What a location QR code is for
Reading out an address or asking someone to type it into their phone is the easiest way for them to get lost. A location QR code opens the map at the exact spot in one go. It's ideal for:
- Wedding and event invitations at rural venues or places without a street number.
- Businesses with a hard-to-find entrance or inside a shopping centre.
- Estate agents: the "for sale" board or the brochure for a new development.
- Large venues: the car park, gate B or the meeting point.
- Holiday lets: the welcome guide with the beach or the nearest supermarket.
Two ways to do it with QR Boost
1. The "Location" type
You enter the place name and its coordinates (or tap "Use my location" if you're there). When scanned, a lightweight QR Boost page opens showing the name and coordinates with an "Open in maps" button, which opens Apple Maps on iPhone and the phone's maps app on Android. There are also buttons for Google Maps and OpenStreetMap.
When to use it: when you want each person to use their favourite maps app, and the spot doesn't have its own listing (a country house, a gate, a meeting point).
2. The "Link" type with a Google Maps link
You paste a Google Maps link as the destination: your business listing or directions, in the form google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination= followed by the coordinates or address. The QR code goes straight to Google Maps, with no page in between.
When to use it: when your business has a Google listing (with opening hours, photos and reviews), when you want to open the route directly, or when you need smart destinations, which are only available for the Link type.
| Location type | Link type + Google Maps | |
|---|---|---|
| App that opens | The phone's maps app, Google Maps or OpenStreetMap | Google Maps |
| Page in between | Yes, lightweight, with the place name | No |
| Listing with hours and reviews | No | Yes, if you link to your listing |
| Smart destinations | No | Yes |
Either way, you can change the place whenever you like without reprinting.
How to create it, step by step
- Open the editor and choose Location or Link.
- For Location: enter the place name and coordinates (in Google Maps, press and hold the spot to copy them). For Link: paste the link to your listing or the route.
- In Design, add a "Directions" frame and your logo.
- Create your free account and download the QR code as PNG, SVG or PDF.
- Scan it on site to check the pin is in the right place.
Ideas with smart destinations
- By country: a brand with shops in several countries sends each person to the shop in their country. More in QR codes by country.
- By day and time: outside opening hours, send people to your website with your opening times instead of the route.
Practical tips
- Place the pin precisely: mark the entrance, not the middle of the building.
- Moving premises? Update the location and you're done: old posters lead to the new place.
- Pair it with a Google reviews QR code at the counter or a wedding and event QR code.
FAQ
Which maps app opens when someone scans it?
With the Location type, the "Open in maps" button opens Apple Maps on iPhone and the maps app on Android; there are also Google Maps and OpenStreetMap buttons. With a Google Maps link, Google Maps opens.
Can I make a QR code that opens directions straight away?
Yes: create a Link QR code with a Google Maps directions link as the destination.
What if I move?
Update the location or link in My QR codes and your printed QR codes lead to the new place instantly.
How do I get a place's coordinates?
In Google Maps, press and hold the spot on the map and copy the numbers that appear. If you're there, use the "Use my location" button in the editor.