ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

QR Code secrets. Dynamic vs. Static what's the difference?

Updated on March 11, 2013

Dynamic

Quite simple dynamic QR codes or sometimes called a live qrcode can be edited, not the pattern itself but the primary destination URL, the QR code pattern itself remains unchanged.

A dynamic QR Code is really a fancy hyperlink and works just like a clickable hyperlink on a page.

When you scan a dynamic qrcode the scanner deciphers the pattern and redirects your mobile device to the primary destination URL.

However before it gets there it arrives via a short or secondary URL that's usually system generated.

The qrcode pattern is actually made from this secondary URL.

This cannot be change thus leaving the primary destination URL free to be edited at any time without the pattern changing.

This makes the code versatile and means that any printed matter that might already be in circulation does not have to be reprinted; all i do is change the primary destination URL.

Source

Dynamic example

To help you understand i have included a qrcode for you to scan.

For this example i have used a blog site called ski2bfree.com as the primary URL.

Scan the code and watch closely.

The address bar of your mobile device starts by going to a short or secondary URL called http://ezevu.com/?id=14 before redirecting to the primary destination URL http://www.ski2bfree.com/

At any time i can login to my ezevu account and redirect the primary destination away from ski2bfree and change it to any URL i like.

It could be a video or a different webpage; even an audio file and I can do this without altering the qrcode.

Because the code is live it also allows me to gain some insights into its performance through the Ezevu analytics suite.

This is only possible because of the secondary or short URL. The comprehensive analytics helps in the performance management of every code in my portfolio.

This is why these codes are called Dynamic! You can edit the destination and track each and every codes performance.

Source

Static

With a static QR code it will always go to its primary destination.

There is no secondary or short URL involved and so the destination cannot be changed.

You cannot track a static qr code either.

This is because the pattern has been modelled on this primary URL.

If you wanted to change the destination you would have to generate and entirely new qr code.

This would mean reprinting any print material in circulation.

Static qrcodes can also be made from a pure text.

In many cases these will business card contact details often referred to as a vCard.

They can also contain simple information like a phone number or just general text.

There is no URL involved at all in a text based code.

The qr pattern is actually made from the text itself, you could say it's embedded into the pattern.

Remember these cannot be edited and cannot be tracked.

It's normally very easy to distinguish a static text based code from one that is dynamic.

A text based static code will contain more pattern than a dynamic qrcode.

The more text used the greater and busier the matrix density will be.

Static qrcodes are more commonly associated with the free type you get online.

Dynamic codes are usually paid for using a subscription but also give you access to static qrcodes as part of your account.

I personally do not trust the free qr sites because i have no control and for the small amount i pay for an unlimited subscription annually from Ezevu it's worth it.

If you take a look at the pattern of the static text based qr code you can clearly see the density difference between it and the dynamic code above.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)