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New Dynamic QR Code
New Static QR Code
Google Drive leads the file-sharing software market, with a 31.19% share, followed by Dropbox.
While real-time collaboration and easy file sharing with access control led to its adoption, shareability, and access can be further improved using QR Codes.
In this article, we’ll walk you through creating a Google Drive QR Code with your Drive links.
What is a Google Drive QR Code?
A Google Drive QR code is a scannable code that links directly to a file or folder stored in Google Drive. When someone scans the QR code with their phone or tablet, they are instantly taken to the document, image, video, or any other file without needing to type a long URL.
It is useful for quickly sharing files, folders, or documents stored in Google Drive. With this, you can:
- Instantly share PDFs, presentations, or spreadsheets without needing to type a long link.
- Add a QR code to business cards for instant access to portfolios, company profiles, or service catalogs.
- Share lecture notes, assignments, or e-books with students (for educators).
- Bridge the gap between physical and digital content, such as linking a printed newsletter to a dynamic online version.
How to create a QR Code for your Google Drive link
Follow these step-by-step instructions to create a QR Code for your Google Drive link.
Step 1: Upload your file to Google Drive
- Open Google Drive.
- Click “+ New” → “File upload” or “Folder upload” to add your file.
You can also right-click on the folder and select the option to upload files.
Step 2: Get a shareable link
There are 2 ways to get the shareable link for your Google Drive.
1. Right-click on the uploaded file or folder. Select “Share.” Select the “Copy link” option.
2. Click your folder name below the search bar. You’ll find a similar dialogue to get your shareable link. You can “Copy link” from here as well.
Note that Google Drive access is restricted by default, and only people with access can open your drive with the link.
Before creating a QR Code for your Google Drive, update the access to “Anyone with the link can View / Comment / Edit” based on your needs.
Click on the “Copy link” option after you have updated your drive or folder access.
Step 3: Generate a QR Code
1. Go to The QR Code Generator.
2. Paste your Google Drive link in the input field using the URL QR type (selected by default).
3. The website instantly generates your Google Drive QR Code. You can see that on the right.
4. Save, Download, or Customize your QR. To customize your QR Code, click on the “Color palette” symbol to the right. Or you can sign-up for free to add a logo to your QR Code.
5. After customizing your QR, click “Save.”
6. You can Download your QR Code or access/edit it further from the dashboard.
Best practices: ensure your Google Drive QR Code is accessible
- Ensure the file or folder has the correct sharing settings before generating the QR code.
- Use “Anyone with the link” only if the content is meant for public access.
- Choose the right permission level (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor) based on how you want people to interact with the file.
- Test the QR code on different devices before sharing.
- Customize the QR code with colors or a logo for branding, but maintain high contrast for readability.
- Download the QR code in a high-resolution format (PNG or SVG) for clear printing. For example, if you’re printing the QR on a business card, ensure it’s at least 1 x 1 inch (2.5 x 2.5 cm) in dimensions. But if you’re printing it on a billboard, make sure it is 6+ inches (15+ cm) or more.
- Place the QR code where it’s easy to scan (not too small or in a cluttered area).
- Provide an alternative link or instructions in case users have trouble scanning.
FAQs
It depends on the file’s sharing settings. If set to “Anyone with the link,” no login is needed. Otherwise, users must sign in.
Set file permissions to “Anyone with the link” and choose the appropriate access level (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor).
No, the QR code itself doesn’t expire, but if you change or delete the file in Google Drive, the link will become invalid.
If you’ve created a QR code directly linking to the file, changing the file will change the link (URL), and hence the QR code will become invalid.
However, if you have created a QR code linking to a folder, changing the folder contents will not affect the QR code. That is, you can still update the contents of the folder without having to change the QR code.
When a Google Drive file is deleted, the QR code itself does not change because it’s just an encoded link. However, what happens when someone scans the QR code depends on whether the file is in Trash or Permanently Deleted.
If the file is in Trash, the QR code will still work, but users will see an error saying they don’t have permission or that the file has been moved to the trash.
If the file is permanently deleted, the QR code becomes useless. Scanning it will result in a “404 File Not Found” or “File does not exist” error.
Several Google Workspace tools support QR codes, either natively or through third-party integrations. Such as, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Meet, Calendar, Maps, and many more.
Yes, follow the same process by generating a shareable link for the folder.
Neither Google Drive nor QR Code generators provide password protection, but you can restrict access by requiring a Google account login to access your Drive contents.
No, Google Drive doesn’t have a built-in QR code generator, but you can integrate a QR Code Generator into your Google Drive through Google Workspace Marketplace to generate QR Codes directly from your Chrome browser.
