QR & Barcode — generator + reader (no key)

Generate QR codes and barcodes — and read them back — behind a clean HTTP API (and MCP tool). Encode any text/URL into a crisp PNG, SVG, JPEG or WebP, in a batch if you like, with colours, size and error-correction control; or point it at an image and get back every code it contains. Supports QR, EAN-13/8, UPC-A/E, Code 128/39/93, ITF-14, Codabar, GS1-128, Data Matrix, PDF417 and Aztec. No API key. Pay per code.

• 🔳 Generate — QR or barcode → PNG/SVG/JPEG/WebP. Set error-correction (L–H), size, quiet-zone margin, foreground/background colours, and a human-readable caption.
• 🧾 Barcodes — retail (EAN/UPC), logistics (Code 128, ITF-14, GS1-128), and 2D (Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec).
• 📷 Read — decode QR + barcodes from a photo or screenshot; returns each code's text + format.
• 🧺 Batch — encode many values in one call; each returned as a URL.
• 💵 Pay per code · no key.

The use case it was built for

Tickets, product labels, inventory, payment links, Wi-Fi cards, event passes — anything that needs a code generated at scale or scanned from an image. Drop this into a backend or an agent (over MCP): send a list of SKUs and get labelled barcodes, or send a scanned document and get the codes out. No design tools, no desktop software.

Sample output (generate)

{
  "ok": true, "type": "qr", "format": "png", "count": 1,
  "images": [
    { "id": "code-0", "data": "https://synthetic.com.ar", "type": "qr",
      "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/…/records/generate-….png" }
  ]
}

Sample output (read)

{ "ok": true, "count": 2, "codes": [
  { "text": "https://synthetic.com.ar", "format": "QR_CODE" },
  { "text": "5901234123457", "format": "EAN_13" }
] }

How to use

• HTTP API (Standby): POST /generate or /read. GET / returns help.
• Normal run: pass { operation, ... } as input; results land in the dataset + key-value store.
• MCP tool: expose it to your agent via Apify's MCP server.

Input

• operation — generate or read.
• data — (generate) text/URL, or a list for a batch.
• type — qr (default) · code128 · ean13 · ean8 · upca · upce · code39 · code93 · itf14 · codabar · datamatrix · pdf417 · aztec · gs1128.
• format — png (default) · svg (QR) · jpeg · webp. ecc — QR error correction L/M/Q/H.
• width / scale / margin / color / background / includetext — sizing, colours, and the barcode caption.
• image — (read) an image URL or base64 to decode.

Pricing

Per code from $0.004 (down to $0.0015 on higher tiers). Generating a batch of 10 = 10 codes; reading an image with 3 codes = 3 codes.

Related Actors

• Image Converter & Optimizer — resize/convert the code images.

FAQ

Which barcode types can it read? QR, EAN-13/8, UPC-A/E, Code 128/39/93, ITF, Codabar, Data Matrix, PDF417 and Aztec.

Can I brand a QR with colours? Yes — set color and background (hex), and use ecc: "H" if you'll drop a logo on top.

Best input for reading? A sharp, high-contrast image with a little blank margin around the code.

Notes & limits

Up to 50 codes generated per call. Reading works best on clean images; very small, blurry or skewed codes may not decode.