GitHub QR Code
Free GitHub QR Code Generator
Encode a profile, repo, release, or Pages URL into a QR for conference badges, README images, and laptop stickers — free, no watermark, never expires.
Quick answer
A GitHub QR code encodes a github.com URL so someone can scan it and land on your profile, a repo, a release, or a Pages site without typing your handle. Paste the link, style it, and download a PNG, SVG, or PDF. Free, no watermark, never expires. If you are instead looking for an open-source library to generate QR codes in your own code, this page names the good ones rather than pretending otherwise.
Your QR code will appear here
About GitHub QR Codes
Searches for "GitHub QR code generator" split into two groups that want opposite things, and most pages serve only one.
The first group wants a QR code that opens something on GitHub: a profile on a conference badge, a repo on a sticker, a release on a slide. That is what the generator above does, and the rest of this page covers doing it well.
The second group is looking for a QR code generator library hosted on GitHub, to call from their own application. We are not going to pretend a hosted generator is what you want in that case. The section below names the libraries actually worth using, by language, and explains the narrow case where a hosted API beats a local library.
Two different searches, two different answers
Work out which one you are before reading further, because the answers do not overlap.
| What you want | What you need | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A QR that opens a GitHub page | A code encoding a github.com URL | The generator on this page |
| A library to generate QR codes in your code | An open-source encoder for your language | See the library table below |
| A hosted API that mints codes programmatically | An endpoint that returns codes and tracks scans | Our REST API on the Max plan |
| The 2FA setup QR for your GitHub account | A code GitHub generates for you | GitHub Settings → Password and authentication |
If you want a library, use one of these
For generating codes inside your own application, a local library is the right tool. It has no network dependency, no rate limit, and no per-code cost. These are the well-maintained options by ecosystem, all implementing the same ISO/IEC 18004 specification, so output is interchangeable.
| Language | Library | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reference / multi-language | nayuki/QR-Code-generator | The clearest reference implementation, ported across many languages |
| JavaScript / Node | soldair/node-qrcode | The common default; what this site uses for measurement work |
| PHP | endroid/qr-code | Widely used in Laravel and Symfony projects |
| Java / Android | ZXing ("Zebra Crossing") | The long-standing encoder and decoder for the JVM |
| Python | qrcode | Straightforward, with Pillow-based image output |
- A local library is the correct answer for static codes. Nothing hosted improves on it, and nothing can expire.
- A hosted API only earns its place when you need the destination to be editable after the code ships, or you need scan analytics. Those need a server by definition.
- Whichever you use, the encoded output is standardised. A code from a library and a code from a generator decode identically.
Which GitHub URL to encode
GitHub URLs are stable and predictable, so the only real decision is how specific to be. More specific is almost always better, because it removes a navigation step for the person scanning.
| Destination | URL pattern | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | github.com/username | Conference badges, resumes, business cards |
| Repository | github.com/user/repo | Stickers, project posters, demo tables |
| Specific release | github.com/user/repo/releases/tag/v1.2.0 | Printed docs and hardware inserts, where the version matters |
| GitHub Pages site | username.github.io/project | Anything aimed at non-developers |
| Issue or discussion | github.com/user/repo/issues/42 | Hackathon judging, workshop handouts |
| Sponsors page | github.com/sponsors/username | Talk slides and project READMEs |
- Avoid encoding a branch URL on anything printed. Branches get renamed and rebased; tags and releases do not.
- For a physical item you cannot reprint, such as a conference badge or hardware insert, use a dynamic code so the destination can move when the repo does.
Putting a QR in a README
A QR code in a README is mostly for people reading on a laptop who want the thing on their phone: a mobile demo, a TestFlight build, a Pages site, a sponsors link.
Commit the image to the repository rather than hotlinking a generator's URL. A hotlinked code depends on someone else's service staying up and stable, and if it disappears your README shows a broken image. A committed PNG or SVG is part of your source tree and lasts as long as the repo.
Size it for a screen rather than for print. Around 200 to 300 pixels is comfortable in a README; larger just pushes content down. And put the destination URL in text beside it, because a QR is useless to anyone already reading on the device they would scan with.
