Google Maps location QR code

The Google Maps link

The most broadly understood location code is a URL QR code pointing to a Google Maps address. The flexible search form accepts an address or coordinates:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=1+Market+St+Springfield
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.7793,-122.4193

Scanning opens Google Maps (or the browser) centered on that place, with directions one tap away. For an exact spot, coordinates beat an address — they can't be misgeocoded.

If your business has a Google Business Profile, you can also share its specific place link (often a maps.app.goo.gl/… short URL) so the profile card appears with hours and reviews.

The universal geo: URI

For a platform-neutral option that any map app can handle, use the geo: URI with latitude and longitude:

geo:37.7793,-122.4193

This opens the device's default maps application rather than forcing Google Maps. Encode it through the Text tab. Trade-off: it lacks the rich business-profile view a Google place link gives, and label support varies by app.

When to use it

• Storefronts and signage — help visitors navigate the last mile.
• Event invitations — pin the venue precisely.
• Deliveries and pickups — exact coordinates for hard-to-find entrances.
• Real estate and tourism — drop people at a property or landmark.

Gotchas worth knowing

• Get the lat/long order right. It's latitude first, then longitude. Swapping them sends people to the wrong hemisphere.
• URL-encode addresses. Spaces become + or %20 in the query. The generator handles this if you build the link in the Link tab.
• Choose your ecosystem deliberately. A Google Maps link favors Google; geo: respects the user's default map app.
• Test the pin. Scan and confirm the marker sits on the right spot before printing.

Apple Maps and other map apps

A Google Maps link works for everyone, but it nudges users toward Google Maps. If your audience skews to iPhone, you can link Apple Maps directly, or use the neutral geo: URI to respect whatever each person prefers:

Apple Maps:  https://maps.apple.com/?q=1+Market+St,+Springfield
Apple Maps:  https://maps.apple.com/?ll=37.7793,-122.4193
Neutral:     geo:37.7793,-122.4193

• Google Maps link — best when you want the rich business listing and the broadest familiarity.
• Apple Maps link — opens cleanly on iPhones; falls back to a web map elsewhere.
• geo: URI — opens each person's default map app, but shows a plain pin without business details.

Pick based on who's scanning and whether you value a rich listing or platform neutrality. If you can only print one code and your audience is mixed, the Google Maps search link is the safest default: it opens for everyone, and iPhone users can still get directions from it even without Google Maps installed, falling back to the web.

Make a location QR code

Paste a Google Maps link into the Link tab, or a geo: URI into the Text tab, and export the code.

Frequently asked questions