What a QR code actually is
A grid of black and white squares that encodes a string of text, plus error correction data so a reader can recover from a smudge. There is no date field, no serial number, and no call home. A camera reads the pattern and gets the text. That is the whole mechanism.
So the question splits in two. The symbol does not expire. The text it hands you might point somewhere that no longer answers.
Static and dynamic codes fail differently
| Property | Static code | Dynamic code |
|---|---|---|
| What the symbol holds | Your real URL or payload | A provider's short redirect URL |
| Depends on a company | No | Yes, permanently |
| Destination editable later | No, print a new code | Often yes |
| Scan tracking | None | Usually included |
| Common failure | Your own page moved | Trial ended, plan lapsed, provider shut down |
A dynamic code buys you one useful thing: changing the destination after printing. It costs you a permanent dependency on a third party, and that is the trade behind almost every dead QR code you have met in the wild.
Check a code you already have
- Scan it and read the URL Every modern camera app shows the address before opening it. Read that line rather than tapping through.
- Look at the domain Your own domain means a static code. A short unfamiliar domain means a redirect, and the redirect belongs to somebody else.
- Decide before the next print run Reprinting a static code costs a new file. Reviving a lapsed dynamic code costs whatever the provider now charges, and sometimes it is not for sale at all.
Why a working code stops working
- The destination moved A page got renamed, a site got rebuilt, or a campaign URL got deleted. Fix it with a redirect on your own domain, which is a five-minute job and outlives everything.
- The domain lapsed Every code pointing at it dies at once, and squatters buy expired domains that carry printed traffic.
- The generator's free tier ended Some services generate a dynamic code by default, then hold the redirect hostage after a trial period. The printed flyer becomes a bill.
- The print is unreadable Too small, too little contrast, a logo covering the middle, or a fold across the corner. Error correction helps with damage. It does not rescue a code printed at 8 mm on a curved bottle.
Making a code that outlasts everything
Point the code at a URL on a domain you control, and keep that domain renewed. Then, when the destination changes, update a redirect on your own server and every printed code keeps working. You get the editability of a dynamic code without renting it.
For content that never moves, encode it directly. A Wi-Fi record, a phone number, a contact card, or a block of plain text lives inside the symbol itself and needs no network at all. Our Wi-Fi QR code guide covers that case.
The Vaultaire generator only makes static codes. The browser builds the symbol, decodes the finished PNG and SVG again with a separate reader, and unlocks the download after the decoded payload matches what you reviewed. Nothing about the code touches our servers, so we could not expire it even if we wanted to.
QR expiry FAQ
Do QR codes expire?
The symbol does not. A QR code is a printed pattern that encodes text, and nothing in it carries a date. What expires is whatever the text points at: a link, a domain, a hosting account, or a dynamic generator's redirect service.
How long do QR codes last?
A static code lasts as long as the ink and the destination. Codes printed decades ago still decode correctly today. A dynamic code lasts as long as the provider keeps its redirect alive and you keep paying.
Why did my QR code stop working?
Four usual causes: the destination page moved or went offline, the domain lapsed, a dynamic provider's free tier ended, or the printed symbol is too small, too low contrast, or too damaged for a camera to read.
Can a QR code be deactivated remotely?
Only a dynamic one. The provider controls the redirect and can switch it off. A static code holds your content directly, so nobody can reach into a printed sheet of paper and change it.
How do I tell static from dynamic?
Scan it and read the URL before opening it. A static code shows your real destination. A dynamic code shows a short third-party domain that redirects.
Is a free generator that never expires real?
Yes, when the generator encodes your content directly and adds no redirect. Vaultaire creates static codes in your browser and keeps no record of them, so there is nothing to expire and no account to keep alive.