- Commit the image; do not hotlink a third-party generator URL into a README.
- SVG renders sharply on high-density displays and stays small in the repo.
- Always pair the code with the plain-text URL beneath it.
- Dark-mode readers are common on GitHub. A code with a transparent background can vanish; give it a solid light plate.
Walkthrough
How to Create a GitHub QR Code
Copy the GitHub URL, including `https://`
Profile, repo, release tag, Pages site, issue, or sponsors page. Prefer the most specific destination that will still be valid a year from now.
Decide static or dynamic
Static is free and permanent, which suits a profile or a stable repo. Choose dynamic for conference badges, hardware inserts, or anything printed where the repo might move or be renamed.
Keep the styling plain
Black on white is the most reliable and the most idiomatic for developer material. If you add a logo, keep it under 25% of the width — the logo guide has the measured limits.
Export for the medium
PNG for a README or a slide. SVG or PDF for laser-cut stickers, badges, and print, so the code stays crisp at any size.
Scan it before you ship it
Test on a phone at the size and distance people will actually use, especially for badges and stickers, which get scanned at arm's length in poor conference lighting.
Where it works
GitHub QR Code Use Cases
Conference badges linking to a profile so recruiters and collaborators can follow without writing down a handle
Laptop and hardware stickers pointing at a project repo, which starts more conversations than a business card
README images linking to a mobile demo, a Pages site, or a TestFlight build for readers on a laptop
Talk slides with a QR to the demo repo or the release notes, so an audience can grab it before the next speaker
Hackathon and workshop handouts pointing at a starter repo or a specific issue
Printed hardware documentation with a QR to a firmware release tag, where the version has to match the box
Sponsors QR on a project poster or in a talk outro, pointing at the GitHub Sponsors page
Job-fair resumes with a profile QR, which is faster than a recruiter typing a username into a phone
What works in practice
GitHub QR Code Best Practices
Point at a specific resource, not just a profile, whenever context makes it obvious what someone wants.
Prefer release tags over branches on anything printed, since branches get renamed and deleted.
Commit README QR images into the repo rather than hotlinking an external generator.
Give the code a solid light background so it survives GitHub dark mode.
Keep developer-facing codes plain. Heavy styling costs reliability and buys nothing with this audience.
If the destination might move, use a dynamic code — repositories get transferred and renamed more often than people expect.
Pair every printed code with the URL in readable text, so someone can type it if scanning fails.
GitHub QR Code FAQ
Common questions about generating, printing, and deploying these codes.
How do I make a QR code for my GitHub profile?
Paste https://github.com/yourname into the generator above, keep the styling plain, and download a PNG for screens or SVG for print. Free, no watermark, and a static code never expires.
What is the best open-source QR code generator library?
nayuki/QR-Code-generator is the clearest reference implementation and has ports across many languages. For Node use soldair/node-qrcode, for PHP endroid/qr-code, for the JVM ZXing, and for Python the qrcode package.
Should I use a library or a hosted QR API?
Use a library for static codes. It has no network dependency, no rate limit, and nothing to expire. A hosted API only earns its place when you need editable destinations or scan analytics, which require a server.
Can I put a QR code in my README?
Yes. Commit the image into the repository rather than hotlinking a generator URL, size it around 200 to 300 pixels, give it a solid light background so it survives dark mode, and put the plain URL beneath it.
Where is the QR code for GitHub two-factor authentication?
GitHub generates it inside your account, under Settings then Password and authentication. It is not something a generator can produce, since it encodes a secret tied to your account.
Should the QR point at a branch or a release?
A release tag, for anything printed. Branches get renamed, rebased, and deleted, which silently breaks a code you can no longer change. A tag URL stays valid.
Do QR codes for GitHub expire?
Static codes never expire, because the URL is encoded into the pattern itself and needs no server. What can break is the destination: a renamed or transferred repo. Use a dynamic code if that is a risk.
Is there an offline GitHub QR code generator?
Any of the libraries above run entirely offline, since encoding a URL into a QR pattern needs no network. Only dynamic codes and analytics require a hosted service.
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