Complete QR Code Generator System in Laravel

QR codes have become a standard way to share business information: contact details, URLs, PDF files, product info, payment links, and more. But most developers only learn to generate a basic QR code.

In real-world applications, you need something more powerful:

Store QR metadata
Add brand logo or watermark
Generate short alias URLs
Track scans
Manage multiple QR types

In this guide, you will learn step by step how to build a complete QR Code system in Laravel with all these features.

View Features Database Setup

QR Codes
Laravel
Generator System

1. Features We Will Build

Your QR generator system will include the following features:

Generate Multiple QR Types

URL QR
Contact QR
Email QR
Phone QR
PDF QR
Product QR
vCard QR

Store Metadata in Database

Example fields to store in the database:

type (contact, url, pdf etc.)
data_json (all QR information as JSON)
alias (short code like abc123)
file_path (generated QR PNG path)
created_by
scan_count (optional)

Add Logo or Watermark

You will overlay your brand logo on the QR code, usually in the center.

Generate Short Alias URLs

Example:

https://yourdomain.com/q/abc12

This short URL will redirect to the original target (URL, PDF, contact page, etc.).

Dashboard to Manage All QR Codes

You can manage, view, download, and analyze all generated QR codes from an admin panel.

2. Database Structure

Create a table named qr_codes to store all QR related data.

CREATE TABLE qr_codes (
    id BIGINT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    alias VARCHAR(50) UNIQUE,
    type VARCHAR(50),
    data_json LONGTEXT,
    file_path VARCHAR(255),
    scan_count INT DEFAULT 0,
    created_by BIGINT,
    created_at TIMESTAMP NULL,
    updated_at TIMESTAMP NULL
);

3. Install Required Packages in Laravel

Install QR Code Generation Package

composer require simplesoftwareio/simple-qrcode

Install Intervention Image for Logo Processing

composer require intervention/image

Configuration for Laravel < 9

If you are using Laravel version lower than 9, register the Service Provider and Facade.

In config/app.php (providers array):

Intervention\Image\ImageServiceProvider::class,

In config/app.php (aliases array):

'Image' => Intervention\Image\Facades\Image::class,

4. Generate Short Alias Automatically

Create a helper function to generate a short alias code.

function generateAlias($length = 6)
{
    $characters = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789';
    return substr(str_shuffle($characters), 0, $length);
}

You can place this function in a helper file like app/helpers.php and load it via composer.json autoload section.

5. Generate QR Code With Logo

Below is an example controller method to generate a QR code, merge a logo, and store information in the database.

use SimpleSoftwareIO\QrCode\Facades\QrCode;
use Intervention\Image\Facades\Image;
use App\Models\QRCode;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

public function createQR(Request $request)
{
    $alias = generateAlias();
    $data = $request->all();
    $jsonData = json_encode($data);
    $qrTempPath = public_path("qrcodes/temp_{$alias}.png");
    $qrFinalPath = public_path("qrcodes/{$alias}.png");
    $logoPath = public_path('logo.png');

    // Step 1: Generate QR
    QrCode::format('png')
        ->size(500)
        ->generate($jsonData, $qrTempPath);

    // Step 2: Add Logo
    $qrImage = Image::make($qrTempPath);
    $logo = Image::make($logoPath)->resize(100, 100);
    $qrImage->insert($logo, 'center');
    $qrImage->save($qrFinalPath);

    // Step 3: Store in DB
    QRCode::create([
        'alias' => $alias,
        'type' => $request->type,
        'data_json' => $jsonData,
        'file_path' => "qrcodes/{$alias}.png",
    ]);

    return response()->json([
        'status' => 'success',
        'qr_url' => url("qrcodes/{$alias}.png"),
        'alias' => $alias
    ]);
}

This function:

Generates a QR image from JSON data.
Adds a logo at the center using Intervention Image.
Saves the final QR image.
Stores metadata in the qr_codes table.

6. Alias Redirection Route

Create a route that reads the alias and redirects or displays data based on the QR type.

In routes/web.php:

use App\Models\QRCode;

Route::get('/q/{alias}', function ($alias) {
    $qr = QRCode::where('alias', $alias)->firstOrFail();
    $data = json_decode($qr->data_json, true);

    // Increase scan count
    $qr->increment('scan_count');

    if ($qr->type == 'url') {
        return redirect()->away($data['url']);
    }
    if ($qr->type == 'contact') {
        return view('qr.contact', compact('data'));
    }
    if ($qr->type == 'pdf') {
        return redirect()->away(asset($data['pdf_path']));
    }
    return 'Invalid QR Type';
});

This route behaves like a smart redirect handler for your short alias URLs.

7. Creating Different QR Types

Example Contact QR Data

{
  "type": "contact",
  "name": "Deepak Dubey",
  "email": "deepak@example.com",
  "phone": "+91 9876543210",
  "company": "TechLabs"
}

Example URL QR Data

{
  "type": "url",
  "url": "https://deepakddubey.blogspot.com"
}

Example PDF QR Data

{
  "type": "pdf",
  "pdf_path": "uploads/documents/brochure.pdf"
}

Based on the type field, your application can decide how to handle the redirect or display page.

8. Dashboard UI Ideas

Your QR system can include a small admin dashboard with the following pages.

QR List

QR image preview
Alias
Type
Created on
Scan count
Actions (Download, View, Delete)

Create QR Page

A form where:

The user selects QR type from a dropdown.
Fields change dynamically based on QR type.
The user can upload a PDF file for PDF QR types.
The user can upload a logo image.
On submit, the system generates the QR and returns the image and alias.

QR Analytics (Optional)

Daily scan count
Device or browser information
Basic location information
Graphs using a chart library like Chart.js

9. Real-World Use Cases

Businesses

Product packaging QR codes
Marketing pages and campaign links
Payment links
Visiting card QR codes

Startups

App download QR codes
Event registration links
Information or onboarding pages

Personal Use

Digital business cards
Portfolio or blog link QR
Resume or CV QR code

Conclusion

With Laravel, you can build a full-featured QR Code Generator System that goes far beyond basic QR creation. By storing metadata, generating alias URLs, adding logos, and tracking scans, your QR tool becomes a powerful, production-ready solution that businesses and individuals can use every day.

If you extend this system with user authentication, subscription plans, and detailed analytics, you can even convert it into a complete SaaS product for QR code management.

How to Build a QR Code Generator System With Metadata, Logo & Short Alias (PHP + Laravel).