QR code for a PDF: menus, brochures, manuals

Where to host the PDF

Google Drive: upload, right-click, Share, set General access to "Anyone with the link", copy the link. Dropbox: Share, create link; the link opens a preview, which is fine on phones. OneDrive: Share, "Anyone with the link can view". Adobe Acrobat: with the file in Adobe cloud storage, Share, then "Get link" with anyone-can-view; Acrobat can also draw a QR code for that link itself, though a plain one you can't edit later. Your own website: upload the file and use its direct URL, which is the cleanest option and the only one with no third-party page around it.

Test the link in a private browser window before making the code. If it asks you to sign in, the sharing setting isn't public yet.

Make the PDF readable on a phone

A letter-size brochure PDF with three columns is unreadable on a phone without pinching. If the PDF exists mainly to be scanned, export a phone version: one column, 14-point type or larger, portrait, under 2 MB so it opens on mobile data in a couple of seconds. Menus and price lists should be a single narrow column; manuals can keep pages but need bigger type.

Name the file something human, like spring-menu.pdf, because the file name is what people see in the browser tab and the download list.

• Menus: a single-column phone export, updated in place when prices change.
• Manuals and spec sheets: the code on the product or the box, with a version number in the file.
• Brochures and price lists: a phone-width version behind the code; the print version stays print.
• Event programs and maps: one PDF, updated the morning of the event.

Updating the PDF without reprinting

Two ways. In Drive or Dropbox, "Manage versions" or replacing the file keeps the same link, so even a static code keeps working. Or use a dynamic code, which lets you point the printed code at any new link, even on a different host, and see how many people opened it. Do both if the document matters. The blog post PDF QR code size, testing and hosting covers how big to print it and where to host the file so the link survives.

Why make it dynamic

PDFs are the documents that get revised: the menu with new prices, the manual with the corrected step, the price list, the brochure with this season's dates. A static code to today's file is wrong the day the file changes. A dynamic code points to a short link you control, so version 2 of the PDF replaces version 1 behind the same printed code, and the scan count tells you whether anyone reads the brochure at all.

Dynamic codes are part of Premium, $4 a month. Static vs dynamic, explained.

Step by step

1. 1

   Upload and share the PDF

   Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or your site; anyone with the link must be able to open it.

2. 2

   Paste the link above

   The PDF type is selected; the preview shows the code as soon as the link is in.

3. 3

   Caption and download

   "Scan for the menu", "Scan for the manual": the frame carries it. SVG for print.

4. 4

   Keep it replaceable

   Replace the file in place to keep the link, or save a dynamic code so the printed code can point anywhere later.

Questions people ask

Can a QR code contain a PDF file?

No. A QR code holds about 3 KB of text at most; a PDF is far larger. The code holds a link to the PDF, hosted where anyone with the link can open it.

How do I make a QR code for a PDF for free?

Host the PDF (Google Drive with Anyone with the link, Dropbox, OneDrive, or your website), copy the link, paste it into the generator here and download the code. Free, with a small mark in the corner.

The code opens a sign-in page instead of my PDF. Why?

The file isn't shared publicly. In Drive, set General access to Anyone with the link; in OneDrive, Anyone with the link can view. Test in a private browser window.

Can I change the PDF after printing the code?

Yes. Replace the file in place on Drive or Dropbox so the link stays the same, or use a dynamic code and repoint it to the new file.

Will the PDF open on iPhone and Android?

Yes, in the browser's built-in viewer. Keep the file under a few MB and use large type so it reads without zooming.

Can Adobe Acrobat make the QR code for my PDF?

If the PDF lives in Adobe's cloud storage, Acrobat's Share panel gives you a view link and can draw a QR code for it. It is a static code of Adobe's link, so it can't be edited or counted, and it carries Adobe's viewer page around the file. Paste that same link here when you want your caption and colors, an SVG for print, or a code you can point at the next version.

How do I scan a QR code that is inside a PDF?

If the PDF is on a computer screen, point your phone camera at the screen; it reads from a monitor as well as from paper. If the PDF is on the phone itself, take a screenshot and open it in Google Lens (Android, or the Google app on iPhone) or in the Photos app on iPhone, which shows the link when it detects a code. Zoom the page so the code is at least an inch across before you shoot.

Can you host the PDF for me?

Not yet; today the code links to a file you host. It is on our list; until then Drive or your own site is the simplest home for it.