QR code error correction, explained with a live demo

What the L, M, Q and H error-correction levels really mean: drag the slider to damage a live QR code and watch when each level stops scanning.

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0 × 0 modules · level M recovers up to 15%
The recovery percentage is about damaged data, not area. A centred patch hits data and correction blocks alike, so a code usually dies well before the headline number. Notice how the higher levels also add modules: the same link needs a bigger print.
1

Pick an error-correction level. Higher levels add more redundancy and more modules.

2

Drag the damage slider to cover part of the code.

3

The verdict updates live as the decoder loses and regains the code.

Questions

What do the QR error correction levels mean?+

L recovers about 7% of damaged data, M 15%, Q 25% and H 30%. Higher levels cost more modules, so the code gets denser for the same content.

Which level should I use?+

M for most links. Q or H when a logo will cover the centre or the print will live outdoors. L only when the code must be as small as possible and stays clean.

Does error correction let me put a logo in the middle?+

Up to a point. Covering under 20% of the area with level H usually works. Covering a finder pattern in a corner never does, at any level.

How does AriaQR fit a whole picture in?+

It does not rely on error correction to hide damage. The image is placed in the free bits of the code so the data is intact, then every code is verified on real decoders.

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The next step

Make the code the artwork.

These tools make and check classic codes. AriaQR turns your photo, logo or illustration into the code itself, verified on real decoders before you download, with a link you can edit and track.

An AriaQR picture code