How to redirect a QR code by device, location, language, or time

To route a QR code based on scan context, create a dynamic QR code and open Smart Rules. Add rules for each destination, set your conditions, and QRSurge will send each scan to the first matching destination.

Smart redirect rules are available on Starter and above.

How QR code redirect rules work

A smart rule has three parts:

If - The first condition that describes the scan context.
And or Or - The logic used when a rule has more than one condition.
Then - The action QRSurge takes when the rule matches.

The action can redirect visitors to a destination or display an inactive page. If none of the smart rules match, the scan redirects to the default QR content you entered in Destination.

That fallback is important. It catches scans that do not match your specific rules, such as unsupported devices or visitors outside a location range.

Use the default QR content as the broadest destination. Smart rules should handle the special cases, while the default destination gives every other scan a useful place to land.

Match All conditions, or Any condition

Rules are evaluated from top to bottom. The first matching rule wins, so create narrow, high-priority rules before broader rules.

Use And when a scan must satisfy every condition in the same rule. For example, a rule for "iOS visitors in the United States during event hours" would combine:

Device OS is iOS.
Country is United States.
Time is after the event start time.
Time is before the event end time.

Use Or when any condition in the same rule should be enough to match. For example, a rule for "North American visitors" could combine:

Country is one of United States and Canada.

Or, if you are using separate condition rows, a rule could match when:

Day is Saturday.
Or Day is Sunday.

When logic starts to feel hard to read, split it into multiple rules instead of forcing everything into one rule. Separate rules are usually easier to test and explain.

Choose the right redirect condition

Smart rules support different operators depending on the condition type. These operators let you build more than simple "if this, then that" redirects.

is - Matches one exact value, such as Device OS is iOS, Country is United States, or Day is Friday.
is not - Matches anything except a specific value, such as Device OS is not Android or Country is not United States.
is one of - Matches any value in a selected list. Use this for groups of days, countries, operating systems, or device languages.
is before - Matches when the scan happens before a selected date or time.
is after - Matches when the scan happens after a selected date or time.
is less than - Matches numeric values below a threshold, such as Total Scans is less than a target number or User Age is less than an age value.
is greater than - Matches numeric values above a threshold, such as Total Scans is greater than a threshold or User Age is greater than an age value.

To create a date or time window, combine conditions with And. For example, "during business hours" can be modeled as Day is one of Monday through Friday, Time is after 9:00 AM, and Time is before 5:00 PM.

Send iPhone and Android users to different app stores

App download campaigns are one of the clearest uses for smart rules. One printed QR code can send iPhone users to the App Store, Android users to Google Play, and everyone else to a general download page.

Set up the default QR content first:

Create a dynamic QR code.
In QR Code Type, choose Website or the dynamic QR type that best fits your campaign.
In Destination, enter a general app landing page that works for desktop visitors, unsupported devices, and anyone who does not match a rule.

Then add smart rules:

Navigate to Smart Rules.
Create the first rule for iOS visitors.
Set Device OS is iOS.
Set Then to Redirect to destination and enter the App Store URL.
Create a second rule for Android visitors.
Set Device OS is Android.
Set Then to Redirect to destination and enter the Google Play URL.

Create the iOS and Android rules before broader rules. The default destination should still make sense for visitors who do not match either rule.

Redirect QR scans by country, location, or language

Country, location, and language rules are useful when the same QR code needs regional or localized destinations. They can route visitors to nearby locations, regional pages, or translated content.

Use Country when the decision is regional. Some country rule examples include:

Country is United States for a US landing page.
Country is one of Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia for an English international page.
Country is not United States for non-US routing when QRSurge can detect the scanner's country.

Use Location when the rule depends on a geographic area around a selected point. Location rules can use a radius around a venue, campus, or store. This works well for location-aware experiences such as "show the event map when the person is near the venue."

Location signals can vary by network, device, and privacy settings. For critical campaigns, give the default QR content a useful fallback page instead of relying on location as the only way to reach the main destination.

Use Device Language when the destination should follow the visitor's device language rather than their physical location. This is useful for multilingual markets or translated versions of the same landing page.

Some language rule examples are:

Device Language is Spanish for a Spanish landing page.
Device Language is not English for a multilingual fallback page.

Use the default QR content as the fallback for visitors whose device language is not covered by a specific translated page.

Redirect QR scans by date, day, or time

Date, day, and time rules let one QR code change behavior without reprinting. They work well for event signage, seasonal promotions, and store hours.

Common time-based patterns include:

Before an event - Use Date is before the event date to send visitors to registration or event details.
During an event - Use Date is the event date, plus Time is after the start time and Time is before the end time, to send visitors to the live schedule or check-in page.
After an event - Use Date is after the event date to send visitors to a recap page or feedback form.
Weekday vs weekend - Use Day is one of Monday through Friday for weekday content and another rule for Saturday or Sunday.
After hours - Use Time is after closing time to send visitors to a booking page or next-day instructions.

When a time rule should follow the scanner's local time, choose the scanner time zone. When a campaign should follow one venue or event time zone, use that fixed time zone instead.

Build advanced QR code routing logic

The strongest smart rule setups usually combine multiple simple rules in a clear order.

For an app campaign with regional landing pages, you might use:

Device OS is iOS and Country is United States, then redirect to a US App Store campaign page.
Device OS is Android and Country is United States, then redirect to a US Google Play campaign page.
Device OS is one of iOS and Android, then redirect to an international app download page.
Default QR content, then send everyone else to a desktop-friendly landing page.

For an event campaign, you might use:

Date is before the event date, then redirect to registration.
Date is the event date and Time is before the event start time, then redirect to arrival instructions.
Date is the event date and Time is after the start time, then redirect to the live schedule.
Date is after the event date, then redirect to a feedback form.

For a multi-location campaign, you might use:

Location is near Store A, then redirect to the Store A offer.
Location is near Store B, then redirect to the Store B offer.
Country is one of your supported countries, then redirect to the national campaign page.
Default QR content, then redirect to the general brand page.

When two rules could both match the same scan, create the more specific rule first. A rule for iOS visitors near a venue should come before a broader iOS-only rule.

Use passcodes, scan counts, and age checks

Smart rules can also support more specialized scan flows.

Passcode - Ask visitors for a shared code before sending them to a private offer or attendee page. Use campaign password protection instead when one password should gate the entire QR code.
Total Scans - Change the destination after a scan threshold, such as switching from a limited offer to a waitlist.
User Age - Ask visitors for an age value before routing to an age-appropriate destination or showing an inactive page.

Passcode and user age rules may prompt visitors for missing information before QRSurge can evaluate the rule. Use those conditions only when the extra step is part of the intended scan experience.

Test QR code redirects before launch

Test smart rules from the QR code itself, not only from the destination URL. The redirect behavior happens during the scan path, so the QR code needs to be part of the test.

Before launch, check:

iOS and Android devices route to the expected destinations.
Desktop or unsupported devices land on the default QR content.
Date and time rules behave correctly in the intended time zone.
Country and location rules have a useful fallback destination.
Passcode and age prompts appear only when expected.
The inactive-page action appears only for the intended rule.
Test scans appear in Analytics for dynamic QR codes.

If a scan opens the default destination, the scan probably did not match any rule. Review:

The rule order
The selected And or Or logic
The condition operator
The fallback destination

More smart rule help

How to set up a branded QR code campaign How to use QR codes on product packaging, labels, or hang tags