GS1's guidance is unambiguous: build product codes on a domain you own. Shoppers trust a web address with your name in it, and the domain is an asset that survives the business changing hands, so the codes keep working.
Why it matters more here than anywhere else
- A shopper sees the address before the page loads. Your name there is the difference between a scan and a shrug.
- A printed code cannot be changed. Whatever address is on the pack is the address forever.
- If the brand is ever sold, the domain goes with it and the codes keep resolving.
Heads up. Connect your domain before your first print run. Changing it afterward means reprinting.
Setting it up
- 1Pick a subdomain
We suggest id, so your codes read id.yourbrand.com. It is what GS1 uses for its own resolver. A subdomain keeps product identity separate from your website, so a site rebuild cannot break your packaging, and this one has its own allowance: it does not use the link domain you print on signs.
- 2Add it in QRFLOW
Account, then your link domains. Type the subdomain and we show you the record to add.
- 3Add one CNAME record
At whoever runs your DNS: GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Squarespace, wherever the domain lives. Copy the value we show you.
- 4Wait a minute
We check every twenty seconds and issue the certificate automatically. Most providers show the change within a few minutes.
There is nobody to email and no ticket to raise. If it is taking more than an hour, the record is usually on the wrong name or the wrong domain.
How many you can have
One on Premium, up to five on Business, which is one per brand if you run several. It has its own allowance: a packaging address does not use up the link domain you print on signs and menus, because a pack cannot be reprinted when a campaign ends.
Ready to make your own QR code?
Free QR codes rendered as you type, no signup to try. Premium makes them dynamic for $4 a month.
Still stuck? Search the help center, or contact support and a person will answer.