A QR code that opens the thing next to it.
Posters, table tents, receipts and packaging. One code per placement opens the right screen, even after an install, and tells you which poster or product did it.
- Who runs it
- Marketers
- Time to set up
- Minutes, after the SDK
- Plan
- Free
One link per placement, one QR per link.
Make a link for each placement and download its QR code. QR codes come with every plan, including Free, so you can test before any print budget is spent. The link's data says what the placement is about; the source tag says where it is.
- Print-ready codes from the link's share panel.
- Change where the link opens later without reprinting.
The scan opens the event, not the home screen.
Someone scans the table tent. With the app, it opens on the event. Without it, the store, and the same event after install, with the offer from the poster.
- Works with the phone's own camera on iPhone and Android.
- The offer travels in the link, so staff don't need a code.
Users per placement, and what they did.
Installs per placement, plus the one event that means the placement worked: a redeemed offer, an RSVP, a first order. Scans alone measure curiosity.
- Scans, installs and events per placement.
- Compare venues, formats and offers.
One-time setup, then it's all yours.
Your developer adds the LinkTrail SDK once and routes on the link's path when the app opens. After that, every new code you print works without a release.
LinkTrail.onLink(link => {
// link.customData = { placement: "table-tent", venue: "cafe-north" }
router.navigate(link.path, link.customData);
});The full walkthrough: Offline to app: a QR code that lands on the thing next to it
A QR code in the physical world is the highest-intent click you will ever get: someone stopped, pointed a camera at a poster, and waited. Then they land on the app store, install, open — and get the home screen. The poster was about a specific event, offer or menu. The app has no idea. The moment is gone.
What problem does this solve?
The scan has to survive the install and land on the thing the physical placement was about. And because every placement costs money to print and position, you need to know which of them actually produced anything — the café table tents or the window vinyl.
How do you set the links up?
One link per placement. The QR is generated from the link, which is a Free-plan feature, so this is testable before any budget is committed. The payload carries what the placement is about; the source tag carries where it physically is.
{
"deepLinkPath": "/events/summer-market",
"customData": {"placement": "table-tent", "venue": "cafe-north", "offer": "first-drink"}
}Why does 'one link per placement' matter?
Because the difference between placements is the whole insight. Three hundred scans is nice. Three hundred scans, of which 240 came from the two table tents nearest the till and 60 from the eight posters combined, tells you what to print next time. Sharing one link across every surface throws that away to save thirty seconds.
- Scanning is done with the phone camera, so smart routing has to send iOS to the App Store and Android to Play with no intermediate page a person has to read.
- The install gap is longer offline — people scan, get distracted, install later. The deferred link has to hold across that, which is what the attribution window is for.
- Print the short link under the code. Some people type; some codes get damaged.
Which metric should you watch?
Attributed installs per placement, and the one downstream event that means the placement worked — a redeemed offer, an event RSVP, a first order. Scans alone measure curiosity. The event measures whether the placement was worth the wall.
Which teams own an offline-to-app QR code?
- Growth marketers
- Mobile product teams
Which LinkTrail features does an offline-to-app QR code need?
- QR code generation
- Deferred deep linking
- Smart routing
- Per-link source and placement tagging
QR code questions.
Why use one QR code per placement?
Because the difference between placements is the insight. Scans broken out by placement show which table tents or posters actually produced installs; one shared link throws that away.
Do QR codes work for people who install the app later?
Yes. People often scan, get distracted and install later, and the deferred link holds the destination across that gap within the attribution window. Smart routing sends iOS to the App Store and Android to Google Play with no intermediate page.
Is QR code generation included on the Free plan?
Yes. The QR code is generated from the link, and QR generation is a Free-plan feature, so a placement can be tested before any budget is committed.
If you're doing this, you'll probably want these.
Product packaging
A code on the box opens that product's setup screen or manual, and you see which product people scan.
Short links for TV, radio and podcasts
A link people can remember and type. Branded, short, and counted per show or spot.
Launch day
Turn a waitlist into installs that land on the right first screen, not a generic welcome.
Make your first QR code.
Free for your first 5,000 users. No card, no sales call.