FAQ
Questions people ask before printing.
Does the QR code change when I change the rules?
No. That's the whole idea. The QR encodes a permanent short link. The rules decide where that link sends people at the moment it's scanned. Print once, change as often as you like.
What happens if no rule is active?
The fallback destination. Every code has one and it can't be blank, because a printed code must always land somewhere.
What if two rules overlap?
The one with the higher priority wins. If two overlap at the same priority, the app flags it, because that's the one case where the result isn't predictable. Give one of them a higher number.
Can a rule cross midnight?
Yes. A window from 11pm to 2am is understood as crossing midnight. Recurring rules run in the timezone you set on the rule, or, for something printed once and shipped everywhere, on the scanner's own clock: breakfast means their 7 to 10, wherever they are.
What happens if the page my code points at goes down?
We check every destination every five minutes. If one returns a 404 or stops answering for several checks in a row, scans see a hold page you wrote instead of a dead end, you get one email, and the moment the page answers again the code switches back on its own. A login wall or a bot-blocker doesn't count; a person with a phone gets through those fine. A printed code never shows a 404.
What if LinkShift goes away?
On your own domain, your codes are yours: the hostname is the indirection, and repointing one DNS record keeps every printed thing working without us. You can also download the whole workspace, every code, destination, rule and hold page, as a file any web server can serve, with the procedure written down. It's on the workspace page, and it isn't tied to a plan.
Will it survive a bad print?
The QR is generated with the highest error-correction level, which tolerates about 30% of the code being damaged or covered. A logo in the middle is fine. A coffee ring is usually fine.
Do you track the people who scan?
We count scans by day, device type, country when it's known, and which rule was active. The IP address is used for the country lookup and then discarded. It's never stored.
Can I use my own domain?
Yes. Add a hostname, create a TXT record and a CNAME record, and verify. Until both check out, codes keep printing with LinkShift's host so a printed QR never points at a hostname that isn't ready.
What does it cost?
Nothing, for now. LinkShift is free while we find out what it's worth. If that changes, a code you've already printed keeps resolving; we're not going to break ink.
What if I delete a code?
You archive it. Anything already printed then shows a short retired message instead of a broken page. Codes are never silently deleted for exactly this reason.
Who built this?
Atomic Locomotive, a Rails rescue and prototype shop in Austin, Texas. LinkShift is the kind of thing they build in five working days, and it's run to the same handoff standard they hold client work to.