Updated September 15, 2026
QR code payloads reference
A QR code carries data; the reading app decides what to offer next. Utilumo displays the data locally and offers a separate open action only for eligible HTTP or HTTPS links.
Common contents
| Type | Example | What to review |
|---|---|---|
| Web link | https://example.com/menu | Read the actual hostname before opening. The URL may redirect. |
mailto:hello@example.com | Review recipient and any prefilled subject or body. | |
| Phone | tel:+431234567 | Check the number and country code before calling. |
| Message | sms:+431234567 | Review the recipient and message before sending. |
| Wi-Fi | WIFI:T:WPA;S:Guest;P:example;; | May contain a password. Verify the network owner before joining. |
| Contact | BEGIN:VCARD … END:VCARD | Review the fields before saving contact data. |
| Location | geo:48.2,16.37 | Coordinates may reveal a private location. |
| App URI or text | custom-app:action or plain text | An app can interpret this differently. Inspect before acting. |
Payload labels are a convenienceThe reader recognizes common prefixes, not every variant or every field. It does not validate credentials, verify contacts or execute app actions. UTF-8 byte text and numeric, alphanumeric and Kanji segments are supported. If a byte segment cannot be fully read as UTF-8, or an explicit encoding marker names another character set, the reader reports an encoding error and offers no link.
URL details the reader exposes
| Detail | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hostname | The parsed host; a familiar name in the path is not the destination. |
| Credentials before @ | Not the hostname. Utilumo withholds the open action for these URLs. |
| xn-- hostname label | ASCII representation of an internationalized domain. Compare it carefully. |
| http: | Unencrypted connection. HTTPS encryption would not prove ownership or honesty either. |
| Redirect target | Unknown here. The reader does not follow links, including shortened URLs. |
Inspect without contacting the destinationDecoding a local image does not require a request to the encoded site. Clicking Open inspected link does leave Utilumo and makes a normal browser request to that destination.
References
Questions
Can two QR codes lead to the same website?
Yes. Their text can be identical, or different URLs can redirect to the same destination. This reader shows the encoded text without resolving redirects.
Does the reader connect to Wi-Fi or open an app?
No. Wi-Fi, email, phone, contact and app payloads stay text-only here. Only eligible HTTP and HTTPS links receive a separate, user-activated open action.