I built a QR Code API and here's what I learned

Malachi Stark — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:19:35 +0000

Last month I needed to generate QR codes server-side for a client project. I tried a few existing APIs and... wasn't thrilled. One charged $49/mo for basic features. Another had a 100-request limit before demanding a credit card. Most had SDKs that felt like they were written in 2012.

So I built my own. And then productized it.

The API

Dead simple. One endpoint:

curl "https://api.qrcodeapi.io/generate?data=https://dev.to&size=300"Returns a QR code. That's it.

Options:

format - png, svg, or base64
size - 100-1000px
color - hex color for the QR code
bgColor - hex color for background
errorCorrection - L, M, Q, or H

Purple QR code on transparent background

curl "https://api.qrcodeapi.io/generate?data=hello&color=8b5cf6&bgColor=transparent&format=svg"## The interesting parts

Dynamic QR Codes

This was the feature I actually needed. Print a QR code on 10,000 flyers, realize the URL has a typo? With static QR codes, you're reprinting.

With dynamic QR codes, the QR points to a redirect URL that you control. Change the destination anytime without reprinting anything.

// Create a dynamic link
const response = await fetch('https://api.qrcodeapi.io/links', {
method: 'POST',
headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'your-key' },
body: JSON.stringify({ url: 'https://example.com/campaign-v1' })
});

// Returns a short code like "abc123"
// QR code points to: https://qr.qrcodeapi.io/abc123

// Later, update the destination:
await fetch('https://api.qrcodeapi.io/links/abc123', {
method: 'PUT',
headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'your-key' },
body: JSON.stringify({ url: 'https://example.com/campaign-v2' })
});### Scan Analytics

Every scan through a dynamic link gets tracked:

Device type (mobile/tablet/desktop)
Country & city (via IP geolocation)
Referrer
Timestamp

No cookies, no fingerprinting - just basic HTTP request data. Privacy-respecting analytics.

const stats = await fetch('https://api.qrcodeapi.io/analytics/abc123', {
headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'your-key' }
});

// Returns:
// {
// totalScans: 1247,
// uniqueScans: 892,
// byDevice: { mobile: 743, desktop: 401, tablet: 103 },
// byCountry: { US: 521, UK: 234, DE: 189, ... },
// byDay: [{ date: '2025-12-15', scans: 87 }, ...]
// }## Tech Stack

For the curious:

Runtime: Vercel Serverless Functions
Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL)
QR Generation: qrcode npm package
Image Processing: sharp for logo overlays
Geo-IP: geoip-lite
Payments: Stripe

The whole thing is ~15 API endpoints consolidated into 9 serverless functions (Vercel Hobby plan has a 12-function limit 😅).

TypeScript SDK

Also published an npm package:

npm install qrcode-api-sdk
import { QRCodeAPI } from 'qrcode-api-sdk';

const client = new QRCodeAPI({ apiKey: 'your-key' });

// Generate QR code
const qr = await client.generate({
data: 'https://dev.to',
format: 'svg',
color: '#000000'
});

// Create dynamic link
const link = await client.links.create({
url: 'https://example.com'
});

// Get analytics
const stats = await client.analytics.get(link.shortCode);Full TypeScript types included.

Pricing

Free: 100 QR/month (no credit card)
Starter: $9/mo - 5,000 QR/month
Pro: $29/mo - 50,000 QR/month + analytics + dynamic links

I tried to price it where indie devs can actually afford it. The free tier is enough for most side projects.

What I'd do differently

Start with dynamic QR codes first - That's what people actually pay for. Static QR generation is basically a commodity.
Build the SDK earlier - Having a proper TypeScript SDK with types makes the DX so much better. Should've done this from day one.
Don't underestimate SEO - Half my traffic comes from people googling "QR code API Node.js" or "dynamic QR code API". I spent a weekend building SEO landing pages and it was worth it.

Try it out

Would love feedback, especially on pricing and what features you'd want to see next. Thinking about adding:

Bulk generation endpoint (ZIP file with multiple QR codes)
QR code templates/styles
Webhook notifications for scan events

Let me know what would be useful! 🙏

How to Auto-Generate Open Graph Images for Your Blog (No Design Skills Needed)

Malachi Stark — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 01:39:38 +0000

🚀 UPDATE: We're Live on Product Hunt!

OG Image API just launched on Product Hunt today! If you found this article helpful, I'd really appreciate an upvote:

👉 Vote for OG Image API on Product Hunt

You know those preview cards that show up when you share a link on Twitter or LinkedIn? Those are Open Graph images, and they can make or break your click-through rate.

But making them manually in Figma for every blog post? Pain.

I built an API to solve this. Here's how to use it.

The Problem

Every blog post needs an OG image. Without one, your shared links look like this:

❌ Plain text, no preview, low engagement

With a good OG image:

✅ Eye-catching, professional, higher CTR

The Solution: Generate Them Programmatically

Instead of designing each image, just call an API:

curl -X POST https://ogimageapi.io/api/generate \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_key" \
  -d '{
    "title": "How to Build a SaaS in 2025",
    "subtitle": "A complete guide",
    "template": "blog",
    "theme": "dark"
  }' \
  --output og-image.png

That's it. One request, one image.

In Next.js

// pages/blog/[slug].js
export async function getStaticProps({ params }) {
  const post = await getPost(params.slug);

  const ogImageUrl = `https://ogimageapi.io/api/generate?title=${encodeURIComponent(post.title)}&template=blog&theme=dark`;

  return {
    props: { post, ogImageUrl }
  };
}

export default function BlogPost({ post, ogImageUrl }) {
  return (
    <>
      <Head>
        <meta property="og:image" content={ogImageUrl} />
      </Head>
      {/* ... */}
    </>
  );
}

Available Templates

blog — Perfect for articles
product — E-commerce products
profile — Author pages
stats — Metrics/dashboards
event — Conferences/meetups

Free Tier

25 images/month free — enough for most personal blogs.

Check it out: ogimageapi.io

What do you use for OG images? Would love to hear other approaches!

🚀 Launching on Product Hunt tomorrow!
Follow OG Image API on Product Hunt to get notified when we go live!

DEV Community: Malachi Stark