Dynamic Links

Create QR codes with editable destination URLs. Change where your QR codes point without reprinting.

Overview

Dynamic links create a short URL that redirects to your target URL. You can update the target URL anytime through the API or dashboard—the QR code stays the same.

Flow:

1. Create a dynamic link → Get short code (e.g., abc123)
2. Generate QR code for https://www.qrcodeapi.io/r/abc123
3. When scanned, redirects to your target URL
4. Update target URL anytime—QR code stays valid

Endpoints

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/links	List all links
GET	/api/links?id={id}	Get single link
POST	/api/links	Create new link
PUT	/api/links?id={id}	Update link
DELETE	/api/links?id={id}	Delete link

Create Link

POST /api/links

Request Body

{
  "name": "Winter Campaign",
  "targetUrl": "https://example.com/winter-sale"
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
name	string	✅	Friendly name for the link
targetUrl	string	✅	Destination URL

Response

{
  "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "name": "Winter Campaign",
  "shortCode": "abc123",
  "targetUrl": "https://example.com/winter-sale",
  "scanCount": 0,
  "createdAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "updatedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

Example

curl -X POST "https://www.qrcodeapi.io/api/links" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Winter Campaign",
    "targetUrl": "https://example.com/winter-sale"
  }'

List Links

GET /api/links

Response

{
  "links": [
    {
      "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
      "name": "Winter Campaign",
      "shortCode": "abc123",
      "targetUrl": "https://example.com/winter-sale",
      "scanCount": 1247,
      "createdAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "updatedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
    },
    {
      "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440001",
      "name": "Product Page",
      "shortCode": "xyz789",
      "targetUrl": "https://example.com/product",
      "scanCount": 523,
      "createdAt": "2024-01-10T08:00:00Z",
      "updatedAt": "2024-01-12T14:20:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

Example

curl "https://www.qrcodeapi.io/api/links" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Get Single Link

GET /api/links?id={linkId}

Example

curl "https://www.qrcodeapi.io/api/links?id=550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Update Link

PUT /api/links?id={linkId}

Request Body

{
  "name": "Spring Campaign",
  "targetUrl": "https://example.com/spring-sale"
}

Both fields are optional—only include what you want to update.

Example

curl -X PUT "https://www.qrcodeapi.io/api/links?id=550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "targetUrl": "https://example.com/spring-sale"
  }'

Delete Link

DELETE /api/links?id={linkId}

Warning

Deleting a link will make all QR codes pointing to it non-functional. This action cannot be undone.

Example

curl -X DELETE "https://www.qrcodeapi.io/api/links?id=550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Complete Workflow

1. Create the Dynamic Link

LINK=$(curl -s -X POST "https://www.qrcodeapi.io/api/links" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "Menu", "targetUrl": "https://restaurant.com/menu"}')

SHORT_CODE=$(echo $LINK | jq -r '.shortCode')
echo "Short code: $SHORT_CODE"

2. Generate the QR Code

curl "https://www.qrcodeapi.io/api/generate" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -G \
  --data-urlencode "data=https://www.qrcodeapi.io/r/${SHORT_CODE}" \
  --data "size=500" \
  -o menu-qr.png

3. Update the Destination (Later)

curl -X PUT "https://www.qrcodeapi.io/api/links?id=${LINK_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"targetUrl": "https://restaurant.com/summer-menu"}'

The same QR code now points to the summer menu!

Use Cases

Use Case	Benefit
Restaurant Menus	Update menu without reprinting table cards
Product Packaging	Change product pages after shipping
Marketing Campaigns	A/B test landing pages
Event Materials	Update schedule links dynamically
Business Cards	Update your portfolio link anytime

Limits by Plan

Plan	Dynamic Links
Free	5
Starter	50
Pro	500
Enterprise	Unlimited

Related

• Analytics - Track scans
• Generate QR Code - Create QR codes
• Dynamic QR Codes Guide - Best practices