Email QR Code Generator
Create a QR code that opens an email composer with the recipient, subject and message already prepared.
This generator keeps the GS1 Digital Link URI directly inside the QR code. Premium QR dynamic redirects are not used for GS1 Digital Link codes.
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Email QR Code Generator
Quick answer: An email QR code encodes a mailto: URI per RFC 6068, opening the email application with recipient, subject, and body pre-filled. The user must tap send — no email sends automatically. The MATMSG format is obsolete on modern devices and should not be used in 2026. This generator uses mailto:.
How to create an email QR code
- Enter the recipient's email address in the "To" field.
- Enter a subject line — optional, but recommended for any professional or campaign context.
- Enter the email body — optional; include only what you want pre-filled.
- Choose error correction level M for standard use. A longer subject and body increases the payload and raises the symbol version slightly.
- Customise the pattern, finder eyes, colours and logo.
- Download PNG, SVG, WEBP or JPG at 512, 1024, 2048 or 4096 px.
The code is generated in your browser as you type. Nothing is uploaded.
What an email QR code is
An email QR code is a standard QR code whose payload is a mailto: URI. The QR symbol follows ISO/IEC 18004:2015. When a device scans the code, the operating system reads the mailto: scheme, identifies it as an email URI, and opens the registered email application with the fields from the URI pre-populated. The user reviews the draft and taps send. No email is sent automatically.
The mailto: URI scheme is defined in RFC 6068, published by the Internet Engineering Task Force. RFC 6068 specifies the syntax for encoding the recipient address, subject line, body text, CC, and BCC within a single URI string.
The mailto: URI format
Syntax per RFC 6068
The basic mailto: URI structure is:
mailto:[email protected]Adding subject and body:
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Subject%20Line&body=Body%20textMultiple query parameters are separated by ampersands (&). The supported query fields defined in RFC 6068 are:
| Parameter | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| subject | Pre-filled subject line | subject=Order%20enquiry |
| body | Pre-filled message body | body=Hello%2C%0D%0AI%20have%20a%20question |
| cc | Carbon copy recipient | [email protected] |
| bcc | Blind carbon copy | [email protected] |
URL-encoding in mailto: URIs
The subject and body values must be percent-encoded per RFC 3986. The key encoding rules are:
- Spaces encode as %20 (not + — the plus sign means a literal plus in a mailto: URI, not a space)
- Line breaks encode as %0D%0A (CRLF — carriage return followed by line feed)
- At signs in the body encode as %40
- Ampersands in the body encode as %26
Example with a multiline body:
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Enquiry&body=Hello%2C%0D%0AI%20have%20a%20question%20about%20my%20order.This generates a draft addressed to [email protected], with the subject "Enquiry" and a two-line body. This generator handles the percent-encoding automatically — you type natural text in the fields and the encoded URI is built for you.
Why MATMSG is obsolete — and why you should use mailto: instead
MATMSG is an older email URI format originally developed for Japanese feature phones. The structure is:
MATMSG:TO:[email protected];SUB:Subject;BODY:Message text;;
MATMSG pre-dates the widespread adoption of mailto: on mobile operating systems. In 2026, the research consensus is clear: mailto: per RFC 6068 is the correct format for email QR codes. Multiple sources active in 2026 document that MATMSG has insufficient support on modern devices to justify its use. The elido.app source (2026-08-11) and viralrang.com both note the format's incompatibility issues on current platforms.
There is no use case where MATMSG is the better choice over mailto: on modern iOS, Android, or desktop email clients. If your generator offers a choice between the two, select mailto:. If you received a MATMSG-encoded QR code from a third party, regenerate it as a mailto: code.
The original MATMSG specification document was not locatable in the research. The format is documented as legacy and unsupported by its continued appearance on cautionary lists in 2026 QR documentation, not by a formal deprecation notice. The safe and correct choice is mailto:.
Email QR code payload length and symbol density
A minimal mailto: URI with just an email address is 25 to 40 characters. Adding a subject line of 60 characters and a body of 200 characters produces a total payload of roughly 300 to 400 characters after percent-encoding. This encodes in byte mode and may push the symbol to approximately Version 7 to 9 at error correction level M.
This is a moderately dense code — scannable at 2 cm square for close-range use, but better printed at 2.5 to 3 cm when the subject and body are both filled in. The percent-encoding of spaces and special characters can expand the character count substantially. Test the code at the intended print size before committing to a run.
