Generating and re-pointing QR codes in n8n

This is the no-code path. If you'd rather call the API directly from your own backend, start with getting started with the OpenQR API and dynamic codes and scan analytics — the node calls exactly those endpoints under the hood. For the bigger picture of where automation fits, see QR codes in LLM apps and workflows.

Install the community node

The node is published to npm as n8n-nodes-openqr. On any n8n instance that allows community nodes, install it from the UI — no code, no restart:

Add the OpenQR credential

Every operation authenticates with a single API key. Create a free one at openqr.uk/api — sign in with a magic link, then mint a key (it starts with oqr_).

What the node can do

The node exposes four resources, each with its own operations — the same surface as the REST API, mapped to friendly names:

Workflow: mint a campaign code, then re-point it

Here's the canonical dynamic-code loop as an n8n workflow. A trigger fires, OpenQR creates a re-pointable code, and you store its id so a later workflow can swap the destination without reprinting anything.

The Create step's output looks like this — the same JSON the REST endpoint returns, ready to map into downstream nodes:

{
  "id": "b1c2…",
  "slug": "k7Pm2qR",
  "short_url": "https://oqr.to/k7Pm2qR",
  "destination": "https://example.com/launch-soon"
}

Now the payoff. When the real campaign page goes live, a second workflow re-points the same code. Add OpenQR → Dynamic Code → Update, set Code ID to the stored id, and set Destination to the new URL. Every future scan goes there — the printed poster is untouched.

Reading scan analytics in a workflow

Add OpenQR → Dynamic Code → Get Scans with the Code ID and an optional days window (1–365, default 30). It returns a scans summary and a fuller analytics object with a zero-filled daily series and top country/device/referrer entries — the same shape documented in the dynamic codes guide. A common pattern: a weekly Schedule Trigger → Get Scans → format → Slack/email a digest.

{
  "scans": { "total": 1840, "last7": 263, "topCountry": "GB", "topDevice": "mobile" },
  "analytics": {
    "days_window": 7,
    "window_total": 263,
    "daily": [ { "day": "2026-06-22", "n": 31 }, … ],
    "by_country": [ { "value": "GB", "n": 188 }, … ],
    "by_referrer": [ { "value": "Direct", "n": 201 }, … ]
  }
}

Batch-creating codes for a list

Single-create is capped at 20 codes per hour per account; over that the API returns 429. When you need many at once — one code per product, table or ticket — use Dynamic Code → Create Many, which maps to POST /v1/dynamic/bulk and accepts up to 200 codes in a single request. Feed it an array of { destination, label } rows (e.g. from a Spreadsheet or Split In Batches upstream) and apply an optional shared Theme across the batch.

For the full bulk patterns — chunking a large list into 200-row requests and folder organisation — see bulk QR code generation.

When to skip the node

The community node is the easiest path, but the API is plain HTTP with a Bearer header, so n8n's built-in HTTP Request node speaks it too — useful on locked-down instances that disallow community nodes. Method POST, URL https://openqr.uk/v1/dynamic, an Authorization: Bearer oqr_… header and a JSON body with destination. The node just saves you that wiring and gives you typed fields and error handling. For the endpoint reference an HTTP node would target, the OpenAPI spec is at https://openqr.uk/openapi.json.