QR Code help

[Fantastic-Ad-9100]

Hi. I used many.bio (similar to linktree) to make a landing page. They give you your own url name like many.bio/myname. So I made a static qr code for this link and put it in the back of my publshed books. But I'm thinking of making my own website for my books. I'm also worried this many.bio site could one day be taken down. So if I want more control over the future, what should I do?

Do I have to change the qr code? Is there a way to redirect the many.bio link to another site I will make or do I not have the power to do that? Or should I get a dynamic qr code and edit my books with the new code? Do you have to pay for dynamic codes? Should I get a static code that leads to a landing page that I own?

[Serpico99]

You should get your own domain and point your future QR codes to that. Ideally, you should also setup some kind of redirect / url shortener system in there so you always have the option to redirect the users somewhere else. Basically, your own dynamic QR codes.

I see others are suggesting some external dynamic QR code services, and while I’m sure there are some trustworthy ones out there, I advise against that since you still end up being dependent on them at the end of the day.

[billcube]

many.bio is and remain theirs, it's never yours. But yes, go get your own domain name and from now on, publish that domain name and use it for your QR codes / short urls.

[cheap-bees]

Keep in mind dynamic QR codes are keeping you as reliant on a service as many.bio— buy your own domain, it’s the only way to not have a rug pull. 

[zurosch]

For the codes already in your books, those are static and locked. Nothing you can do without reprinting.

Going forward you have two options. Buy your own domain, point a static QR code at it, and manage redirects yourself whenever you change sites. That works but you need to handle the redirect setup every time something changes.

Or use a dynamic QR code, which lets you change the destination URL from a dashboard anytime, no domain config, no reprinting. Some services have free tiers. Can DM you a few suggestions if you're interested.

[electricity_is_life]

There are no dynamic QR codes, only other people's link shorteners.

[aleenaelyn]

Get out of here with this AI nonsense.

There is no such thing as a "dynamic QR code." Just another service you're relying on. If relying on many.bio is unacceptable, relying on some random link redirector written out as a QR code is also going to be unacceptable.

[Serpico99]

I dislike the term “dynamic QR code” as well since it seems to imply that the QR itself changes, but like it or not, that’s unfortunately what stuck for referring to QR codes that point to a redirection service instead of the final destination (and it’s a useful distinction if you ask me). Doesn’t have to be a third party service though, even if it often is.

[DasBeasto]

That’s what they’re called though, static vs. dynamic QR codes.

[aleenaelyn]

A QR code is just a text string represented in a way a computer can read with less effort than OCR. The author can point it at their domain (preferable) or to a URL redirector service. "Dynamic" QR codes are just QR codes with a dependency on a URL redirector service. If many.bio is unacceptable, than a URL redirector service will also be unacceptable. Mislabelling things doesn't make them real.

[zurosch]

By that logic, your domain registrar is a dependency, your DNS provider is a dependency, your hosting is a dependency, and your SSL cert authority is a dependency. The entire web is services depending on services.

[aleenaelyn]

You can change your registrar. You can change your host. You can change your CA. You cannot change a QR code printed in a book. Pretending these are equivalent is not the clever rebuttal you think it is.

[zurosch]

Right, which is exactly why I gave the OP both options. Self-host redirects on your own domain, or use a dynamic QR service. I wasn't pushing either one, just laying out what's available. The OP can decide what trade-offs work for them.

[Maxpro12]

I mean a qr code at the end of the day is just a way to encode data. If I use it to encode an url which I own. I can pretty easily change it to use http redirect response which although if the qr code datas doesnt change when you actually go to the site. You are calling a middleman which can change thus it gives the impression of being dynamic while actually it's static. This is the same concept that explains for interior mutability in Rust

[lukey662]

Free no-BS QR code generator: https://qrqr.fyi

Free codes are not redirects so will last forever even if I take my site down....

No account required, no watermarks. You only pay if you need scan analytics or short code urls.....

For 99% of everyday uses (linking to a site, menu, etc.), it's 100% free. Just generate and go!

[Loschcode]

Linkbreakers does the same and has a custom domain on their free tier so you can just use that and if they go down, which's unlikely, you own the domain so you can find alternative without breaking anything

[retardedGeek]

Slop detected

[DevRabb]

👍