When to use an email QR code
Business cards. A mailto: QR code on the reverse of a business card opens a pre-addressed email draft, so the recipient can write without transcribing the address. A pre-filled subject such as "Following up from [event name]" adds context.
Contact pages on printed materials. A brochure, poster, or handout can include a QR code for email contact. Pre-filling the subject with the campaign or product name helps the recipient know which piece of print drove the enquiry.
Conference and trade show materials. A badge or flyer with an email QR code lets attendees contact the exhibitor or speaker without hunting for a business card. The body can be pre-filled with a template ("I met you at [event] and would like to...").
Support and feedback forms. A QR code on a receipt, a product card, or a packaging insert opens a pre-addressed support email with a subject pre-filled for routing purposes.
Invoice and billing correspondence. A QR code on an invoice that pre-fills the subject with the invoice number and the payee's billing address saves the payer from transcribing either.
Media enquiries. A press kit or media page can include a QR code that opens a pre-addressed email to the press contact, with a subject line pre-filled as "Media enquiry".
Design and print requirements
Maintain a quiet zone of at least four modules on all sides. ISO/IEC 18004:2015 §6.3.3 specifies this minimum; the scanner requires unprinted margin to locate the symbol.
An email QR code with a short address and no body text is compact — perhaps Version 3 or 4 at ECC-M — and scans reliably at 2 cm square. Adding a full subject and a body of several sentences can push the symbol to Version 9 or higher. Print these larger codes at 3 cm or more.
Use dark modules on a light background. Inverted codes and low-contrast colour schemes fail more often on real-world surfaces.
If you embed a logo in the code, raise error correction to Level H. Level H tolerates approximately 30% module loss, which accommodates a centred logo covering up to about 25% of the symbol area.
Test the code on iOS Mail, Android Gmail, and at least one third-party email client before printing. Different email apps handle the mailto: fields differently — most parse the subject and body correctly, but some only pre-fill the recipient.
Troubleshooting: why your email QR code is not working
The subject or body did not pre-fill. Most modern email clients on iOS and Android support subject and body pre-fill from a mailto: URI. If a field is missing, the device's email app may not implement the full RFC 6068 query parameter support. Test on the actual device and email application your audience uses before finalising.
The subject shows encoded characters instead of text. The percent-encoding was not decoded by the email client. This is rare in modern clients but can occur in some third-party applications. Regenerate using the generator (which encodes correctly) rather than constructing the URI by hand.
Scanning opens a browser instead of an email application. The device has no default email application registered, or no email accounts are configured. A device with no configured email account may interpret the mailto: URI and still display an error. This is a device configuration issue, not a QR problem.
Spaces in the subject appear as %20 in the email client. The email client is not decoding the URI before populating the field. This is a non-standard client behaviour; the encoding is correct per RFC 6068.
The code used MATMSG format and is not being recognised. Regenerate the code as a mailto: URI. MATMSG does not have reliable support on modern devices. Discard any MATMSG-encoded codes and replace them with mailto: equivalents.
The code is too dense to scan at the printed size. A long subject and body produce a larger symbol. Either shorten the pre-filled content or increase the print size to at least 3 cm square.
mailto: versus MATMSG: which to use in 2026
| mailto: | MATMSG | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | RFC 6068 (IETF, 2011) | No formal standard; Japanese feature-phone origin |
| Modern device support | Universal on iOS, Android, desktop | Insufficient; not recommended for modern use |
| Supported fields | To, subject, body, cc, bcc | To, subject, body |
| URL-encoding required | Yes (spaces = %20, newlines = %0D%0A) | No |
| Recommended in 2026 | Yes | No |
Use mailto:. There is no reason to use MATMSG in 2026 for any new QR code targeting modern devices.
What this Email QR Code Generator gives you
This browser-based tool builds a standards-based mailto: link with recipient, subject and message body ready in the user’s email application. It is designed for feedback forms, quotation requests, support cases, event enquiries and property leads. The live preview updates while you edit, which makes it easier to catch a missing field or an unexpectedly dense symbol before download.
You can adjust matrix patterns, finder-eye styles, foreground and background colours, gradients, frames, size and an optional logo. Exports are available as SVG, PNG, WEBP and JPG at 512, 1024, 2048 or 4096 pixels. SVG is the practical choice for professional print. A high-resolution PNG suits office documents and digital artwork.
The static payload is constructed in your browser. The information entered into the generator does not need to be uploaded to create the QR image. The code opens the configured mail app but cannot guarantee delivery, attach files or send without the user’s confirmation.
