QR Codes

Benecaster generates two kinds of QR code, and they are not interchangeable. One points at a public web page and is meant to be seen by everyone. The other encodes one subscriber’s private feed credential and is meant to be seen by that subscriber alone.

Two Types of QR Code

They differ by what they encode, which decides both how they must be scanned and whether you can print them in public.

Signup QR codes

These encode your show’s public signup page — the page where new listeners subscribe. Point any phone camera at one and the signup page opens, exactly as you would expect. This is the code for posters, slides, merch and show notes.

Feed QR codes

These encode a subscriber’s personal tokenized feed URL. Each subscriber gets a unique one, and it only renders for that subscriber while logged in.

A podcast app’s own QR scanner still adds the feed directly — Overcast and Pocket Casts have one built in, and scanning there subscribes the app on the spot. A phone camera hands the URL to the browser instead, and on a current browser (Safari 16.4+ and equivalent) that no longer means raw XML: it opens a landing page with the show’s artwork, one-tap Open in buttons for Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro and Podcast Addict, and a Copy field — the same page a tapped feed link opens elsewhere. An older browser still sees the raw XML, which is the same dead end as before. Podcast apps do not intercept an ordinary feed link on your domain either way, so a scan always goes through the browser first.

If what you want is one-tap adding, the QR code is not the tool. The subscriber account page already carries direct deep links — podcast://, overcast://, pktc://, castro://, podcastaddict:// — and tapping one opens the app with the feed URL pre-filled. See Adding Your Feed to a Podcast App. The QR code earns its place elsewhere: moving a feed onto a different device from the one showing the screen.

A feed QR code is a password in picture form. Anyone who scans it gets that subscriber’s feed, and the feed URL is the only credential protecting it. Never print one on anything that goes to more than one person, and never put one on a public page. If one does get out, reset that subscriber’s token — see How Feed Tokens Work.

Where QR Codes Appear

The subscriber account page displays each subscriber’s personal feed QR code automatically — there is nothing to configure. It appears alongside the feed URL, the app deep links and the download buttons. The common use is cross-device: the subscriber opens their account page on a laptop and scans the code with the podcast app on their phone.

Anywhere on your WordPress site, using the [benecaster_qr_code] shortcode. See Shortcodes Reference for full attribute documentation.

Downloading QR Codes

Each QR code displays two download buttons: SVG and PNG. Both are available by default.

SVG is a vector file — it scales to any size without pixelating. Benecaster exports at 50 mm × 50 mm with the correct quiet zone for reliable scanning at print sizes. Use SVG for:

• Podcast merchandise (stickers, tote bags, t-shirts)
• Printed handouts, booklets, and event programs
• Any context where you don’t control the final print size

PNG is a raster file at 1000 px. At 300 DPI, that’s roughly 8.4 cm × 8.4 cm — sharp for most digital and smaller print uses. Use PNG for:

• Show notes and PDF documents
• Slide decks and presentation materials
• Email newsletters and social media graphics

The size attribute on the [benecaster_qr_code] shortcode controls only the inline display size — it has no effect on the downloaded files. Download dimensions are always the same regardless of how large or small the QR code appears on screen.

By default, both SVG and PNG download buttons appear. Use the format attribute to show only one:

[benecaster_qr_code show_id="3" format="svg"]    <!-- SVG download only — for print guides -->
[benecaster_qr_code show_id="3" format="png"]    <!-- PNG download only — for web pages -->
[benecaster_qr_code show_id="3" format="both"]   <!-- default — both buttons shown -->

Practical Uses

For signup QR codes — anything public

Live events. Put one on your stage slides or event handouts. Attendees scan with the camera already in their hand and land on your signup page.

Show notes. Embed one in show notes for episodes you share publicly. Listeners reading on mobile can scan to subscribe without copying anything.

Merchandise and print. Stickers, tote bags, business cards, posters. This is the code that belongs on merch — it is a public URL, and every scanner in the world handles it.

For feed QR codes — one subscriber, one code

A second device. Someone reading their account page on a laptop wants the feed on their phone. They open their podcast app’s QR scanner and point it at the screen. This is what feed QR codes are genuinely best at, because the URL never has to be typed or emailed between devices.

A new phone. A returning subscriber replacing a handset can pull up their account page and scan rather than hunting for the URL.

Personalised inserts. A card shipped to one named subscriber can carry their own code. This is a print run of one. The same code on a general merch run would hand every buyer the same person’s private feed — use a signup QR code there instead.

Welcome emails. The Email Editor add-on can include a subscriber’s own code in their welcome email. Note that a subscriber reading that email on their phone cannot scan their own screen — the deep links are the better path there, and the QR code is for when they read it somewhere else.