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Conditional redirection, expiration and scan limits

Conditional redirection lets one QR code send different people to different web pages. For example:

  • iPhone users to the App Store, Android users to Google Play;
  • visitors from Germany to your German page, everyone else to English;
  • during opening hours to your booking page, after hours to your contact page.

You can also give a code an expiration date or a scan limit.

These features work on Website URL codes, on the Pro plan and above.

How rules work​

  • Each rule has a condition and a Target URL.
  • When someone scans, QRForge checks the rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches wins.
  • If no rule matches, the visitor goes to the code's normal destination (the default URL).
  • A code can have up to 20 rules.

The conditions​

Device — iOS, Android or Desktop.

Country — the country the scan comes from, estimated from the visitor's internet address.

Schedule — a recurring weekly time window: pick the days, a Start time and an End time. Schedules use your account's Timezone (set it in Settings → Edit profile), not the visitor's.

You can combine Device and Country in one rule with + AND condition, for example Android AND Germany. Schedule rules cannot be combined.

Add rules​

  1. Create a Website URL code, or open an existing one with Edit QR code → Edit Content.
  2. Open Advanced Settings.
  3. Under Conditional Redirection, click Configure Rules (or Edit Rules).
  4. Click + Add rule.
  5. Choose the Condition and its value, and enter the Target URL.
  6. Add more rules. Use Move up and Move down to set the order.
  7. Click Save Rules.
  8. Click Create QR Code or Save Changes.

Test your rules​

In the same window, use Simulate a scan. Choose a Device, and optionally a Country, day and time. QRForge shows which rule would match, for example "Matches rule 2 → https://example.com/de", or "No rule matches — falls through to the default URL."

Put specific rules first​

Because the first match wins, put the most specific rules at the top. For example, Android AND Germany must come before Android. Otherwise the Android rule catches all Android users first.

Expiration​

Under Expiration, click Set expiration and choose a date and time. After that moment, the code stops working. Visitors see "This code has expired".

Scan limit​

Under Scan Limit, enter Max scans (optional). When the code has been scanned that many times, it stops working. Visitors see "This code has reached its scan limit". Useful for limited offers, such as "first 100 visitors".

Troubleshooting​

"Conditional redirection rules are available on the Pro plan and above." / "Conditional redirection, expiry, and scan-limit are not included in your current plan." See Plans and what's included. If your plan changes to one without this feature, the rules stop applying and everyone goes to the default URL.

"Start time must be earlier than end time." — A schedule cannot cross midnight. Make two rules instead, for example 18:00–23:59 and 00:00–06:00.

"Select at least one day." — Pick the days for the schedule.

The schedule switches at the wrong hour — Check the Timezone in your profile.

A rule never matches — A rule above it matches first. Change the order, and test with Simulate a scan.