YouTube QR code for videos, playlists and channels
Paste a video, playlist or channel link. The scan plays it on the phone, in the YouTube app when installed.
A YouTube QR code opens a video, a playlist or a channel. Copy the address from the Share button or the browser bar, short youtu.be links included, and paste it below. Phones with the YouTube app play it there. Use it where people need to see something done: a setup guide, a recipe or a lesson.
Scan the jar, watch the recipe
A code on the label plays your video, in the YouTube app when it is installed.
Templates for this code
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Watch banner
Brick red with Watch on YouTube, for posters and course handouts.
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Manual video
A boxed code that opens a how-to video, for manuals and product inserts.
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Channel card
Navy rounded modules for creators' business cards and merch.
How to make a YouTube QR code
Pick the link that fits the moment
One video for a manual or a recipe, a playlist for a course, the channel for a poster that should bring subscribers.
Start at the right second if you need to
Share, Start at, and copy: the link then skips the intro and opens on the step that matters.
Write what people will watch
A caption such as Watch the setup video tells people the scan is worth their time.
Test with sound off
Many people watch in public without sound. Check that the first seconds make sense with captions alone.
Fixed or editable for YouTube?
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Fixed QR code (static)
A channel address is stable, so a fixed code suits channel and playlist codes. It is free and keeps working while the video or channel is online.
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Editable QR code (dynamic)
Videos get replaced by better takes, and old ones get made private. An editable code on a manual or a package lets you point the same print at the new video. From $9 a month or a pass from $12, after a 14-day trial.
Where a video code helps
Manuals and setup guides
A code on page one that opens the setup video saves a support call and a bad review.
Classes and worksheets
Teachers print one code per topic, so students reach the right lesson from paper.
Recipes and food packaging
A jar or a box opens the recipe video, shot in the kitchen where the product was made.
Talks and conference slides
The last slide links the recording, so people can watch again or share it with their team.
Print tips for YouTube codes
Short links, smaller codes
A youtu.be address is shorter than the full one and makes a less dense code that prints smaller.
Dark squares, light ground
Keep the red for the frame or the caption. The code itself reads best dark on light.
Inside a box or a manual
Read in the hand, 2.5 cm is enough. On a slide shown from the back of a room, make the code fill a fifth of the screen height.
Questions and answers
Before you print
- Is it free?
- Fixed codes are free: make as many as you like, download a PNG with no sign-up, and get every other format and print files with a free account. Editable codes come with a plan, a pass, Keep-alive or the 14-day trial.
- Can I change the link after printing?
- Yes, with an editable code. It holds a short link you control, so you can point the printed code somewhere new any time, and the next scan opens the new page. A fixed code keeps the link it was made with.
- Can I use my own domain?
- Yes. A custom domain is included on passes, from Starter, and during the trial. Starter covers one subdomain, for example go.yourbrand.com, and apex domains start on Pro.
- What happens if I stop paying?
- Editable codes work to the end of your paid period, and after a failed payment every code keeps working for 14 days. Turn codes back on within 12 months. Fixed codes keep working as long as their links do.
Can a QR code open a YouTube video at a certain time?
Yes. Use Share, tick Start at, set the time and copy the link. The code opens the video at that second.
Will the video open in the YouTube app?
On most phones a youtube.com or youtu.be link opens the app when it is installed and the browser otherwise.
What if I upload a better version of the video?
A fixed code keeps opening the old one. With an editable code, change the destination to the new video and every printed copy follows.
Can I link a playlist instead of one video?
Yes, paste the playlist link. It suits courses and series, where people should keep watching in order.
Does the code work for unlisted videos?
Yes. Anyone with the link can watch an unlisted video, so the code works without the video showing up in search.
Is a YouTube QR code free?
Yes. A fixed code to your video or channel downloads in SVG, PNG, JPG, WebP, PDF and EPS without an account or a watermark, and it costs nothing to keep.
Let a video do the explaining
Paste a video, playlist or channel link and download a code for your print.