Google Drive QR Code Generator
Free QR code generator for Google Drive: create a Google Drive QR code for any file or folder. Paste the Drive share link, add your logo and colors, and download the code as PNG, SVG or PDF. Free to download. Check the sharing setting first, so everyone who scans can open it.
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Edge ball colorCreate a Google Drive QR code Examples
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What is a QR code for Google Drive?
A Google Drive QR code is a QR code that contains a Google Drive link. When someone scans it with the phone camera, the file or folder opens in the Google Drive app or in the browser. Nobody has to type a long link.
The link can lead to one file (a PDF, a photo, a video, a document) or to a whole folder with many files. Use a file link when people need one thing. Use a folder link when you want to share a set, such as event photos, a project pack or a course folder.
Turning a Google Drive link to QR code takes four steps, shown below. The code only opens what the sharing setting of the file or folder allows. This page shows how to set it, which link to copy, and what to check when it does not work.
How to create a Google Drive QR code
In Google Drive, right-click the file or folder and choose Share. Under General access, change Restricted to Anyone with the link, and set the role to Viewer. Without this, people who scan see an access request.
Click Copy link, then Done. Paste the link into the generator at the top of this page. For a folder, copy the link of the folder itself, not a link to one file inside it.
Add a frame with a call to action such as “Scan to get the files”, choose colors and add your logo. Download PNG for screens and documents, or SVG or PDF for print.
Scan the code with a phone that is not signed in to your Google account, or open the link in a private window. Open a file and, if it is a folder, a file inside it. If you see a request-access page, go back to step 1.
How to create QR code for Google Drive folder with Pageloot
Go to Google Drive. Click on the "+ New" button to upload a file or folder. Choose the file or folder you want to upload.
Choose the content that you want to share and create a separate folder. Click on ‘Share’ button and make sure you choose the right permission type.
Open Pageloot and use the Google Drive QR code generator to create a QR code for Google Drive. Paste the link to your Google Drive folder or file to create QR code from Google Drive and start working on your code.
When it comes to design, make sure you add branding elements to your code to make it more appealing to your audience. Also, consider adding actionable descriptions to encourage more scans.
When you’re done with customizing the code, click on ‘Save’ button and download the code to your desktop or smartphone.
File link or folder link: which should you use?
Pick the link by what people need to do after scanning.
- One file. People open the file straight away, in a Drive preview. Best for a menu, a flyer, a price list, a manual or one video.
- A folder. People see a list of files and choose. Best for photo galleries, course materials, project packs and product documents. Access you set on a folder applies to every file inside it, and files you add later follow the same rules.
- Many separate files. Put them in one folder and make one code for the folder. You do not need a separate code for each file.
A file keeps the same link if you rename it or move it to another folder. A deleted file does not. A new copy of a file has a new link, so the old code will not open it.
Large files, videos and phones: when a PDF upload is better
Drive is a good home for files that change, for folders and for big files. It is not always the best target for a printed code.
Large files. Drive can show a warning before downloading very large files, because it cannot scan them for viruses. On mobile data the download also takes time. Link to a smaller version if you can.
Videos. A video you just uploaded may need a few minutes before it plays. Open the link yourself first and wait until the preview works.
Phones. The link usually opens the Drive app if it is installed, and the browser if not. People who are not signed in may see a sign-in prompt in the app. Test on an iPhone and an Android phone.
Upload a PDF instead if the content is one finished PDF that will not change, such as a menu, a brochure or a manual, and you do not want people to depend on a Google sharing setting. Use our PDF QR code generator: you upload the PDF and get a code that opens it. Keep Drive for folders, large files and documents that you still edit.
Frequently asked questions
In Drive, right-click the folder, choose Share, set General access to Anyone with the link and the role to Viewer, and click Copy link. Paste the link into the generator at the top of this page, add your logo or colors, and download the code. Test it on a phone that is signed out of Google.
Share the PDF with Anyone with the link, copy the link and paste it into the generator. If the PDF is final and will not change, you can also upload it to our PDF QR code generator, so the code does not depend on a Google sharing setting.
Upload the video, wait until Drive has finished processing it and the preview plays, then share it with Anyone with the link and copy the link. Paste it into the generator. Large videos load slowly on mobile data, so test on a phone.
