Customers keep asking "Where exactly are you?" A map QR code opens Google Maps at your shop, so people tap for directions instead of searching for you and ending up one soi away. Here is how to make one, test it and place it.
How a Google Maps QR code works
The code holds a Google Maps link. Google says it opens in the Google Maps app on Android and iOS when the app is installed, and in the browser when it is not.
It is a plain QR code: the link is inside it, it never expires and it is made on your device. Counting scans or changing the destination later needs a tracked code (see "When you move").
Place name, coordinates or a Google Maps link?
The map page offers three ways: "Search by place name, enter coordinates or paste a Google Maps link".
| Way | Best for |
|---|---|
| Place name | Shops on Google Maps with a unique name |
| Coordinates | Shops down a soi, market stalls, places not on the map |
| Google Maps link | Shops with a Google Maps page customers should see |
Place name is a search: Google pins a specific place but lists results for a general term, so add your branch or area. A name in Thai script also makes a much longer link (each Thai letter is encoded as several characters), so the dots get denser: for a business card, compare it with coordinates.
Coordinates put the pin on your entrance or stall. At the shop, the Use my location button in coordinates mode takes your phone's position; the browser asks permission first and the result may be off, so check the pin.
Google Maps link: only https Google Maps links are accepted, such as maps.app.goo.gl or google.com/maps links. For other links, use the web link QR page.
Getting coordinates or a link from Google Maps
From Google Maps Help: on a phone, touch and hold an unlabelled spot on the map to drop a red pin; the coordinates appear in the search box (Android) or the place sheet (iPhone). On a computer, right-click the place and click the coordinates at the top of the pop-up to copy them. They look like 13.7563, 100.5018, latitude first.
For a link, open the place, tap its name or address at the bottom, tap Share and choose an app; sending it to yourself in a chat works. On a computer: menu > Share or embed map > Send a link > Copy link.
Making the code on QR naka
- Open the Google Maps QR page and go to the Map section.
- Choose Place name, Coordinates or Paste link, then fill in the name with its area, the two boxes showing 13.7563 and 100.5018, or the link.
- Under Style, in Frame and label, type a Label such as "Scan for directions". Add your Logo if you like; it is never uploaded.
- Click Download PNG and pick a size, or choose SVG or PDF for a print shop.
If you are not signed in, the code is made in your browser and nothing you type is sent to QR naka. Signed in, the codes you use are kept in your account history.
Test the route before you print
- Scan with an iPhone and an Android phone: the pin should sit on your door, not behind the building or across the road.
- Ask for directions from the main road; the route should end at the right entrance.
- If the pin is wrong, open the downloaded image in the QR reader to see where the link goes.
- Print one sample at the real size: at least 2 cm a side up close, about a tenth of the scanning distance further away. See QR print size and scan tests.
Where a map code helps
Put it on what people take away before they visit:
- Business cards and flyers
- Delivery bags, boxes and receipts
- Take-away menus
- Market and fair booths
- A guesthouse's booking confirmations
Print the address or a landmark under it, and label it clearly near a payment or Wi-Fi code. In chats and posts, send the Google Maps link too: a code on someone's own screen cannot be scanned with that same phone.
When you move
A plain code holds the link, so a new location means new codes and new prints.
For flyers or packaging, consider a tracked QR code, a members' feature with a 30-day free trial. On the same page, choose Turn on statistics, then Create tracked QR: the code points at a QR naka short link, which keeps the destination and sends people straight on. Update destination changes it without reprinting, and Statistics shows scans, times, devices and provinces, without keeping the scanner's IP. A tracked code works for as long as QR naka runs the service, or as its terms say. More in What is a dynamic QR code?
FAQ
Why does the scan show several places?
The place name way runs a search, and a general term gives a list of results. Add the branch or area, or use coordinates or a link.
My shop is not on Google Maps yet. Can I still make one?
Yes. Use coordinates: the code opens the point you chose, even where the map shows no name.
Does a map QR code expire?
A plain QR code holds its data inside it, so it never expires. If you move, make a new code, or use a tracked code whose destination you can change.
Ready? Open the Google Maps QR page, put the pin on your door, test the route and download it, free with no sign-up.
