How QR Scan Analytics Work
Scan analytics tell you exactly how many people scanned your QR code, when they scanned it, what device they used, and where in the world they were. This guide explains how it works in FREE QR 360.
In This Guide
How Scan Tracking Works
Scan analytics only work with dynamic QR codes. Here is the flow:
- You create a dynamic QR code in FREE QR 360. The QR code stores a short redirect URL (e.g.
freeqr360.com/s/abc123). - A person scans the code with their phone camera.
- Their browser opens the redirect URL on the FREE QR 360 server.
- The server logs the scan event (timestamp, IP geolocation, device type, browser) before redirecting to your destination URL.
- The visitor arrives at your page. The entire redirect takes under 200 milliseconds.
What Data Is Collected
- Timestamp: Date and time of the scan (UTC).
- Device type: Mobile, tablet or desktop — derived from the User-Agent header.
- Operating system: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, etc.
- Browser: Chrome, Safari, Samsung Internet, etc.
- Country and region: Derived from IP address using a GeoIP database.
- City: Approximate city-level location from IP geolocation.
IP addresses are used only for geolocation and are not stored in user-identifiable form. No personal data (name, email, phone) is ever collected from the person scanning.
Reading the Dashboard
After creating dynamic QR codes, your FREE QR 360 dashboard shows:
- Total scans — cumulative count since the code was created.
- Scan trend — a timeline chart showing scans per day or week.
- Device breakdown — percentage split between mobile, tablet and desktop.
- Top countries — ranked by scan volume.
- Top cities — where available based on IP accuracy.
- Browser / OS breakdown — useful for diagnosing compatibility issues.
Static vs Dynamic Analytics
Static QR codes do not support analytics. The code points directly to the destination; no server is involved in the scan. There is no way to track static QR scans without third-party tools.
Dynamic QR codes route through the FREE QR 360 redirect server, which logs each scan event. Analytics are available immediately after the first scan.
To add analytics to an existing static QR code, you need to create a new dynamic QR code and reprint it. The static code cannot be converted.