UtilityKit

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Multi-Payload QR Code Generator

Generate QR codes for any payload type — URL, text, email, SMS, phone, calendar event, or geolocation — with the correct format string built automatically.

About Multi-Payload QR Code Generator

Multi-Payload QR Code Generator handles seven different QR payload types in one tool, so you do not need to memorise the exact syntax for each. Pick the type from the tab bar — URL, plain text, email (mailto:), SMS (SMSTO:), phone call (tel:), calendar event (iCal vEvent), or geolocation (geo:) — and a tailored form appears with only the fields that payload uses. The tool builds the precise format string under the hood: a mailto with subject and body, an SMSTO with pre-filled message, a vEvent with start/end timestamps in UTC iCal format, a geo: URI with optional label query. The raw payload string is shown alongside the QR so you can see exactly what the recipient's phone will receive.

Why use Multi-Payload QR Code Generator

Stop hand-rolling format strings

the tool builds correct mailto:, smsto:, tel:, geo:, and iCal payloads with proper URL encoding and field escaping automatically.

Live preview of the

Live preview of the raw payload string lets you verify exactly what scanners will receive before printing or distributing the QR.

Calendar events use proper

Calendar events use proper UTC iCal vEvent format with DTSTART and DTEND in basic-format (YYYYMMDDTHHMMSSZ) — recognised by Apple Calendar, Google Calendar and Outlook.

All seven payload types

All seven payload types accessible from one tabbed UI — no hunting for separate tools for SMS QRs vs email QRs vs vCard QRs.

Special-character escaping (commas

Special-character escaping (commas, semicolons, backslashes, newlines) is handled per the iCal RFC 5545 spec for events, and per RFC 3986 for URLs in mailto/sms/tel.

Runs entirely in your

Runs entirely in your browser using qrcodejs; phone numbers, email addresses, calendar contents and lat/lng never upload to any service.

How to use Multi-Payload QR Code Generator

  1. Click a payload type tab: URL, Text, Email, SMS, Phone, Calendar event, or Geo location. The form below adapts to show only the fields that payload type uses.
  2. Fill in the fields. For email: 'to' address (required) plus optional subject and body. For SMS: phone plus optional message. For event: title plus start, end, optional location and description.
  3. For calendar events, tick 'All-day event' to skip the time portion — useful for birthdays and holidays.
  4. For geo locations, type a latitude and longitude (decimal degrees) and an optional label that opens in the recipient's map app.
  5. Pick QR size and error-correction level — Level M is the safe default for digital, raise to Q or H for printed signage.
  6. Click Generate, then download as PNG, copy the raw payload string for use elsewhere, or hand off the rendered QR for printing.

When to use Multi-Payload QR Code Generator

  • Adding a 'tap to call us' QR to printed marketing collateral so customers can phone your sales line without typing a number.
  • Putting a 'tap to email feedback' QR on a restaurant table or at a kiosk so users compose a feedback message with subject pre-filled.
  • Including a 'tap to RSVP via SMS' QR on event invitations where the SMS body is pre-filled with the user's response template.
  • Handing out an 'add to calendar' QR for an upcoming workshop or webinar so attendees scan once and the event lands in their calendar with start, end and location.
  • Putting a 'tap for directions' QR on a printed business card or brochure so prospective visitors get the office location in their map app.
  • Adding a 'tap to text our support line' QR on packaging so customers can SMS support without saving the number first.

Examples

Tap-to-call sales line

Input: Type: Phone | Number: +1 555 0192 | Size: 300 px

Output: tel:+15550192 encoded as a 300 × 300 PNG. Scanning offers an Apple/Android dialler prompt with the number pre-filled — user taps Call to dial.

Add-to-calendar workshop QR

Input: Type: Calendar event | Title: 'Intro to QR Codes Workshop' | Start: 2026-06-12 14:00 | End: 2026-06-12 16:00 | Location: 'Main Hall' | Size: 400 px

Output: BEGIN:VEVENT...DTSTART:20260612T130000Z...END:VEVENT block (UTC). Scanning offers Apple Calendar / Google Calendar to add the workshop on June 12 at 14:00 local time.

