Written directions are ambiguous — "next to the blue building" only works if the blue building is still blue and you're standing where the writer imagined. A location QR code sidesteps all of that by encoding exact GPS coordinates: scanning it opens the phone's default maps app already centered on that precise point, ready for turn-by-turn directions.
The Format Behind It
A location QR code encodes a geo: URI — a standard scheme both Android and iOS recognize natively:
geo:12.9716,77.5946The two numbers are latitude and longitude. When a phone's camera reads a string starting with geo:, it offers to open it in the device's default maps app (Google Maps on most Android phones, Apple Maps or Google Maps on iPhone, depending on what's set as default) — already zoomed to that exact point, no address lookup required.
Finding Your Coordinates
The easiest way: open Google Maps, long-press the exact spot you want, and the latitude/longitude pair appears at the bottom of the screen — tap it to copy both numbers. This works for anywhere: your shop's front door, a specific gate at a venue, a delivery drop-off point, even a spot with no street address at all, like a trailhead or a farm entrance.
Generating One on ILoveConvert
- Go to the QR Code Generator and select "Location"
- Enter the latitude and longitude (from Google Maps, as above)
- Download and add it to signage, an invitation, or a delivery instructions sheet
Where This Beats a Typed Address
| Situation | Why coordinates win over an address |
|---|---|
| Venues with no clear street address | Farmhouses, event grounds, specific building entrances — coordinates are unambiguous, addresses often aren't |
| Wedding invitations / event cards | Guests get one tap to directions instead of typing a venue name into search and hoping it's the right result |
| Delivery or pickup instructions | Removes "which gate" or "which entrance" confusion entirely |
| International visitors | Coordinates work identically regardless of local address formatting conventions |
One Limitation Worth Knowing
A geo: link opens whatever maps app is set as the device's default — it can't force a specific app (like Google Maps specifically) to open over the user's chosen default. In practice this rarely matters, since Google Maps and Apple Maps both handle the format identically, but it's worth knowing if you were expecting to control which app opens.
Coordinates are encoded entirely in your browser when you generate the code — nothing is looked up, geocoded, or stored on our servers.