Guide

How to track QR code scans

Scan tracking tells you which poster, menu or package actually gets scanned, and when. Here is how it works, what you can and can’t see, and how to set it up in a few minutes.

Short answer

To track QR code scans, the code must point to a link you control, not straight to your final page. A dynamic QR code does this: each scan passes through the QR service, which records the time, device and approximate location before sending the person on. Your dashboard then shows every scan as it happens.

What you can see for each scan

With Qrivio, every scan is recorded the moment it happens with:

  • Time, so you can see your busiest hours and days.
  • Device type and browser, for example iPhone or Android.
  • Approximate city and country, worked out from the network address. This isn’t GPS, so treat it as roughly right.
  • Unique phones and repeat visitors, so you can tell 100 scans by 100 people from 100 scans by 10.

Everything can be exported to a spreadsheet. Scanners are never asked for personal details unless your scan page invites them to join a list.

Diagram of QR scan tracking: a phone scans the code, the scan is recorded with time, device and city, the person reaches your page, and the scan shows live in the dashboard.
Every scan is recorded in the moment between the phone and your page.

How to set up scan tracking, step by step

  1. Make one code per placement. Give the window poster, the counter card and the packaging their own codes. That is what lets you compare them.
  2. Name each code clearly, such as “Menu · table tent” or “Box · inside lid”. Names show up in your dashboard and exports.
  3. Test before printing. Scan the code from the real distance with an iPhone and an Android phone.
  4. Print and place it, with a line that tells people what they get: “Scan for a secret discount” works better than a bare code.
  5. Watch the scans come in, then move budget to the placements that work and change the ones that don’t, without reprinting.

Scan tracking vs Google Analytics

Web analytics count visits to your website. Scan tracking counts scans. They answer different questions, and they work best together.

QR scan trackingWeb analytics (UTM tags)
CountsEvery scan, even if the page never loadsVisits that load your site with tracking allowed
Works when the code opens a scan pageYesOnly once the person reaches your site
Shows salesNoYes, if your shop reports them
Set-upNone beyond making the codeTag every link correctly

Qrivio can add the UTM tags for you. When it’s switched on, each scan is forwarded with utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign and utm_content set from the code’s name, so Google Analytics and Shopify report visits and sales per code. Tags already in your link are kept.

Reading the numbers

  • Scans per placement show which spot or design gets attention.
  • Busiest hours tell you when to staff the counter or run a time-limited offer.
  • Repeat visitors show which codes people come back to, such as a menu or a product page.
  • Device mix tells you whether to send people to the App Store or Google Play, which Qrivio can do automatically.

Be open about what you collect

Scan data is about real people, so say what you record and why in your privacy notice. If you sell in the EU, UK or California, check what those rules require before you start collecting sign-ups.

How Qrivio keeps the numbers clean

  • Link previews and crawlers aren’t counted. When a link is pasted into a chat app, the app fetches it to build a preview. Those fetches, and search engine crawlers, are recognized and ignored.
  • Your own previews aren’t counted. Opening a scan page from your dashboard to check it doesn’t add a scan.
  • People and scans are counted separately. Unique phones show how many different people scanned; repeat visitors show who came back.

Turning scan data into decisions

  • Move the code, not the budget. If a placement gets few scans, try a better spot before printing more.
  • Match the offer to the hour. If a window code is scanned mostly after closing, route those scans to your online shop.
  • Test one change at a time. Change the line next to the code, then compare the next two weeks with the last two.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see who scanned my QR code?

Not by name. You see when it was scanned, on what kind of device and roughly where. To learn who, invite people to join your VIP list on the scan page.

Can I track a QR code I already printed?

Only if it’s dynamic. A static code goes straight to its destination, so the scan itself can’t be counted. You can still see visits to that page in your web analytics.

Does scanning the same code twice count twice?

Yes, every scan is recorded. Qrivio also shows unique phones and repeat visitors, so repeat scans don’t inflate your audience.

How accurate is the location?

It is approximate: the city and country come from the network address, not GPS. It is reliable for comparing regions, not for pinpointing a street.

Try Qrivio free for a month

Make 3 dynamic QR codes and watch every scan come in live. No card needed.

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