Yes. For a folder, add or replace files and the same code keeps working. For a single uploaded file, right-click it and choose Manage versions to upload a new version under the same link. A deleted file or a new copy of a file has a different link.
Not if the item is shared with Anyone with the link. If it is Restricted, people must sign in with an account that has access. On the Drive app they may see a sign-in prompt.
Yes. Put the files in one folder and make a code for the folder link. People then see the list of files and choose the one they need.
Yes. You can create a QR code for a Google Drive link and download it as PNG, SVG or PDF for free, though we may ask for an email. Edit later and Track scans need a Pageloot account, with a 14-day free trial.
Not with a static code. A dynamic Pageloot code shows scans with time, place and device. It counts scans, not downloads. Tick Track scans above to start a free 14-day trial.
Contact us and we’ll be happy to help!
Google Drive QR code not working? Check these first
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It shows "You need access"
The file or folder is still Restricted, or the person is signed in to the wrong Google account. Set General access to Anyone with the link. A work or school account may block this: ask your administrator. -
The folder opens but a file does not
The file was added from outside the folder, or it has its own stricter sharing. Open the file, check Share, and remember that access on a folder passes to files inside it.
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The file is gone or replaced
If you deleted the file or uploaded a new copy, the old link breaks. To replace a file and keep the link, right-click it and choose Manage versions, then upload the new version. -
The code will not scan
Check the size (at least 2 x 2 cm / 0.8 in), the contrast and the white border. Glossy paper, creases and a very large logo in the middle also stop scans.
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Where to use a Google Drive QR code? Examples
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Print a code on the syllabus or project in the room, so students open the course folder with slides, readings and assignments. Use Viewer access so nobody can change the files. When you add a new week, the same code still works.
Add a code to a proposal or an invoice cover that opens a client folder with reports, drawings or contracts. Keep a separate folder for each client, and never share your main Drive folder with Anyone with the link.
Put a code on the box or the device that opens the manual, setup video or warranty form. A PDF that will not change can also go straight into the PDF generator linked above.
After a wedding, a trip or an event, one code on a card or sign opens the folder with all the photos. Tell guests whether they may download. You can turn download off in the sharing settings.
How to get more scans for a Google Drive QR code
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Say what is in the Drive
Add a frame with a short call to action, such as "Scan for the photos" or "Scan to download the manual". A bare code gives no hint of what happens next. -
Link to the exact item
Send people to the one file or the one folder they need. A code that opens a large folder with many files makes people give up.
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Print it big enough
Use at least 2 x 2 cm (0.8 in) on a flyer and larger on posters. Use a dark code on a light background with a white border. -
Show it where people can wait
Event entrances, class handouts and product boxes work well. On a website, use a normal link: a phone cannot scan its own screen.
Tips for a Google Drive QR code
A static code is enough while the file or folder stays the same, because renaming or editing does not change the link. A dynamic code is worth it if you may point the printed code to a new folder later, or want to see when and where people scan. Tick Edit later or Track scans above to start a 14-day free trial. Starter is EUR 7 per month billed yearly, and code NEW30 gives 30% off your first purchase.
For a printed or public code, set the role to Viewer. Editor lets anyone who scans change or delete files. Commenter is enough only if you want notes on a document.
Open the link on a phone before you print. Check that the file previews, that text is readable and that a video plays. Office files and very large files may open slowly or ask to be downloaded.
When you share a link, your name and email address can show as the owner of the file. If that is a personal account, share from a business account. Never put private files in a folder that has a public code.
Google Drive sharing settings explained
Only the people you add can open the file or folder. A QR code to a restricted item works only for them. Everyone else sees a request-access page.
Anyone who has the link can open the item without signing in. This is the setting a public QR code needs. Only share items you are happy for anyone with the code to see.
A Viewer can look at the file and, unless you block it, download it. A Commenter can also comment. An Editor can change and share it. For a public code, use Viewer.
Access you give on a folder applies to every file inside it, and you cannot give a single file in the folder lower access than the folder. If one file must stay private, keep it in a different folder.
Owners can stop Viewers and Commenters from downloading, printing or copying. Look for the setting in the share window. People can still view the file, so do not rely on it for secrets.
The administrator of a managed account can block sharing with Anyone with the link, or with people outside the organization. If the option is missing, ask your administrator or use a personal account for public files.
