plays in the phone's browser. Nothing needs installing.
Can I use an unlisted or private video?
Unlisted works, because anyone with the link can watch. A private video only plays for accounts you have invited, so it is not suitable for a printed QR code.
Can I change the video after the QR code is printed?
Yes. Edit the short link's destination in Linkly and every printed QR code plays the new video from then on.
Can the video start at a particular moment?
Yes. Use the video platform's share option with a start time (on YouTube, tick Start at), and paste that link into Linkly.
Can I use a TikTok, Instagram Reel or Loom video?
Yes. Any link that opens a video can sit behind the QR code. Bear in mind that some platforms ask people to sign in before playing.
Can Linkly host the video file itself?
No. Linkly can host PDFs, but video files need to live on a video platform or your own website. The QR code then links to them.
Can I see how many people watched?
You can see how many people scanned the QR code, when and roughly where. Watch time and completion stay in the video platform's own analytics.
Is it free?
Yes. Every Linkly link comes with a QR code, including on the free plan, and the QR codes do not expire.
Related QR code guides
- Create QR Codes - the complete guide to dynamic QR codes in Linkly
- PDF to Link - host a PDF and put it behind a QR code
- Google Form QR Code - collect sign-ups and feedback from a sign
- Add a Logo to a QR Code - branded QR codes that still scan
- QR Code Analytics - track scans by time, place and device
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