qrcode

library8.2pypypi✓ verified 27d ago

The `qrcode` library is a pure Python QR Code image generator, enabling users to encode various data types into QR code format. It offers extensive control over QR code appearance, including size, border, error correction levels, and colors. The current stable version is 8.2. The library maintains an active release cadence, with multiple recent releases, including significant updates like version 8.0, indicating ongoing development and support.

serialization

pip install qrcode

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · QRCODE

qrcode

serializationpythonv8.2

Install

1.9s avg

Import

65ms

Disk

36MB

Pass rate

10/ 10

Env Coverage10 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v8.2 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.910 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 0.068s · 37.9MB

glibc

py 3.10–3.910 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 1.9s · import 0.062s · 39MB

36MB installed

● package 36MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

qrcode

✓ import qrcode

QRCode

✓ from qrcode import QRCode

constants

✓ from qrcode import constants

This quickstart demonstrates two common ways to generate QR codes: using the convenient `qrcode.make()` shortcut for basic needs, and utilizing the `qrcode.QRCode` class for fine-grained control over parameters like version, error correction, box size, and border. Both examples save the generated QR code as a PNG image, which requires the `Pillow` library to be installed.

import qrcode import os # Data to encode data = "https://checklist.day/" # --- Simple QR code generation (shortcut) --- img_simple = qrcode.make(data) img_simple.save("simple_qrcode.png") print("Simple QR code saved as simple_qrcode.png") # --- Advanced QR code generation (QRCode class for more control) --- qr = qrcode.QRCode( version=1, # Controls the size (1-40), None for automatic (fits data) error_correction=qrcode.constants.ERROR_CORRECT_L, # Error correction level (L, M, Q, H) box_size=10, # Number of pixels per 'box' or module border=4, # Number of boxes thick the border should be (minimum 4) ) qr.add_data(data) qr.make(fit=True) # Ensures the entire data fits into the QR code img_advanced = qr.make_image(fill_color="black", back_color="white") img_advanced.save("advanced_qrcode.png") print("Advanced QR code saved as advanced_qrcode.png") # To display in a notebook (requires Pillow and an interactive environment) # img_advanced.show()

qr --version

Debug

Known issues

gotchaTo save QR codes as image files (e.g., PNG, JPEG), the Pillow library is required. Installing `qrcode` without the `[pil]` extra will not install Pillow, leading to errors when calling image-related methods like `make_image()` or `save()` if a pure Python PNG encoder (like `pypng`) is not implicitly used or insufficient.

fix

Install `qrcode` with the `pil` extra: `pip install "qrcode[pil]"`.

affects: All versions

gotchaThe QR code's visual size and density can vary significantly based on the `version` and `fit` parameters. If `version` is set to `None` (default for `QRCode` class) and `fit` is `True`, `qrcode` will automatically determine the smallest version that fits the data, potentially resulting in different sizes for slightly varied input data. This can be problematic for consistent sizing in layouts.

fix

For consistent QR code sizing, explicitly set the `version` parameter (an integer from 1 to 40) in the `QRCode` constructor and potentially set `fit=False` if you want to ensure a specific version is used, handling potential `DataOverflowError` if data doesn't fit. You can also adjust `box_size` for pixel density.

affects: All versions

gotchaChoosing the correct `error_correction` level (L, M, Q, H) is crucial. Higher error correction allows the QR code to be scanned even if partially damaged, but it increases the data density, making the QR code physically larger and potentially harder to print or scan in some scenarios. The default is `ERROR_CORRECT_M`.

fix

Carefully select the error correction level based on your use case: `L` (7%), `M` (15%), `Q` (25%), or `H` (30%). Consider the environment where the QR code will be used and the acceptable physical size/density.

affects: All versions

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'qrcode'

The 'qrcode' library has not been installed in your Python environment.

fix

pip install qrcode

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'PIL'

The 'qrcode' library relies on the 'Pillow' (PIL fork) library for image generation, but 'Pillow' is not installed in your Python environment.

fix

pip install Pillow

ValueError: Data too large to fit in QR Code with current settings.

The amount of data you are trying to encode exceeds the capacity of the currently selected QR code version and error correction level.

fix

Increase the 'version' parameter when creating the QRCode object (e.g., from version=1 to version=5 or higher) or reduce the amount of data.

AttributeError: 'QRCode' object has no attribute 'save'

The `save` method is available on the Pillow 'Image' object returned by `make_image()`, not directly on the `qrcode.QRCode` instance itself.

fix

Call `make_image()` on the `QRCode` object to get the image instance before calling `save()`:

```python
import qrcode
qr = qrcode.QRCode(version=1)
qr.add_data('Some data')
img = qr.make_image(fill_color='black', back_color='white')
img.save('my_qrcode.png')
```

Upgrade

Version history

8.2latest on PyPI · released May 1, 2025

Audit

Dependencies

PillowoptionalRequired for generating and saving QR codes as image files (e.g., PNG, JPEG). While `qrcode` can generate the QR code data structure independently, Pillow is essential for rendering it into a visual image.

Agent activity

25 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/lincolnloop/python-qrcode ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/qrcode/ ↗