Using this QR code in Bahrain and abroad
Bahrain organisations can prefill a clear bilingual subject or reference number so enquiries reach the correct team with less manual typing.
Use British English spelling in customer-facing copy when that matches your organisation’s house style, and provide Arabic wording where the audience expects it. Keep the action after scanning obvious. A short line beside the symbol such as “Scan to save the contact” or “Scan to open the location” gives people confidence before they point their camera.
Test the final design on current iPhone and Android devices. Test it again after printing on the actual paper, sticker, card, sign or packaging material. Bahrain’s bright outdoor light can expose glare and low-contrast problems that are less obvious on a computer screen. For international use, confirm country codes, currencies, time zones, regional app availability and payment-network compatibility.
Before you publish
- Correct QR payload type
- Complete and verified data
- Four-module quiet zone
- Strong foreground contrast
- Proportional square scaling
- Logo kept within safe limits
- SVG or high-resolution PNG
- Final-size device scan test
Frequently asked questions
Open a question to read a concise technical answer.
01How do I make a QR code that opens an email?+
Enter the recipient's email address, an optional subject, and an optional body in the generator. The generator encodes the data as a mailto: URI per RFC 6068. Scanning the code opens the device's email application with the fields pre-populated. The user reviews and taps send — no email is sent automatically from the QR code.
02Can I pre-fill the subject and body of an email QR code?+
Yes. The mailto: URI scheme per RFC 6068 supports query parameters for subject and body: mailto:[email protected]?subject=Your%20Subject&body=Your%20body%20text. Spaces must be encoded as %20 (not +), and line breaks as %0D%0A. The generator handles this encoding automatically — you type natural text and it builds the correctly encoded URI.
03What is the mailto: format for a QR code?+
The mailto: URI is defined in RFC 6068 by the IETF. The basic format is mailto:<address>. Add query parameters for additional fields: mailto:[email protected]?subject=Subject&body=Body. Fields include subject, body, cc, and bcc, all separated by ampersands. Values must be percent-encoded per RFC 3986.
04Should I use mailto: or MATMSG for email QR codes?+
Use mailto:. MATMSG is an older format developed for Japanese feature phones and does not have reliable support on modern iOS, Android, or desktop email clients. In 2026, multiple QR documentation sources classify MATMSG as obsolete and recommend against its use. The mailto: URI per RFC 6068 is universally supported and is the correct format for any new email QR code.
05How do I encode spaces in a mailto: QR code?+
Spaces in the subject or body of a mailto: URI must be encoded as %20 per RFC 3986. Do not use a plus sign (+) to represent a space — in a mailto: URI, a plus sign means a literal plus character. Line breaks are encoded as %0D%0A (carriage return + line feed). The generator handles this automatically; you type natural text and it encodes it correctly.
06Does an email QR code work without an email app installed?+
No. The mailto: URI requires a registered email application to handle it. On a device with no email accounts configured, scanning the code may display an error or nothing. On most smartphones with at least one email account set up, the mailto: URI opens the native or default mail application. Devices with no mail client cannot act on the URI.
07Is MATMSG obsolete?+
Yes. MATMSG is a legacy format from Japanese feature-phone era QR implementations. It has no formal standards document and does not have reliable support on modern iOS, Android, or desktop email clients. Sources active in 2026 — including elido.app and viralrang.com — document the compatibility issues and recommend mailto: per RFC 6068 instead. Do not use MATMSG for any new email QR code.
08Can I add CC and BCC to an email QR code?+
Yes. The mailto: URI per RFC 6068 supports cc and bcc as query parameters: mailto:[email protected][email protected]&[email protected]. All addresses are plain text in the URI (no percent-encoding needed for standard email addresses). Multiple CC or BCC addresses can be separated by commas within the parameter value.
09Why does my email QR code open the wrong app?+
The device opens whichever application is registered as the default mailto: handler. On iOS this is typically Apple Mail; on Android it may be Gmail or another app the user has set as default. The QR code cannot control which app opens — that is determined by the device's settings. If users need a specific app, they must configure it as the default email client on their device.
10How long can the body of an email QR code be?+
In principle, the mailto: body can be as long as the QR code can hold — up to 2,953 bytes in byte mode at Version 40, error correction level L. In practice, a body longer than 200 to 300 characters produces a dense symbol that may not scan reliably at small print sizes. Keep the body concise — a pre-filled template or a brief prompt — and increase the print size if you need more text.