Make in Bulk

Bulk QR code generator › From Excel

Make QR codes from Excel – one per row

Upload your .xlsx or .csv and turn every row into a QR code. The example below is loaded with a small inventory list: each code opens a stock page built from the SKU and bin columns. Replace it with your own file.

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Set up your spreadsheet

The generator treats the first row of the sheet as column names and every row after it as one QR code. That means the best layout is the one you would use for a mail merge:

  • One row per code. If you need 300 labels, you need 300 rows. Blank rows are skipped automatically.
  • One column per piece of information. Keep the SKU, product name and price in separate columns rather than one long cell, so you can combine them however you like later.
  • Short, clear column names. They become the placeholders you use in templates, so SKU is easier to work with than Stock keeping unit (internal).
  • No merged cells or title rows above the headers. If your sheet starts with a logo or a heading, delete those rows or copy the table to a new sheet. Workbooks with several sheets are fine: pick the one you want from the list that appears after uploading.

No column names at all? Untick “First row contains column names” and the columns are called Column 1, Column 2 and so on. To see a working layout, download the example inventory CSV used above and open it in Excel.

Keep leading zeros and long numbers intact

Excel is famous for changing codes that look like numbers. A part number typed as 00412 becomes 412, and a 13-digit barcode shows as 5.01235E+12. The generator does two things to avoid passing those problems on to your QR codes:

  • Numbers with a custom format, such as 00000 for leading zeros, a date or a currency, are read exactly as Excel displays them.
  • Plain numbers in the General format are read at full length, so a long barcode keeps every digit instead of turning into scientific notation.

If Excel has already removed the zeros from the underlying value, format the column as Text and type the codes again, or apply a custom number format with the right number of zeros. Formulas are fine: the generator reads the last calculated result saved in the file. If a spreadsheet was produced by another program and the formula cells come through empty, open it in Excel and save it once.

Build links from your columns

Most bulk jobs don’t have a ready-made URL in the spreadsheet; they have an ID that fits into a URL pattern. Choose Website link built from your columns and write the pattern once, inserting columns with the + Column menu:

https://stock.example.com/item/{{SKU}}?bin={{Bin}}

Values are URL-encoded as they are inserted, so a SKU with a space or an ampersand won’t break the link. If a column already contains complete links, just use {{URL}} on its own; a placeholder at the very start of the template is left as it is.

Want to see how many people scan the codes? Add campaign parameters to the end of the template, for example &utm_source=qr&utm_medium=shelf-label, and the visits will show up in your website analytics. {{#}} inserts the row number, which is handy for numbered tickets or unique references.

Name the files after a column

When you download a ZIP, each image is named from the file name template. Set it to {{SKU}} and you get 00412.png, 00413.png and so on – ready to drop into packaging artwork or a product catalogue. Characters that aren’t allowed in file names are replaced, and duplicates get -2, -3 added rather than overwriting each other.

The ZIP also contains qr-codes-index.csv, listing every file with its row number and exact content, so you can check or import the results later.

CSV or Excel file?

Either works. Excel files keep formatting information, which helps with leading zeros and dates. CSV files are simpler and open instantly; the generator detects commas, semicolons (common in European versions of Excel), tabs and pipes, and reads UTF-8, UTF-16 and older Windows encodings, so accented names come through correctly.

Using Google Sheets or Apple Numbers? Download or export the sheet as .xlsx or .csv first, then upload that file. For a quick one-off list you can also copy cells straight from the spreadsheet and paste them into the Paste a list tab.

Common snags

  • Hidden rows and filtered-out rows are included. The generator reads every row in the sheet, so delete rows you don’t want or copy the filtered result to a new sheet.
  • Dates look different. Dates are read as displayed in Excel. If you need a specific style such as 2026-09-17, set that date format in Excel before saving.
  • Some rows are flagged. Step 4 lists rows with empty cells, links that don’t look valid or content too long for a QR code. Fix them in place or untick them, and they’ll be left out.