The short answer
Use a dynamic QR code on the tag that opens a pet profile page with your contact and any medical notes. The pattern should be small, about 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in), on a flat tag, and engraved or printed with high contrast. Never put your home address or phone number directly into a static code, and keep a conventional engraved phone number as a backup.
How to make a QR code pet tag
Create a pet profile page
Make a simple page with your pet’s name, a photo, your contact number or a call button, and any medical or behavior notes. Share only what a finder needs.
Make a dynamic code for the page
Encode the page link in a dynamic URL code. If you move or change number, update the page and keep the tag.
Pick a tag size and finish
On a 25–30 mm tag, a code around 1.5–2 cm fills most of the face. Choose a flat, matte or engraved surface; avoid domes and glossy epoxy that reflect.
Test with several phones
Scan the finished tag with an iPhone and an Android phone, in sun and indoors. Engraved metal can be harder to scan than printed, so test every tag.
Keep a backup number
Engrave a phone number on the other side. Not every finder will scan a code, and a number works in every situation.
Size, distance and placement
- Best code type
- Dynamic URL code to a pet profile page you can update
- What not to put in a static code
- Home address, personal phone number: they cannot be changed and anyone can read them
- Tag face
- On a 25–30 mm tag: code about 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in) wide
- Scanning distance
- Tag held in the hand: 10–20 cm
- Finish
- Flat, matte printed or laser-engraved; avoid domes and glossy epoxy
- Backup
- Engraved phone number on the reverse
- Profile page
- Pet name, photo, a call button and medical notes; no home address
Why dynamic for a pet tag
You will change phone numbers, addresses and vets over a pet’s life, but a metal tag cannot be edited. A dynamic code pointing to a profile page lets you update your contact details in seconds and keeps private information off the metal. It also counts scans, so you can see when someone has looked up the tag. A static code puts what you encode into every copy of the pattern; use it only for something you will never change and are happy to publish.
Common mistakes
Tip: put a line like “If found, scan to call my owner” on the tag. A finder who understands what the code does is much more likely to scan it.
Frequently asked questions
What should a pet QR code tag link to?
A profile page with your pet’s name, a photo, your contact number and relevant medical notes. Leave off your home address.
Can I change my number after buying the tag?
With a dynamic code, yes: update the profile page. The tag itself keeps working.
How small can the code on a pet tag be?
About 1.5 cm (0.6 in) wide is a practical minimum on a clean, flat, high-contrast tag. Test every tag you make.
Should I still engrave a phone number?
Yes. Not every finder will scan a code, so keep a conventional engraved number as a backup.