Instances make Mastodon links long — codes make them one scan
The fediverse's great strength is also its addressing problem: your identity is @[email protected], and the web address depends on which server you joined. Written on a poster, that's two @ signs and a domain most people have never typed before. A QR code removes every character of it.
This page defaults to mastodon.social because it's the largest instance. If you're anywhere else, switch to "Any link" and paste your full profile URL — the code works exactly the same, and scanning still lands anyone on your profile regardless of which server they use themselves.
Worth knowing for print: a profile URL keeps working even if you migrate instances, because Mastodon leaves a redirect on the old account. It's not permanent, though, so treat a migration as a reason to reprint rather than a guarantee.
Everything happens in your browser. The QR encoder is built into this page, so your username is never sent to a server, nothing is logged, and there's no daily limit. The code is static — the link lives in the pattern itself, with no redirect service in the middle that can expire, start charging or go down.