Sheet 06 · replies
Start the message already written.
A code that opens a draft with the recipient, subject and body filled in. The user only has to press send, which is the only part worth making them do.
Content
pick what goes insideAppearance
Plate
waiting for input
Remove the typing, keep the send
An email code prefills the recipient, the subject and the body. The user still presses send, which is why this format is not spammy: it is a shortcut for someone who already decided to write to you.
The SMS format does the same for a text message. Both are useful in exactly the places where typing is annoying and the user's intent is already clear: a support card, a "request a quote" page, a QR sticker on a delivery box.
What the payloads look like
mailto:hi@example.com?subject=Question&body=Hello
SMSTO:+14155550123:Hello there
When not to use them
- Marketing blasts. A prefilled "buy now" message reads as spam, because it is.
- Anything that needs a form. If you need structured data, a landing page beats a prefilled email every time.
- Long messages. Every character is modules in the square. Two sentences is fine, a paragraph is a blurry code.
- Numbers that change. A printed code carries a fixed number, so use a line that will still exist next year.
Email and SMS questions
Why use an email code instead of a short link?
Because it opens a draft with the recipient, subject and body already filled in. There is no landing page, no form, and nothing to host.
Does the email code work in every mail app?
It uses the standard mailto: scheme, which every desktop and mobile mail client handles. Some webmail clients open their own compose window instead.
Can I use a SMS code for verification?
You can prefill the message, but a QR code cannot send an SMS by itself. The user still taps Send, which is the right behaviour anyway.
What is the SMSTO format?
It is the widely used Android SMS QR format: SMSTO:number:message. iOS reads it through the same camera handoff in most versions.
Do these codes cost anything to generate?
No. Nothing is uploaded and there is no service involved, so there is nothing to meter.
Other sheets
QR Forge Desktop — $19 once
Everything on this page, minus the browser tab and the limits: batch generation from a CSV, your logo in the middle, vector PDF for print shops, and a folder you can keep on a machine that never goes online.