Tap-for-directions geo QR

Input: Type: Geo | Lat: 37.774929 | Lng: -122.419416 | Label: 'Acme HQ' | Size: 300 px

Output: geo:37.774929,-122.419416?q=Acme%20HQ encoded as a 300 × 300 PNG. Scanning opens the user's default map app with a pin labelled 'Acme HQ'.

Tips

  • Always click 'Copy payload string' and paste it into a notes app to verify the encoded format matches what you expected before printing.
  • For SMS QRs across countries, include the country code in the phone number (e.g. +44 20 1234 5678) — short numbers without country codes only work domestically.
  • Calendar event QRs scan more reliably when start and end times are reasonable (within a few years) — past or far-future dates sometimes confuse mobile calendar apps.
  • For geo: QRs, prefer 6 decimal places of precision (about 11 cm accuracy) — fewer digits produce a vaguer pin, more digits add code density without practical benefit.
  • When printing a multi-payload QR, label it with the action (e.g. 'Tap to email us') so users understand what the QR will do before scanning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will iPhone and Android both recognise these payload types?▾
Yes. URL, mailto:, SMSTO:, tel:, geo: and vEvent are all standard URI/MIME formats. iOS 11+ and Android 10+ camera apps natively offer the right action (open URL, compose email, dial number, add to calendar, open map) on scan. Older devices may need a third-party scanner app for some types.
Why is my calendar event time off by several hours after scanning?▾
Calendar events use UTC times in iCal basic format. The tool converts your local datetime-local input to UTC. The recipient's calendar then displays in their local time zone, which may differ from yours. Times always represent the same instant; the displayed clock-time will match the recipient's zone.
Can the SMS QR include a default recipient and message?▾
Yes. Fill the Phone number and the optional Message — the QR encodes SMSTO:phone:message. iOS and Android open the messages composer pre-filled with the recipient and body, and the user just taps Send.
How do I encode multiple recipients on the email payload?▾
Email payloads use a single 'to' address. For multiple recipients, you can use mailto:a@x.com,b@y.com manually in URL mode, but most camera apps' built-in email composer only honour a single primary recipient.
Does the geo: URI open Google Maps or Apple Maps?▾
On Android, geo: opens Google Maps by default. On iOS, geo: opens Apple Maps. Both apps respect the label query parameter as a search-style hint. For a forced Google Maps link on iOS, generate a URL QR with https://maps.google.com/?q=lat,lng instead.
Why does my mailto QR not open Gmail/Outlook?▾
iOS and Android open the user's default mail app, which they choose in system settings. Gmail or Outlook only opens automatically if the user has set it as their default. There is no QR-format way to force a specific app.
What is the maximum amount of data I can put in a calendar QR?▾
QR codes can hold roughly 4,000 characters at the highest version. iCal events with title, location, and a brief description fit easily; very long descriptions produce dense codes that may fail to scan at small print sizes. Keep the description under 200 chars for best print scannability.
Is my data uploaded?▾
No. The tool builds payload strings entirely in your browser, renders the QR with qrcodejs locally, and serves the PNG download from your tab. No phone numbers, email addresses, calendar contents, or locations transmit to any server.

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Glossary

mailto: URI
RFC 6068 standard URL format that triggers a mail composer on click. Supports to, cc, bcc, subject and body parameters; the tool URL-encodes subject and body so commas and newlines work.
SMSTO: URI
A QR-specific URI format (SMSTO:phone:message) recognised by iOS and Android camera apps as a 'compose SMS' instruction. More widely supported than the alternative sms:phone?body=… form.
tel: URI
RFC 3966 standard URL format that triggers the dialler. Supports international numbers in E.164 format (+countrycode...). The tool emits tel:+15551234567.
iCal vEvent
A calendar entry in the iCalendar format (RFC 5545). Includes SUMMARY, DTSTART, DTEND, LOCATION, DESCRIPTION fields. The tool emits a single VEVENT block ready for QR encoding.
geo: URI
RFC 5870 standard URL for geographic locations, formatted geo:lat,lng. Optionally accepts a q= query parameter for a human-readable pin label.
URL encoding
The process of replacing reserved characters (spaces, &, ?) in URLs with percent-escaped equivalents (%20, %26, %3F). The tool applies URL encoding to subject and body fields in mailto and SMS payloads.