How to track direct mail with QR codes
How per-recipient QR codes attribute direct mail response to a contact, how to design one that gets scanned, and what to measure.
Short answer
Give every recipient their own QR code that points to a tracked redirect link. When someone scans, the link records which contact it belongs to and forwards them to your landing page with that contact's ID, so you can attribute the response to a specific person and follow up.
Per-recipient or campaign QR codes?
| One code per campaign | One code per recipient | |
|---|---|---|
| What a scan tells you | Someone on the list scanned | Which contact's code was scanned |
| Follow-up | Generic | You know who to call |
| CRM attribution | Only through a form fill | Automatic, through the contact's ID |
| Setup | One image | Variable printing, one code per piece |
For B2B outbound to named people, use per-recipient codes.
How does a QR scan get attributed to a contact?
- Before printing, create a short, unique link per recipient (
go.example/7KQ2MXP4RA) and store which contact it belongs to. - Encode that link in the recipient's QR code.
- On a scan, the link service records the time and rough device type against that contact.
- It redirects to your landing page with a reference token and, optionally, the contact's CRM ID as URL parameters.
- Your landing page or form reads the parameters, so the visit lands on the right CRM record.
What should the landing page do?
- Continue the letter with one easy action: book a time, get what the letter offered, or reply.
- Work on a phone. QR visits start on one, so test on one.
- Capture the contact ID in hidden form fields or your scheduling tool, so nobody has to type their details.
- Skip the name greeting. Greeting someone by name from a URL parameter feels intrusive and breaks when the letter is passed to a colleague.
How do you design a QR code that scans?
- Size. A common rule of thumb is at least about 2 cm (0.8 in) across. Bigger is safer.
- Quiet zone. Leave clear space around the code, conventionally four modules (its small squares) wide.
- Contrast. Dark on light. Light-on-dark and low-contrast colors scan poorly on some phones.
- Short links. A shorter URL makes bigger modules at the same size.
- Error correction for logos. QR codes have four levels (L, M, Q, H). A center logo covers part of the code, so use a higher level and a small logo.
- Avoid folds and the envelope window, and test the printed proof with more than one phone.
Mailyard prints a styled per-recipient code (shapes, colors, frames, an optional center logo) on the short domain go.mailyard.ai, and you approve production proofs before anything mails.
What call to action should go next to the code?
Put one plain sentence beside it that says what happens:
- "Scan to pick a 15-minute slot with me."
- "Scan for the benchmark report I mentioned."
Place the code near the end of the letter, repeat the offer in the P.S., and print a plain web address for anyone who won't scan.
What should you measure?
| Metric | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Letters delivered | The denominator. An undelivered letter can't be scanned. |
| Contacts who scanned | Count people. Three scans by one person is one response. |
| Scan rate | Contacts who scanned divided by letters delivered (or mailed, if delivery isn't tracked). |
| Repeat scans | A later scan, or a colleague's, often means the letter is being shared. |
| Time from delivery to scan | Tells you when to follow up next time. |
| Meetings and replies | The outcome. Scans are a leading signal. |
Why filter out automated scans?
Email security tools and chat apps fetch links to preview them, so a tracking link pasted into a message gets machine visits. So do your team's proof scans. Exclude both. Mailyard's Mail Analytics filters out automated link scanners and proof scans and counts each contact once.
Can you change the destination after the letters print?
Yes, if each code points to a redirect you control (a "dynamic" QR code). The printed link stays the same and you change where it forwards: fix a broken page, swap an expired offer or point one contact to a page for their account. A code that encodes the final page directly can't change after printing.
What are the privacy considerations?
- Use random tokens in printed links, never names or emails, which get copied, logged and shared.
- Record only the time and a rough device type from a scan.
- Mention tracked links in your privacy policy.
- Suppress anyone who opts out, including from future mail.
FAQ
Can I see who scanned my direct mail QR code?
Only if each recipient gets their own code. A single campaign code tells you how many scans happened, not who made them.
Do QR codes work on black-and-white letters?
Yes. A black code on white paper is the most reliable combination.
Does a QR scan mean the person read the letter?
It means someone scanned that person's code, which usually means they read enough to act. It doesn't prove who held the phone, so treat it as a strong signal to follow up.