How to make a QR code that opens your presentation
A QR code is just a link people can scan. The hard part is the link behind it: it has to open on any phone, play the deck properly, and still work next month after you have changed slide 7. Here is how to set that up for a Keynote deck.
The short answer
Upload your Keynote's HTML export to Linkdeck, copy the link, and turn it into a QR code with any generator. For anything printed, use a Pro deck: the link does not expire, and replacing the deck in place means the code always opens the latest version.
Step by step
- In Keynote for Mac: File → Export To → HTML, then right-click the folder and choose Compress.
- Upload the .zip on linkdeck.me. On Pro, set a short slug such as linkdeck.me/expo-talk.
- Paste the link into a QR generator. Chrome on a desktop can create one from its share menu.
- Download the code as PNG or SVG and place it on your last slide, poster or handout.
- Scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone before you print.
Use a code that points straight at your link
Some QR services encode their own short link that redirects to yours, so they can count scans or change the target later. If that service ends your trial or shuts down, every printed code breaks. Choose a static code that encodes the Linkdeck URL directly; Linkdeck already lets you change the deck behind it.
Why a free deck is wrong for print
Free decks stop working after 3 days, or 24 hours if you upload without an account. That is fine for a code on screen at Thursday's meeting and wrong for anything printed. Pro links do not expire while you subscribe, and Pro is €12 a month.
What people see when they scan
The deck opens in the phone's browser: builds, transitions, clips playing inside the slide, sound on the first tap. On Pro you see views by country and device and time per slide, and with the email gate on, the address of everyone who opened it. For a talk or a stand, that is your follow-up list.
Questions
Does Linkdeck make the QR code?
No. Use any QR generator. A Linkdeck link is an ordinary web address, so every generator handles it.
Will the code still work after I update the deck?
On Pro, yes. Replace the deck in place and the URL stays the same, so the printed code opens the new version.
Can I see how many people scanned it?
Linkdeck counts views of the deck, not scans. On Pro, those views come with country, device and time per slide.
Make the link before you make the code
Upload your Keynote export free to test it on your phone. Go Pro (€12 a month) before you print.