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Location QR Code Generator

Point people at an exact spot on the map. The coordinates go directly into the code, so it opens the phone's own map app, respects whichever one they prefer, and works with no connection.

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1

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This is what gets encoded — nothing is sent anywhere.

Only the coordinates are used. The link itself is never encoded, so your code keeps working even if that link stops.

Opens the built-in maps app. Works offline on most phones, unlike a Google Maps link — and unlike one, it cannot be switched off later.

2

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Optional. Every change is re-checked against a real decoder.

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How to make a location QR code

  1. 1

    Find the exact coordinates

    Right-click the spot in Google Maps and copy the latitude and longitude.

  2. 2

    Enter them in the generator

    Latitude first, then longitude. Five decimal places is plenty.

  3. 3

    Test on both an iPhone and an Android

    They open different map apps, and you want to confirm both land in the right place.

  4. 4

    Print with context

    Add the address in text alongside, so the code is a shortcut rather than the only route.

On this page

What a location code contains

Just coordinates, in a format phones have understood for years:

geo:52.51630,13.37770

Latitude, then longitude. When a camera reads it, the phone hands the coordinates to its default map app — Apple Maps on an iPhone, Google Maps on most Androids — and drops a pin.

Both work. They behave differently in ways that matter depending on the situation.

A geo: code:

  • Opens whichever map app the person actually uses.
  • Resolves with no internet connection — the coordinates are in the code.
  • Very short, so the code stays chunky and scans easily at small sizes.
  • Shows a plain pin, with no business name or reviews.

A Google Maps link:

  • Shows your business listing with name, hours, photos and reviews.
  • Always opens Google Maps, whatever the person prefers.
  • Needs a connection to resolve.
  • Much longer, so a denser code.

Rule of thumb: geo: for a place on the ground — an entrance, a stand, a meeting point, a trailhead. A Maps link for a business, where the listing is the point.

Getting the coordinates right

  1. Open Google Maps on a computer.
  2. Right-click the exact spot — not the building outline, the door people should walk to.
  3. The numbers at the top of the menu are latitude and longitude. Click to copy.
  4. Latitude goes in the first field, longitude in the second.

On a phone, long-press the map and the coordinates appear in the search bar. Apple Maps shows them under a dropped pin.

How precise is precise enough?

  • 3 decimals — about 110 m. A street.
  • 4 decimals — about 11 m. A building.
  • 5 decimals — about 1 m. A doorway.

Five is the practical ceiling. More digits only make the code denser.

Where it earns its place

Location codes are most useful where an address alone is not enough:

  • Events — the specific gate or entrance, not the venue's postal address.
  • Large sites — hospitals, campuses, industrial parks, exhibition halls.
  • Rural addresses — where postcodes cover a wide area.
  • Deliveries — the loading bay rather than the front door.
  • Trails and outdoors — where offline resolution genuinely matters.

A code alone is a single point of failure. Someone with a flat battery, an older phone or a hesitancy about scanning unknown codes needs the address in text alongside. The code should be the fast path, not the only one — and for a venue people are trying to reach on time, that matters more than usual.

Common questions

What is the difference between this and a Google Maps link?

A geo: code carries raw coordinates and opens whatever map app the phone prefers — Apple Maps on iPhone, Google Maps on Android. A Maps link always opens Google and needs an internet connection to resolve. The geo: version works offline and respects the user’s choice of app.

Where do I find the coordinates?

In Google Maps, right-click the exact spot and the numbers at the top of the menu are latitude and longitude — click to copy. On a phone, long-press the map and the coordinates appear in the search bar. Apple Maps shows them under a dropped pin.

How many decimal places do I need?

Five is plenty. Each decimal place is roughly ten times more precise: four places gets you to about 11 metres, five to about 1 metre. Beyond that you are only making the code denser for no practical gain.

Will it show the business name?

No. A geo: code carries a point on the earth, not a place record — the map opens at the spot with a plain pin. If the name matters more than the exact position, a Maps link to your listing is the better choice.

Does it work without internet?

The code resolves without a connection, since the coordinates are inside it. Whether the map itself renders depends on whether the app has offline maps for the area. The pin location is always correct even when the map around it is not loaded.

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