Static vs dynamic QR codes: which should you use?
The short version: a static QR bakes the destination into the pixels forever. A dynamic QR points at a short link you control, so you can change where it goes without reprinting.
Watch it explained
Static QR codes
The URL, WiFi credentials, or vCard sit inside the QR itself. Scanners decode it directly. Nothing on the internet needs to be alive for it to work, but you also cannot change it later. If the destination link breaks, every printed sticker breaks with it.
Good for: WiFi codes at home, one-off event vCards, anything you will never need to update.
Dynamic QR codes
The QR encodes a short link (like /q/abc123) that redirects to the real destination. Because the redirect lives on a server you control, you can update the target any time and every scanner instantly follows the new URL.
Good for: menus, product packaging, marketing campaigns, business cards, anywhere the destination might change and reprinting is expensive.
Because the change is one sentence, you can even ask for it: with the QRFLOW connector, Claude or ChatGPT can change a printed code from the chat.
Why the broken-link problem matters
The most common reason to regret a QR code is a dead link. Rebrand your site, move a landing page, retire a promo, and every static QR out in the world points at a 404. A dynamic QR fixes that in one edit, no reprint.
Which should you pick?
If the destination could ever change, use dynamic. On QRFLOW.codes that is Premium, $4 a month including scan tracking. A reprint of one poster run costs more than a year of that, so there is no reason to accept a broken link risk.