QR Code for a Location
Point to a place on the map from coordinates or an address.
QR Code for a Location: the generator
Make a QR code that opens a place on a map. Enter the latitude and longitude, or type an address or a place name, and whoever scans it gets the location in their maps app, ready for directions. Handy for venues, meeting points, trailheads and shop doors.
How it works
The code stores a map link. The default is a Google Maps link, which opens in the Maps app or in a browser on any phone. The other choice is a geo: link, the standard way of writing a position, which Android phones hand to their own map app. iPhones handle geo: less reliably, which is why the Google Maps link is the default.
Coordinates are written as two decimal numbers, latitude first and then longitude. Latitude runs from -90 in the south to 90 in the north, and longitude from -180 in the west to 180 in the east. The generator keeps six decimals, which is about 11 centimetres on the ground, and accepts either a point or a comma as the decimal sign.
If you have no coordinates, switch to An address or place name. The text is stored in a map search link, and the map app finds the place the way it does when someone types it into its search box. The result depends on how well the name identifies one place.
How to use it
- Choose Coordinates or An address or place name.
- For coordinates, type the latitude and longitude, or press Use my location to fill them in from this device.
- Choose what the code opens: a Google Maps link, or the phone's own map app.
- Download the code and scan it with a phone to check that the pin lands on the right spot.
Example
The coordinates of a well-known landmark and the link stored in the code. The comma between the two numbers is written as %2C inside the link.
Map location
33 × 33 squaresWhat is typed in
- Point to
- Coordinates (latitude and longitude)
- Latitude
- 48.8584
- Longitude
- 2.2945
- Opens in
- A Google Maps link (works on every phone)
What the code stores
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=48.8584%2C2.2945
Good to know
- To find coordinates, open a map, press and hold on the spot (or right-click on a computer) and copy the two numbers that appear.
- Use my location asks your browser for permission and reads the position on this device only. The coordinates are not sent to this site.
- An address search is only as exact as the name. Two places with the same name may give the wrong pin, so check the result on a phone before printing.
Questions people ask
Where do I find the latitude and longitude of a place?
In Google Maps or Apple Maps, press and hold on the exact spot. A pin drops and the coordinates appear in the search box or the info card, with latitude first. On a computer, right-click the spot and the numbers show at the top of the menu.
Should I choose the Google Maps link or the phone's map app?
The Google Maps link works on every phone and falls back to a web page if the app is missing. A geo: link hands the position straight to the map app on Android, with no web page in between, but iPhones may do nothing. Choose the link unless you know your audience is on Android.
What does Use my location do?
It asks your browser for your current position, and if you allow it, fills in the latitude and longitude. The reading stays on your device. If you refuse, nothing happens and you can type the numbers yourself.
Can I point the code at a business or an address instead?
Yes. Choose An address or place name and type it as you would in a map search, for example the street and city. The map app looks it up when the code is scanned.
Do the numbers need to be in a particular format?
Use decimal degrees, such as 48.8584 and 2.2945. Negative numbers mean south or west. If you copied degrees, minutes and seconds, convert them to decimal first, because the field refuses anything else.