What a calendar QR code does
This code holds a calendar event in the standard iCalendar format, the same format behind the .ics files you get attached to invitations. Scanning it offers to add the event to the phone's calendar, with the title, date, time, location and notes already filled in.
The alternative is an attendee reading a date off a poster and typing it into their phone, which is exactly where the wrong month gets entered.
Filling it in
- Event name. Keep it short and recognisable, this is what appears in the calendar.
- Start and end. Pick both. An event with no end time behaves inconsistently across calendar apps.
- Location. Write it as you would on an envelope. Most phones turn it into a tappable map link.
- Notes. Useful for what to bring or a contact number. Keep it short, since every character makes the code denser.
Times are encoded as you enter them, without a timezone. The event lands in the scanner's own local time, which is what you want for a physical event where everyone is in the same place. For an online event across timezones, put the timezone in the notes as well.
Where this works well
- Event posters and flyers. The whole point of a poster is to be seen in passing; a scan captures the date before the passer by forgets it.
- Wedding and party invitations. Printed alongside the RSVP details, so the date is in the calendar the moment the card is opened.
- Class and course schedules. One code per session, or one for the first session with the pattern in the notes.
- Appointment cards. Dentists, garages, salons. Replaces the card that goes in a pocket and is never seen again.
- Conference programmes. A code per talk lets attendees build their own schedule.
Keeping the code scannable
Calendar events carry more data than most code types, because every field adds characters. A title, start, end, location and a sentence of notes can push the code to a dense grid that needs a larger print to stay reliable.
If the code is going somewhere small, drop the notes field and keep the location short. Our sizing guide shows exactly how data length translates into module size, with measurements.
Common questions
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Both read the format, though the wording differs. iPhone typically offers to create an event; Android usually opens the calendar app with the details prefilled. Test with your own phone before printing a run.
Can I include a recurring event?
The iCalendar format supports repetition rules, but support for them in phone camera scanning is patchy. For a weekly class, a single event with the pattern described in the notes is more reliable than a repeat rule that half the scanners ignore.
Can I add an alarm or reminder?
Reminders are set by the person's own calendar defaults once the event is saved. Encoding one is possible in theory and inconsistent in practice.
What if the event moves?
The date is inside the image, so a change means a new code. This is worth remembering before printing a large run for an event whose venue is not yet confirmed.
Related tools
Event organisers usually want more than one code. A location code gets people to the venue, a URL code points at a ticket or RSVP page, and a text code carries instructions that work with no signal at all.
Testing before a print run
Calendar codes are the type most worth testing, because the failure is invisible until someone turns up on the wrong day. Two checks:
- Scan it and actually save the event. Do not stop at the preview. Open the calendar afterwards and confirm the date, the start time and the end time all landed correctly.
- Test on both an iPhone and an Android phone if you can. The two platforms word the prompt differently, and occasionally handle the time fields differently too.
The most common mistake we see is an event a month out, caused by typing the date rather than using the picker. The picker removes that risk entirely.
One code or several?
For a single event, one code. For a programme of events, resist the urge to print a code per session on the same poster, because a grid of identical looking codes makes people scan none of them.
Better: one code for the event people are most likely to attend, plus a URL code pointing at a page with the full schedule. That page can carry individual add to calendar links, which are easier to choose from on a screen than on a wall.