How to make a QR code for Google Drive files, folders and Docs

How to create a QR code for a Google Drive file

In the Drive app on a phone, tap the three-dot menu next to the file, open its sharing settings, change General access in the same way, and copy the link.

1. In Google Drive on a computer, right-click the file and choose Share.
2. Under General access, change Restricted to Anyone with the link.
3. Leave the role as Viewer unless you want people to comment or edit.
4. Click Copy link, then Done.
5. Open a QR code generator, choose the Link type and paste the link.
6. Add a label such as "Scan for the brochure", then download PNG for screens or SVG or PDF for print.
7. Scan the code with a phone that is not signed in to your Google account to check it opens.

QR codes for Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

For a Google Doc, Sheet or Slides file, use the Share button in the top right of the document. The same General access setting applies. The copied link ends in /edit?usp=sharing, but people with Viewer access still see a read-only version.

Two useful variations: if you want everyone to get their own copy of a template, change the end of the link from /edit to /copy before you make the code, and Google will offer to make a copy. For a public document that should look like a web page, File then Share then Publish to web gives a separate, clean link. Either link works in a QR code.

Create a QR code for a Google Drive folder

A folder works the same way: right-click it, choose Share, set Anyone with the link and copy it. People who scan the code see a list of everything in the folder and can open each file.

Folders are a good choice when the contents will change, such as event photos, a set of worksheets or a press kit. Add, rename or remove files in the folder and the same QR code shows the new contents. Files added later inherit the folder's link sharing, so you do not need to share each one.

A QR code for a PDF in Google Drive

Drive is one of the simplest free ways to make a PDF QR code. Upload the PDF, share it with Anyone with the link and put that link in the code. On a phone, the PDF opens in Drive's viewer, which works in the browser even without the Drive app.

If people should not download or print it, open the sharing dialog, click the gear icon and untick the option that lets viewers and commenters download, print and copy. It is a deterrent rather than a lock, since anyone can still screenshot what they see.

Keep the Google Drive link stable

Every Drive link includes a file ID, the long string of letters and numbers in the middle. The QR code points at that ID, so it keeps working as long as that exact file exists and is shared. These actions keep the link the same:

• Editing a Google Doc, Sheet or Slides file, or renaming it.
• Moving the file to another folder in the same Drive.
• Replacing an uploaded file such as a PDF using Manage versions (found under File information in newer menus), which uploads a new version under the same link.

What breaks a Google Drive QR code

• Deleting the file or emptying it from the bin. The link then shows a not-found page.
• Uploading a new file instead of a new version. The new file has a new ID and a new link.
• Making a copy and editing the copy. The code still points at the original.
• Changing General access back to Restricted, or moving the file into a shared drive with stricter rules.
• Work and school accounts where the administrator blocks sharing outside the organisation. The link shows a request-access page to everyone else. Check with your IT team or use a personal account for public files.
• Leaving the organisation that owns the account. If your account is closed, its files go with it.

Test the code as a stranger would

When you scan your own code, Google knows who you are and opens the file even if sharing is wrong. Always test on a phone that is signed out of Google, or open the link in a private browser window. If you see a Request access page, sharing is still set to Restricted.

Because the code holds the Drive link directly, it is a static QR code. It never expires and does not rely on a redirect company. Some QR code sites wrap your link in their own short link and stop it working when a trial ends; a code made from the plain Drive link lasts as long as the file does. For printing, keep the code at least 2 cm wide, and larger on posters.