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The Finance Base
campaign attribution

How to Track QR Code Scans by Location and Campaign

Track QR campaigns by tagging each physical placement separately, then compare website analytics with scan data from your QR provider.

By TheFinanceBase Team 3 min read
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To track a QR campaign, give each physical placement its own UTM-tagged destination URL, then compare the resulting website traffic with scan data from your QR-code provider. UTMs show which tagged campaign brought a visitor to your site; a dynamic QR platform may separately count scans and report an estimated location. These are different measurements, so a scan count will not necessarily equal website sessions.

Choose what “location” means for your campaign

For most printed campaigns, the useful location is the placement you control: a store window, event flyer, table display, or another specific spot. Assign each placement a distinct value in the QR destination URL so your analytics can compare them. This identifies the tagged source of a visit; it does not establish the visitor’s exact physical position.

Some QR providers also report a scan location. Treat that as provider-reported information, not verified GPS precision: the reviewed guidance does not establish a universal method or accuracy level across services. Check how the provider derives location and what level of detail it offers before relying on it.

Use UTMs to distinguish placements in website analytics

UTM parameters are tags added to a destination URL. Google Analytics documents campaign fields such as source, medium, name, and content, and maps UTM values in the page location to corresponding reporting dimensions: Google Analytics campaign URL parameters.

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A practical convention is to keep the medium and campaign consistent across a group of codes, while changing the source or content value for each placement. For example, use utm_medium=print and utm_campaign=fall_open_house for the initiative, then set utm_source=store_window on one code and utm_source=event_flyer on another. These are illustrative labels, not a required Google taxonomy.

Plan the naming scheme before generating codes. Use consistent lowercase spelling and separators so that values intended to roll up together do not fragment into separate labels. Decide whether source or content will identify the placement and apply that choice consistently.

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Choose between a static and dynamic QR code

Code type What it does Best fit
Static The destination URL is embedded in the code and cannot be changed after creation. A destination that is final and unlikely to need correction.
Dynamic Uses a managed destination that may be editable after printing and can provide provider-side scan tracking; capabilities vary by service. A printed campaign where the destination may change or redirect-level scan counts are useful.

Confirm the selected provider’s available metrics and data-retention terms rather than assuming every dynamic-code service reports the same information. Voya’s guide describes dynamic codes as allowing tracking and destination changes: Digital Marketing Best Practices Guide.

Set up and test each code before printing

  1. Define the campaign labels. Choose a stable campaign name and medium, then decide which parameter will distinguish each placement.
  2. Create a tagged destination for every placement. Keep shared values identical and change only the placement label. Confirm that the parameters remain attached to the URL that the QR code will open.
  3. Select static or dynamic behavior. Use a static code for a fixed destination; use a dynamic code if post-print edits or provider scan metrics matter.
  4. Scan the actual artwork with a phone. Check the printed or final-size design using a phone camera, confirm it opens the intended mobile-friendly page, and verify that the tagged source, medium, and campaign appear as expected.
  5. Fix problems before the print run. A browser click tests the URL but not the printed artwork or camera-scanning flow. Voya’s print guidance also emphasizes checking the code in its intended physical use: Print marketing best practices.
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Compare scans with visits without conflating them

A QR provider can count a redirect scan even if the visitor does not wait for the destination page to load. Website analytics records traffic that reaches the site and can attribute tagged arrivals to campaign dimensions. Because the measurements occur at different points in the journey, totals may differ.

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  • Provider scan data: Review total scans and, if the service exposes them, unique scans, timing, device type, and reported location. These are provider-specific measures.
  • Website analytics: Compare sessions attributed to each tagged source and campaign, then examine relevant pages or conversions. Google’s campaign documentation explains how tagged URLs map into reporting; QuickChart also describes QR tracking implementation: QuickChart QR code documentation.
  • Placement comparison: Compare locations such as a window and a flyer while keeping shared campaign values stable. This makes the placement label the meaningful difference.

Do not treat a scan as a person, a redirect as a completed website session, or a provider’s location field as exact physical GPS. Use the measures together to understand both scan activity and the site visits that followed.

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