QR codes in TV ads and videos: test them from the sofa

Your cooking video ends with a shopping list for the recipe. You put a QR code beside the finished dish, watch the export on your laptop, and scan it with the phone already in your hand. It works.

Now play it on the TV. Put your phone where you normally leave it. When the shopping list appears, reach for the phone and open the camera.

Is the QR code still there?

That is the test to run before publishing a video with an on-screen call to action. It applies to a creator promoting their own download, a recorded product demonstration, and a paid TV ad. A readable QR image is only part of the task. The viewer needs time to use it, and the page that opens needs to deliver what the video offered.

Start with a reason to reach for the phone

Creators already use on-screen QR codes to make an offer during a demonstration. Scriptwriter George Blackman describes showing one while using his own custom GPT to write part of a script. The product is visible at the moment he gives viewers a way to buy it. His account of those video calls to action is a useful example of a creator controlling their own promotion.

For the cooking video, put “Get the shopping list” beside the QR code. Say what it opens while that instruction is visible. If the list arrives by email, explain that step alongside the invitation.

This is a practical TV-viewing problem. YouTube reported in February 2025 that television had become its largest viewing device in the US by watch time, based on December 2024 data. It also described QR codes among its connected-TV advertising formats. YouTube’s 2025 announcement covers both the viewing shift and paid advertising; a creator’s own in-video offer is a separate use.

Choose one action for the moment. A shopping list does not need to compete with a course pitch, a subscription request and a discount at the same time.

You’ve already shown them how to make dinner. Putting the shopping list on their phone means they can take it to the supermarket without pausing the video to write down every ingredient.

Test the version your viewer will receive

Keep the QR code still, with strong contrast and an unobstructed light border. Put it away from captions and player controls. Then export the video and test playback after the hosting platform has processed it. Scanning the original image in your editor tells you little about the version someone watches through an app on a television.

You can do a useful first check with your existing TV, phone and video editor. No special production equipment is needed.

1. Start before the offer. Sit at your usual viewing distance. Let the video play at normal speed with your phone put down. Include the spoken explanation so you can judge whether the viewer knows what to do.
2. Time the whole action. Measure from the offer appearing to the phone recognizing the QR code. Include noticing, reaching and opening the camera. Have someone who has not edited the video try it too; you already know exactly when to move.
3. Finish on the phone. Open the page and complete the promised action. For the shopping list, that means actually getting a usable list, including any email delivery or download step.
4. Repeat under another realistic condition. Try a different phone if available, captions turned on, and a lower playback quality your audience might encounter. Recheck after changing the graphic or timing.

If the viewer has to pause, move closer or wait for another appearance, record that as a problem with the uninterrupted viewing experience. They may be willing to do those things, but your first test should establish whether they need to.

There is no single display duration that makes every video usable. Your measured time gives you a starting point. Leave additional time for someone who notices later than your tester, then repeat the test without prompting them.

Fix the point where the attempt failed

Use a small record for each version rather than relying on “it scanned for me.”

What happened during playback	What to change and test again
The viewer did not notice the offer	Make the instruction readable and mention the resource while it is on screen.
The viewer reached for the phone, but the image disappeared	Show it earlier or keep it visible longer.
The camera could not recognize it from the seat	Increase its size, simplify the design and preserve its clear border. Retest the processed upload.
Captions or controls covered part of it	Move it and test those overlays again.
The scan worked, but getting the list failed	Fix the destination, form or delivery step before publishing.

For a paid TV or streaming placement, ask the publisher or ad platform which overlays and safe areas apply to that placement. Check the delivered preview as well as your export. If the available ad duration cannot accommodate the action, shorten the explanation or simplify the offer and retest.

On a phone, give the viewer a clickable route. A description link can open the same shopping list without requiring them to work out how to scan their own screen. Test that route separately.

For eligible product promotions, check the platform’s native shopping option first. YouTube announced shopping QR codes for tagged videos, and its Shopping guidance explains creator eligibility and product tagging. Verify what appears for your account and target viewing devices before adding a second QR code. An independently placed QR code is useful when your destination is your own resource or offer outside that shopping setup.

Learn which videos bring viewers to your page

A free static QR code can point to a stable page on your own website. You can update the shopping list on that page and use website analytics. Choose that option when those analytics answer the decision and you do not need a separate count for scans from the video.

A dynamic QR code gives you an editable destination without changing the video graphic. You can also count QR scans separately, even when the page stays the same. Basic activity counts are included with a Graklink dynamic QR code.

When you move the shopping list to a new website, update the destination and check that viewers can still get the recipe’s list from the video.

If you want separate results for two videos, give each its own QR code before exporting. One shared QR code cannot tell you which video produced a scan. Keep description-link clicks separate from QR scans too. Neither count, by itself, tells you how many people received the list or bought something.

Before the next upload, write down the result you need: “A viewer can get this recipe’s shopping list from their usual seat before the QR code disappears.” Play the processed video and attempt that complete task. Publish after it works.