Restaurant menu QR code: make one that always works

To make a restaurant menu QR code, put your menu online at a link (a web page or a PDF), create a QR code that points to that link, print it at least 2 cm wide on each table, and scan it from a real seat before service. Cheetags makes the code for free; the menu itself lives wherever you host it.

Cheetags codes encode links only. We don't host menus, so you need a menu at a public address first. The upside: your menu stays yours, and you can edit it without touching Cheetags.

1. Put the menu online

Any public link works. Pick the one you can update without help:

• A page on your own website. Best for search engines and for phones: text loads fast and can be translated by the browser.
• A PDF on Google Drive or Dropbox, shared as "anyone with the link can view". Quick, but large PDFs are slow on mobile data. Keep the file under 2 MB and use a single column.
• A page on a menu or restaurant tool you already pay for. Check that its link doesn't expire.

Whatever you choose, open the link on a phone with wifi turned off. If it takes more than a few seconds, shrink the files first.

2. Create the code

1. Go to cheetags.com and paste the menu link.
2. Choose colours. Dark dots on a light background scan best. Cheetags blocks saving a design with contrast below 3:1; aim for 4.5:1 or higher on paper, because print and room light are less forgiving than a screen.
3. Wait for the scan check. Every design is tested in the browser before you download it. If it shows "May not scan", change colours or dot style.
4. Download an SVG for printing, or a PNG at 1024 px or 2048 px.

The free plan gives you 1 code. That is enough for one menu used on every table. Its destination is fixed on the free plan.

3. Choose a size

Use one tenth of the reading distance as the minimum width of the code:

Where	Reading distance	Minimum code width
Table card or sticker	20 cm	2 cm
Menu board at the counter	60 cm	6 cm
Window or door sign	1.5 m	15 cm

In practice, print table codes at 4 to 5 cm. People hold the phone at an angle, and a bigger code helps in dim candlelight. Leave a blank margin of about four dots on every side; don't print text or a border touching the code.

4. Test it where people sit

This is the step most restaurants skip. Print one card and:

• Scan it from a seat, not standing over the table.
• Scan it at night lighting, not in the daylight of the office.
• Try an older phone, an iPhone and an Android.
• Wipe the card with a damp cloth. Gloss lamination can reflect lights and block the camera, so choose matte if you can.

5. Updating the menu later

Here the free plan has a limit you should know about. With the free plan, a code always points to the same link. You can still update the menu at that link: replace the PDF file in Drive, or edit the page on your website, and the printed code shows the new version. That is often all a restaurant needs.

If you ever need to point the printed code at a different link (a new website, a seasonal menu on a different page), you need a paid plan: Starter is €4 or $4 a month, with 5 codes. Then you change the destination in your account and don't reprint anything.

Whichever you pick, a code within your plan's limit keeps redirecting at any scan volume. A busy Saturday won't switch it off. Above 500 scans a month on the free plan, scans still redirect; they just aren't counted until next month.

Mistakes to avoid

• Linking to a file on someone's personal account. If they leave the restaurant, the link can break.
• Printing before testing. Reprinting 40 table cards is a cost you can avoid.
• A tiny code on a busy menu page. Give it room.

If a code ever fails, our guide on why a QR code stopped working walks through the causes in order. And before you print with any provider, read how to check that a QR code won't expire.

Create your menu QR code for free.