QR codes for museums and galleries that outlive the exhibition
If you run a small museum or gallery, you know the label problem. Every show means new wall text, new artist pages, new audio-guide tracks — and if you print QR codes on those labels, the codes die the day the show closes. So either you reprint everything each time, or you skip QR codes entirely and visitors never find the audio guide.
A ScanTrail QR code works differently. The printed code encodes a permanent short link, and you decide where that link goes — and change it whenever you want. Put a code next to the wall text in position 4 of the main room, and this month it points to your current artist's page. Next show, log in, paste the new URL, done. The vinyl on the wall and the acrylic label holder never change.
You also get to see what visitors actually do: scans per day per code, a time-of-day histogram you can lay against your opening hours, plus country and device breakdowns. When the board asks whether anyone used the audio guide for the spring show, you'll have a real answer instead of a guess.
Create your dynamic QR code
Free to start · no card required · takes about 30 seconds
Change the audio guide link without touching the wall
Each dynamic code is a permanent short link with an editable destination. Rotate exhibitions every six weeks and keep the same printed codes on your labels, plinths, and window vinyl. Repointing takes a minute in the dashboard; there's no reprint, no re-laminating, no ladder.
See which works visitors actually engage with
Every code tracks scans per day, time of day, country, and device. Compare scan counts across pieces to learn what pulls people in, check whether weekend visitors behave differently from weekday ones, and see how many international visitors you're drawing. Pro accounts can export it all as CSV for reports.
Print files that hold up at any size
Download codes as SVG or PNG. SVG is vector, so the same file works on a 2 cm label and a 2 m window decal without going fuzzy. On Pro you can set custom QR colors to match your wall text and exhibition graphics instead of defaulting to black on white.
Nothing for visitors to install
Visitors scan with their phone's built-in camera — no app, no account. Redirects are served from Cloudflare's edge network, so the jump from code to content is quick even when your galleries have spotty reception near the entrance.
How to set it up
- Sign up free at forever-scan.com — the free plan includes 3 dynamic codes, enough to trial one room or one show.
- Create a dynamic code and point it at your current exhibition's audio guide, artist page, or catalog entry.
- Download the code as SVG (for vinyl and large-format printing) or PNG, and drop it into your label template.
- Print your labels and install as usual — visitors scan with their phone camera, no app needed.
- When the show changes, edit the code's destination in your dashboard. The printed code on the wall keeps working, now pointing at the new content.
Common questions
What happens to our codes if we stop paying for Pro?
Your account moves to the free plan, which keeps 3 dynamic codes redirecting. Nothing printed goes dark on those codes — you keep editing their destinations, and you keep the last 7 days of analytics. If you're running more codes than that, consolidate the ones that matter before downgrading.
How much does it cost?
The free plan gives you 3 dynamic codes, 7 days of analytics, and unlimited static QR downloads with no account required. Pro is $1/month or $10/year and raises the limit to 1,000 dynamic codes, with full analytics history, custom QR colors, and CSV export. For most small museums, one Pro account covers every label in the building.
Do visitors need to download an app to scan the codes?
No. Any modern phone camera scans QR codes natively — visitors point, tap the link, and land on your page. Redirects run on Cloudflare's edge network, so they resolve fast.
When is a free static QR code enough?
Use static codes for things that never change: your visitor WiFi (there's a free WiFi QR generator at /tools/), a staff contact card via the vCard generator, or a permanent-collection page with a stable URL. Use dynamic codes for anything tied to a rotating show — audio guides, artist pages, event listings — because those URLs change and reprinting labels is exactly what you're trying to avoid.
Can we reuse the same physical labels across exhibitions?
Yes — that's the point. Print a generic label like 'Scan for audio guide' with a dynamic code, mount it at each stop, and repoint each code's destination when the show turns over. Positions stay fixed; content changes behind them.
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Create your dynamic QR code
Free to start · no card required · takes about 30 seconds