Google Maps QR code for any location

A location QR code, often searched as a Google Maps QR code or QR code for directions, opens a map at the place you choose. From there it's one tap to get driving, walking or transit directions.

Good uses:

• Wedding and party invitations, so guests don't mistype the venue.
• Events, trade shows and open houses, on flyers and confirmation emails.
• Vacation rentals: the exact entrance, lockbox or parking spot.
• Shops and offices: on your website, business card or door.
• Deliveries: the loading dock or back entrance that GPS never finds.
• Trailheads, meeting points and pop-ups without a street address.

Everything happens in your browser; addresses and coordinates aren't uploaded.

You enter	What goes in the code	Best for
An address (1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC)	A universal Google Maps search link	Well-known, searchable addresses
A Google Maps share link	The link, unchanged	A place you've already found and pinned
Coordinates, as a map link	A Google Maps link to that exact point	Entrances, parking, places without an address
Coordinates, as geo:	geo:38.8977,-77.0365	Special cases, mostly Android

The Google Maps link works on both iPhone and Android: it opens the Maps app if installed, otherwise the browser. That's why it's the default. The geo: format is handled by most Android cameras but not reliably by the iPhone camera, and the tool warns you about that.

An address puts the pin in the middle of a building or somewhere on the street. If the entrance is elsewhere, coordinates are more precise.

• On a computer: open Google Maps, zoom in, right-click the exact spot, and click the coordinates at the top of the menu to copy them.
• On a phone: press and hold the spot until a pin drops; the coordinates appear in the search box or the info panel.

Use decimal degrees with a period: latitude first, then longitude. In the US, longitude is negative (west of Greenwich), so 40.7580, -73.9855 is Times Square, and dropping the minus sign moves the pin to Asia. Five decimal places are accurate to about a yard; more just makes the code denser.

Style it in the same studio as the main QR code generator: templates, colors, a logo or the built-in map pin icon, and a frame label such as "Get directions."

• Invitations: about 1 in (2.5 cm) is plenty for something held in the hand. Match the colors to your stationery, but keep the code dark on a light background.
• Gates and signs: at least one tenth of the scanning distance; the tool calculates it for you.
• Formats: PDF or SVG for the printer, PNG for digital invitations, or the printable A6 card for a front desk.

Always print the address in text too, plus a short hint if the entrance is tricky ("Use the side gate by the parking lot").

1. Swapped coordinates or a missing minus sign. Always scan and check where the pin lands.
2. A vague address. "123 Main St" exists in thousands of towns; add the city, state and ZIP code.
3. A link to a private saved list instead of a single place.
4. No written address for people whose camera doesn't cooperate.

For an event, an event QR code adds the date, time and venue to the calendar. Guests also need Wi-Fi? Put a Wi-Fi QR code on the same card.