# Location QR codes — geo: URIs versus map links

> A location QR code stores either a geo: URI with raw coordinates or a map service link. The geo: URI is neutral and opens whichever map app the user prefers; a Maps link is more reliable and can carry a business name, but ties everyone to one provider.

Source: https://useqr.app/location-qr-code · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

---

## Two approaches

**The geo: URI (RFC 5870):**

```
geo:51.5074,-0.1278
```

Vendor-neutral, extremely compact, and opens the user's default map app. It carries
coordinates only — no name, no label.

**A map service link:**

```
https://maps.google.com/?q=51.5074,-0.1278
https://maps.apple.com/?ll=51.5074,-0.1278&q=The+Shop
```

Longer, tied to one provider, but can carry a business name and a place id.

## Which to use

Use **geo:** when the coordinates are the whole message — a trailhead, a meeting point
in a park, an entrance on a large site. It is the smallest payload and respects the
user's app choice.

Use a **maps link** when you want the business name to appear, when you want the pin
to resolve to a verified place rather than a bare point, or when you know your audience
(a US or European high street) is overwhelmingly on one platform. Android handles
`geo:` best; iOS handling of bare `geo:` has historically been less consistent than an
Apple or Google Maps URL.

## Get the coordinates right

- Decimal degrees, not degrees-minutes-seconds. `51.5074` not `51°30'27"N`.
- Latitude first, then longitude. Reversing them is the classic error and lands you in
  the wrong hemisphere.
- Five decimal places is about one metre — more than enough. Extra digits waste modules.
- Negative for south and west.

## Pin the entrance, not the centroid

A geocoded address usually resolves to the centre of a building or plot. For a venue
with one usable entrance, a large site, or a rural property with a long track, take the
coordinates from the actual door. This is the single highest-value thing you can do
with a location QR code, and almost nobody does it.

## What it cannot do

There is no zoom level, no route and no travel mode in a bare `geo:` URI. Some
platforms accept `geo:lat,lon?z=17`, but support is uneven. For turn-by-turn directions
from wherever the user is, use a maps link with a `daddr` or `destination` parameter.

## FAQ

### Should I use geo: or a Google Maps link?
Use geo: when coordinates are the whole message and you want to respect the user's default map app. Use a maps link when you need the business name to show, or want the pin tied to a verified place.

### Which order do coordinates go in?
Latitude first, then longitude, in decimal degrees. Reversing them is the most common mistake and puts the pin in the wrong part of the world.

### How many decimal places do I need?
Five is roughly one metre of precision, which is plenty. More digits just make the code denser for no benefit.

### Can I include a business name?
Not in a bare geo: URI, which carries coordinates only. Use a maps service link if the name needs to appear.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/location
- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/calendar