Why pair a short URL with a QR
Long landing URLs are hard to fit on a business card and produce dense QR modules that fail under poor lighting. urlu lets you create an /s/{code} link first, then feed that short URL into the QR generator on the same screen.
Short links record clicks. A scan redirects and increments the counter, so different slugs (spring-flyer vs booth-a) give a rough comparison of which printed piece drove traffic.
Pick a slug per campaign
In the URL Shorten tab, enter the destination URL and an optional slug such as spring-flyer or bizcard-2026. If the slug already exists, the existing link is reused.
For seasonal or event-bound campaigns, set expiresIn (seconds). After expiry, scans show a not-found page instead of an outdated offer.
Generate and export the QR
After shortening, use the built-in QR preview and download PNG or SVG. The QR encodes shortUrl, not the original long URL—shorter data, cleaner pattern.
For print, try size 512 and ecc H for extra robustness. Small surfaces (back of a card) benefit from ecc Q or H.
On the printed piece
Print the short slug text next to the QR so people can type it if the camera fails.
Leave clear whitespace around the code. urlu tools are free for commercial print use.