Rick Roll QR Code

The rick roll QR code is a QR code that, when scanned, opens Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up video instead of whatever the scanner expected — the internet's oldest bait-and-switch prank, delivered as a scannable square instead of a disguised link. The one below is ready to use: download it as a clean PNG (up to 1000px, print-ready), stick it anywhere a curious person might scan it, and wait. No watermark, no sign-up, and because the URL is encoded directly into the pattern, it never expires.

What Is This Tool?

Rickrolling is the internet's longest-running bait-and-switch joke: promise something interesting, deliver Rick Astley's 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up. A rickroll QR code is the physical-world version — instead of a disguised link, it's a scannable square you can print on stickers, posters, name tags or party invitations.

This page serves the classic, unmodified rickroll: the code points straight to the official YouTube video. It's a static QR code, so the link is baked into the image itself — it keeps working forever, with no tracking and no middleman server.

Why Use It?

Ready to go: no need to configure anything — download and print.
Print-ready PNG up to 1000px with proper quiet zone for reliable scanning.
Static and permanent: the code encodes the YouTube URL directly and never expires.
No watermark, no account, generated in your browser.
Want a different destination? One click takes you to the full QR generator.

How to Use

Pick a size — 300px for screens, 1000px if you're printing stickers or posters.
Click "Download PNG".
Print it and place it somewhere tempting: a "free Wi-Fi" poster, a conference badge, a bar menu…
Scan it yourself first to confirm it works. Never gonna let you down.

Example

Input

Scan the QR code with any phone camera

Output

YouTube opens: Rick Astley — Never Gonna Give You Up (Official Video)

Works on iPhone and Android with the built-in camera app — no QR app needed.

Prank ideas (harmless ones)

Print small stickers and put one inside a birthday card.
Add it to the last slide of a presentation labeled "bonus resources".
Tape one to the office fridge with the caption "scan for the cleaning schedule".
Use it as the QR code on a fake "free Wi-Fi" flyer at a party.
Swap your own contact-card QR for it on April Fools' Day.

How a static QR code actually works

A QR code doesn't "look up" a URL anywhere — the URL's characters are encoded directly into the black-and-white pixel pattern itself, using an error-correction scheme (Reed-Solomon codes) that lets a scanner read the code correctly even if part of it is smudged, torn, or covered by up to roughly 30% at the highest correction level. This is exactly why this rickroll code, and any static QR code, works forever with zero infrastructure: there's no server that could go down, no shortened-link service that could expire or get repurposed — the destination is baked into the pattern, permanently, the moment it's generated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the rick roll QR code expire?

No. It's a static QR code: the YouTube URL is encoded directly into the pattern, with no redirect server in between. It will keep rickrolling people for as long as YouTube exists.

Can I make a rickroll QR code that points to a different video or link?

Yes — use our QR code generator, paste any URL and download the result. Same deal: free, no watermark, never expires.

Is it legal to print and use a rickroll QR code?

For harmless pranks among friends, posters at a party or your own materials — generally yes, it just links to a public YouTube video. Don't stick it over real QR codes (menus, payment codes, parking meters): covering or replacing functional codes can cause real harm and may be illegal.

Why do people rickroll?

It started on 4chan in 2007 and became the internet's favorite harmless prank: the payoff is a genuinely good song, so nobody really loses. Rick Astley himself has embraced the meme — the official video now has billions of views largely thanks to it. See Wikipedia's Rickrolling article for the full history.

Is the printable version big enough for a poster?

Yes, for most printed uses. Pick 300px for a small sticker or badge (roughly 2-3cm printed), or 1000px for anything bigger — a full poster, a flyer, or a large sticker sheet. Higher resolution just means the code stays sharp at larger print sizes; the content encoded is identical at every size.

Can I copy and paste the rick roll QR code?

Not as text — a QR code is an image, not something you can copy-paste like a link. But you can download the PNG with the button above, or right-click (long-press on mobile) the code and choose "Save image" / "Copy image", then paste or attach it wherever you'd paste a normal picture.

Is a rick roll QR code the same as a barcode?

No. A QR code is a two-dimensional square pattern that can hold a full URL; a barcode is the older one-dimensional line pattern used mostly for product lookups and can't encode a link. This tool generates a QR code, not a barcode.

I just want the rickroll link, not a QR code — where is it?

The QR code above encodes the official video URL directly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ. Copy that link if you'd rather send it directly than print or share a scannable code.

Can I draw a rick roll QR code by hand, or use one as a patch/sticker template?

This page generates a real, scannable PNG rather than a hand-drawing guide — QR codes are precise pixel grids with built-in error correction, so freehand copies usually won't scan reliably. For a patch or sticker, download the 1000px PNG and have it printed (iron-on transfer, sticker paper, or a print shop) rather than redrawing it by hand.