Make an email QR code with a preset subject line

If you want people to email you about a specific event, product, or request, a QR code can save them from typing your address and subject. Scanning it opens a draft email with the subject line already filled in.

Use the QR Code Generator to create the code, then scan it yourself before sharing or printing it. The code does not send a message. The person scanning it still reviews and sends the email from their own mail app.

Make an email QR code

1. Open the QR Code Generator and choose email as the type of information for your QR code.
2. Enter the email address that should receive messages. Check it carefully, including the part after the @ symbol.
3. Enter the subject line you want to appear in the new email, such as Workshop registration or Question about my order.
4. Review the QR code preview. If you change its colors or add a logo, keep the code easy to distinguish from its background.
5. Scan the code with a phone camera or QR scanner. Confirm that it opens a draft addressed to the right person and shows the correct subject.
6. Save or share the finished code using the options available in the generator. Test the saved image too, especially if you plan to print it or place it inside another design.

Do not rely only on the preview. A preview can look right even when the address has a typo, and changes to the code's appearance can make a small printed version harder to scan.

Choose the subject and design

Keep the subject useful and short

A good preset subject tells you what the message is about without making the sender do extra work. For a public event, use a phrase like Community garden open day. For customer questions, use a phrase like Product question. Avoid putting private information, passwords, or sensitive details in the subject, since anyone who scans the code can see it.

Know what the QR code opens

An email QR code stores instructions for opening a new email draft. Depending on the phone and its apps, scanning may show a prompt, open a mail app, or offer a choice of apps. The recipient and subject should be filled in when the draft appears. The scanner does not send the email automatically, and the code cannot guarantee that the person has an email app set up.

Pick a design that scans

Dark marks on a light background are usually easiest for cameras to read. Keep strong contrast, leave clear space around the code, and avoid placing it over a photo or textured background. A logo or decorative color can make a code less reliable if it covers important marks or blends into the background. Test the final design at the size people will actually scan.

Fix common problems

1. Check the email address. If the draft is addressed to the wrong person, correct the address in the generator and make a new code. A QR code can faithfully open the wrong address if that is what you entered.
2. Check the subject spelling. Scan the latest version and read the subject in the opened draft. Punctuation, spaces, and accented characters may be handled differently if the QR code was edited or copied through another tool.
3. Try another phone or scanner. If one phone does not recognize the code, test it with a second camera app or device. Some scanners show a link or confirmation prompt first, so tap the suggested action to continue.
4. Make the code larger. If the camera struggles, increase the printed size and scan from a normal distance. Keep the whole code in view and make sure the print is sharp, not blurry or stretched.
5. Restore more contrast. If you used similar colors for the code and background, switch to a darker code on a lighter background. Remove a logo or other decoration if the result still fails to scan.
6. Check the mail app. If scanning opens a draft without the expected details, try another email app or phone. The behavior after scanning depends partly on the device's available apps. If the code itself opens the wrong details on multiple devices, generate it again and retest.

If the code will not scan, see QR code not scanning? Fix size, contrast and layout for more checks.

Protect the address you put in the code

A QR code is not a private way to share an email address. Anyone who can scan it may be able to read the address or open a message draft to it. That can be useful on a flyer or business card, but consider using a public contact address rather than a personal one if the code will be posted online or displayed in a public place.

Before printing a batch, scan the final image from the printed size and confirm the recipient and preset subject one more time.