How to create a Snapchat QR code
- 1
Add your username
Type your Snapchat username, or paste your profile link from snapchat.com.
- 2
Design it
Add your colours, logo and a frame such as “Add us on Snapchat”.
- 3
Download and test
Scan it with the regular camera app and check your profile opens.
How a Snapchat QR code works
The code holds your add-friend link, snapchat.com/add/yourname. When someone scans it with their camera app, Snapchat opens on your profile with the Add button. If they don’t have Snapchat, the link opens a web page for your profile with a prompt to get the app.
Type your username, or paste any Snapchat link: your add link, a public profile, a Lens or a Spotlight.
Snapcode or QR code?
Snapchat gives every account a Snapcode, the yellow ghost with dots. It’s recognisable, but it’s made for the Snapchat camera. People who don’t have Snapchat open, or who point their normal camera at it, often get nothing.
A standard QR code works in every phone camera, and still opens Snapchat when it’s installed. It’s also easier to fit into your own design: your colours, your logo, and a frame with a call to action. For print where many people won’t have Snapchat open, a QR code gets more scans.
Where to use a Snapchat QR code
- Shops and cafés with a young audience: counters, cups and bags
- Campus posters, club flyers and student events
- Festival stages, merch tables and photo booths
- Product packaging for brands that post behind-the-scenes Stories
- Creator business cards and media kits
Tips to get more friends
- Give a reason to add you: exclusive Stories, first look at drops, or discount codes shared only on Snapchat.
- Check who can contact you. In Snapchat’s privacy settings, make sure people who add you can see your Stories and message you if that’s what you want.
- Keep your display name recognisable, so people know they’ve found the right account.
- Print your username under the code for people who prefer to search.
- Use a public profile if you’re a business or creator, so visitors see your content before adding you.
Static and dynamic codes
This is a static code: the link is stored in the pattern, so it’s free, never expires and works without us. You can’t change it after printing, though.
A dynamic QR code stores a short link you control. You can change where it points at any time and see how many people scanned, by day, city and device. It’s the better choice for large print runs, or when you want to compare placements such as the counter and the cups.
If you change your username
Snapchat usernames are hard to change, so static codes are usually safe. If you run several accounts or might move to a new one, use a dynamic code so you can switch without reprinting.
Print tips
Snapchat add links are short, so the code scans well at 2 cm on stickers and cups. On posters, make it bigger: about a tenth of the distance people stand away. Snapchat yellow is too light for the code itself, because codes need strong contrast. Keep the code dark, and use yellow for the frame or the background around it.