How to Create a QR Code in Word

Method 1 · Every version

Insert a QR Code Image Into Word

This works in Word on Windows, Mac, the web, iPhone and Android, and in Google Docs, because to Word the code is just a picture.

1. 1

   Make the code

   Paste your link into the generator above. Add a logo or colors if you like, but keep the squares dark on a light background.
2. 2

   Download it as a PNG

   A static code downloads at up to 1024 pixels with no account, which is plenty for a printed page.
3. 3

   Insert it

   In Word, click where the code should go, then choose Insert › Pictures › This Device and pick the file. On the web it is Insert › Picture › This Device.
4. 4

   Size it and test it

   Drag a corner, not a side, so it stays square. Make it at least 2 cm (0.8 inch) across, leave a white margin around it, and scan the printed page with a phone before you print a batch.

Word for Microsoft 365 also accepts SVG files, which stay sharp at any size. SVG downloads come with paid plans.

Method 3 · Mail merge

A Different QR Code on Every Page

For certificates, name badges or letters where each copy needs its own code, Word for Windows has a mail merge version of the field called MergeBarcode.

1. 1

   Prepare the spreadsheet

   One row per page, with a column of links. Name that column something simple, like URL.
2. 2

   Start the merge

   In Word, go to Mailings › Select Recipients › Use an Existing List and choose the spreadsheet.
3. 3

   Insert the field

   Press Ctrl+F9 and type the field, using your column name:

   MERGEBARCODE URL QR \q 3

4. 4

   Merge

   Choose Finish & Merge. Each page gets the code for its own row.

Need the codes as image files instead, or codes you can edit and track? The bulk QR code generator turns a spreadsheet into one code per row, on Plus and up. For spreadsheets themselves, see QR codes in Excel and Google Sheets.

QR Codes in Word: Frequently Asked Questions

Does Word have a QR code generator?

Not as a button. Word for Windows has a hidden field called DisplayBarcode that draws a QR code from text you type into it. It works in Word for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows desktop. On a Mac, on the web or on a phone, make the code elsewhere and insert it as a picture.

Why does typing the curly braces not work?

Word fields need special braces that you insert with Ctrl+F9. Braces typed on the keyboard are just text, so Word never turns them into a barcode. Press Ctrl+F9, type the field inside the gray braces, then right-click and choose Toggle Field Codes.

Can I change where a QR code in Word points after printing?

Not if Word made it, or if it is a static code. The link is part of the pattern, so a new link means a new code and a reprint. A dynamic code points to a short link instead, and you can change where that link goes at any time. A free QRKit account includes one dynamic code.

How do I put a different QR code on every page?

Use mail merge with the MergeBarcode field. Start a mail merge from a spreadsheet with a column of links, press Ctrl+F9 and type MergeBarcode followed by the column name and QR, for example MergeBarcode URL QR \q 3. Each merged page gets its own code. This works on Word for Windows only.

What size should a QR code be in a Word document?

At least 2 by 2 cm (0.8 inch) on paper for a phone held at reading distance, and bigger if people scan it from further away. Keep a white margin around it and do not stretch it out of square. The QR code size guide has the numbers for posters and signs.

Does this work in Google Docs too?

Google Docs has no QR field at all, so the picture method is the only one. Make the code above, download the PNG, and use Insert, Image, Upload from computer.