Make a free YouTube QR code for your channel or video
This YouTube QR code generator links print to play. Enter your handle or paste a video link, and anyone who scans the code lands on YouTube with your content in front of them. Use it on product packaging, instruction sheets, gig posters, business cards, and trade show screens.
The code is static, free, and never expires. Enter your @handle to open the channel, or paste a specific video so the scan starts people on the exact upload the print is about. To change where it points after printing, or to see how many people scanned it, save it as a dynamic code in a free QRplify account.
What a YouTube QR code does
- Opens your channel: enter your @handle and the code opens your channel page, subscribe button included.
- Links single videos: watch links, youtu.be links, Shorts, and live streams are kept whole, start time included.
- Accepts older URL styles: channel/, c/, and user/ links work as well as handles.
- Cleans channel links: anything after a question mark in a pasted channel link is dropped. To keep that part, paste the full link into the URL QR code generator instead.
- Stays fixed: the printed code always opens the same destination.
Get your channel or video link from YouTube
For your channel, in the YouTube app:
- Go to your channel.
- Tap More, then Share.
- Tap Copy link, then paste it into the generator above.
On a computer, open your channel page and copy the address from the browser’s address bar. YouTube lists every address your channel has at youtube.com/handle.
For one video:
- Open the video. To start it at a set moment from the app, go to that moment first.
- Select Share under the player.
- For a start time, tick Start at and enter the time on a computer, or turn on the time toggle in the app.
- Select Copy, or Copy link in the app, then paste it above.
YouTube’s steps: Share videos and channels.
YouTube’s own QR code, or this one?
The YouTube app also makes a QR code for a channel (the FAQ below says where), and you can save it to your device. Use it if a plain channel code is all you need. Use this generator when the code goes on packaging, print, or a screen:
| YouTube’s QR code | This generator | |
|---|---|---|
| What it opens | A channel | A channel, or one video, Short, or live stream |
| Where you make it | The YouTube app on a phone or tablet | This page, with no account |
| Files | A code you save to your device | PNG, JPG, and SVG, or PDF for a printable design |
This generator also adds your colors and logo, a frame line such as “Scan to subscribe”, and printable poster and business card designs. A free QRplify account adds a dynamic version you can change after printing, with scan counts.
YouTube’s rules that matter for a printed code
- Use a public or unlisted video. A private video can be seen only by you and the people you choose, so anyone else who scans can’t watch it. An unlisted video plays for anyone with the link, with no Google Account needed, and they can share it on.
- A new handle means a new link. After a handle change, YouTube keeps your old and new handle URLs working for 14 days. Then another channel can take the old handle, so a code printed with it may stop opening yours. YouTube also says it can change, reclaim, or remove a handle at any time. If that matters for a long print run, use your channel ID link (youtube.com/channel/ followed by your ID), which is based on your channel’s unique ID.
- Handles beyond A to Z. If your handle uses anything other than the letters A to Z, the numbers 0 to 9, and the separators
_,-, and., YouTube warns that some apps and websites outside YouTube may not open the handle link. The channel ID link avoids this. - Asking for subscribers is fine; swaps are not. YouTube allows you to encourage viewers to subscribe, like, share, or comment. It bans offers to subscribe to someone only if they subscribe back (“sub4sub”), and anything that artificially inflates views, likes, comments, or other numbers.
- Contests have their own rules. Any contest run on YouTube or using it must be free to enter, have official rules that say YouTube is not a sponsor, and must not manipulate views, likes, or subscribers.
- Show your handle the way YouTube asks. YouTube’s brand page asks you to promote your channel with the YouTube icon followed by your @handle, the handle on a single line, and a plain call to action such as “Find us on YouTube.” It also asks you not to use the full YouTube logo for this, and not to recolor, outline, or add shadows to the icon.
YouTube’s own pages: video privacy settings, changing your handle, YouTube handles, fake engagement policy, contest policies, and promoting your channel.
Best uses for a YouTube QR code
- Product packaging: put the setup or how-to video on the box.
- Instruction sheets: a 2 minute video beats a page of diagrams.
- Posters and merch: musicians and creators route fans to the channel.
- Business cards and pitches: your best explainer, one scan away.
How to create it
- Enter your handle or link: type @yourchannel in the field above, or paste a channel or video URL.
- Check the preview: scan it with your phone and confirm the right page opens.
- Style it: set colors, put the YouTube logo or your own in the center, and pick a frame. The label reads “Scan to subscribe” by default; for a video, write your own, such as “Watch the video”.
- Download: PNG (4096 px, or 3000 px on iPhone and iPad) or SVG for print, JPG for screens. With a printable design on, you get a PDF in place of the SVG.
Scan test before printing. A static code cannot be edited after the fact, so send it to the right video the first time.
Tips for reliable scans
- Match the video to the print: packaging about one product should open that product’s own video.
- Keep contrast high: a dark code on a light background scans best.
- Keep the quiet zone: leave clear space around the code.
- Go easy on logos: keep a center logo modest and test on older phones.
FAQs
Should I link my channel or one video?
Match the print. A box or manual should open the video about that product. Merch, cards, and general promo should open the channel so people can subscribe.
Do Shorts and youtu.be links work?
Yes. Video links are kept whole, including Shorts, youtu.be links, live streams, and links with a start time.
Where do I find my YouTube QR code?
In the YouTube app: open your channel, tap More, then Share, then QR Code. YouTube’s help describes this code for channels. For a single video, copy its link with Share and paste it into the generator above.
Can I make a QR code for a YouTube playlist?
Yes. Copy the playlist’s link and paste it into the video QR code generator, which keeps the whole link. Keep the playlist public or unlisted: a private playlist opens only for you and the people you share it with. This YouTube generator handles channels and single videos only.
Can a QR code get people to subscribe?
It takes them to the button. Your channel page has a Subscribe button, and so does every video, under the player. A frame label like “Scan to subscribe” tells people what to do. Use a channel code where a subscribe is the action you want: a booth, a stage screen, the back of a business card. YouTube allows you to ask for subscribers, but not “sub4sub” swaps.
Why is my YouTube QR code not working?
Scan it and see which page opens. A private video plays only for you and the people you chose, so set it to public or unlisted. If you changed your handle more than 14 days ago, the old handle link may no longer open your channel: make a new code with your current link or your channel ID link. If the camera does not react at all, check the contrast, the quiet zone, and the logo size.
My video is on Vimeo, not YouTube.
Use the video QR code generator. It takes any public video link, whatever the host.
Can I swap the video after printing?
Not on a static code. Make it a dynamic QR code with a free QRplify account to change the destination behind the same printed code and see scan counts.
Publish your YouTube QR code
Enter your handle or video link above, scan test on 2 phones, then download PNG or SVG for print, or JPG for screens.