QR Channels — subscribe by scanning a QR code
In short: Pingwire QR Channels let anyone subscribe to your notifications by scanning a branded QR code — no account or app required. Send one message and it pushes to every device that scanned. It works from a server, the dashboard, the CLI, an MCP tool, or one HTTP call.
Print a QR code on a flyer, a conference badge, product packaging, or a slide. People scan it, tap once, and they’re subscribed — then every alert you send reaches them on their phone. No app store, no sign-up form, no copy-pasting webhook URLs.
How do QR Channels work?
Three steps:
- Create a channel. Give it a name (and, on Pro, a brand color, logo, and QR style). Pingwire generates a QR code and a short subscribe link.
- Share the QR code. Download it as PNG or SVG and put it anywhere — print or screen.
- Send a message. Anything you send to the channel pushes to every device that scanned and subscribed.
What can people subscribe with?
Browser web push (the common case — works on Android, desktop Chrome/Edge/Firefox, and installed PWAs), the Pingwire app via a deep link, or their Pingwire account if they have one.
Can people subscribe without an account?
Yes — that’s the point. Scanning the code and tapping Subscribe registers the visitor’s device for web push with no account and no install. It’s the fastest path from “interested” to “getting your notifications.”
How do I send a notification to everyone who scanned my QR code?
Send to the channel and Pingwire fans it out to every active subscriber. Pick whichever fits your workflow:
curl -X POST https://pingwire.dev/api/v1/messages.php \
-H "Authorization: Bearer pw_live_xxx" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"channel":"deploys","title":"Deploy complete","text":"v2.4 is live 🚀","priority":"high"}'Or from the CLI: pingwire qr send deploys --title "Deploy complete" --body "v2.4 is live", from the dashboard quick-send box, or via the send_to_channel MCP tool in your AI agent.
People also ask
How do QR Channels work?
You create a channel in Pingwire and get a branded QR code plus a short subscribe link. When someone scans the code, they land on a subscribe page and tap once to enable web-push notifications on their device. Every message you send to that channel — from the dashboard, REST API, CLI, or MCP — fans out as a push notification to everyone who subscribed.
Can people subscribe without an account?
Yes. Scanning the QR code and tapping Subscribe registers the visitor’s browser for web push with no Pingwire account and no app install. They can also open it in the Pingwire app or log in with a Pingwire account if they prefer.
How do I send a notification to everyone who scanned my QR code?
Send a message to the channel and it reaches every active subscriber automatically. Use the dashboard quick-send box, POST to /api/v1/messages with the channel slug, run "pingwire qr send", or call the send_to_channel MCP tool. Pingwire handles the fan-out and retries.
Is the QR code branded?
Yes. On Pro you can set a brand color, drop in a center logo, and choose a square, rounded, or dots style. Download the result as PNG or SVG for print, slides, packaging, or signage.
What happens when someone unsubscribes or their device expires?
Every subscriber gets a one-click unsubscribe link. If a push endpoint expires (the browser/device is gone), Pingwire detects the 404/410 response and deactivates that subscriber automatically, so your counts stay accurate.
Can I see how many people scanned versus subscribed?
Yes. Each channel tracks scans and subscribers and shows your scan-to-subscribe conversion rate over 7, 30, or 90 days, with a daily sparkline.
Built for developers and teams
QR Channels run on the same unified send path as the rest of Pingwire, so a channel send is auditable, respects your plan limits, and reuses your existing API keys, webhooks, and the realtime chat UI. Free plans get one channel and up to 50 subscribers; Pro unlocks unlimited channels and subscribers, custom branding, vanity slugs, and 365-day analytics.