How to Link QR Codes to External URLs or Reports in Bold Reports

Bold Reports enables you to generate QR codes that link directly to external URLs or other reports. This KB article explains how to create scannable QR codes to streamline navigation between related reports and dashboards, making it easier for end users to quickly access additional information.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Add a QR Code to the Designer Canvas

Open your report in the Bold Reports Web Designer. From the item panel, drag and drop a QR Code or 2D Barcode item onto the design canvas.

Adding a QR code to the Bold Reports canvas

2. Open the QR Code Properties

Select the QR code item on the canvas. Navigate to the Properties panel on the right side.
Under the Basic Settings section, locate the Text property.
Click the Expression Builder icon (square icon) next to the Text field and select Expression.

3. Set the Redirect Link Expression

In the Expression dialog, enter the URL that the QR code should point to. The URL must be enclosed in double quotes.
If you are linking to another report, you can include report parameters in the URL string to automatically filter the target report.
Then click OK to save the expression.

Minimal example:

="https://demos.boldreports.com/javascript/#/report-viewer/sales-order-detail"

Example with report parameters:

="https://your-server/reports/view/sales-detail?SalesID=" & Fields!SalesID.Value

Entering the URL expression in the dialog

4. Preview and Test the QR Code

Click the Preview button in the top toolbar to render the report. Once the report loads, use a mobile device or a browser-based QR scanner to scan the code and verify that it redirects to the specified destination correctly.

Previewing the generated QR code in Bold Reports

If you are embedding reports, ensure that the target report has default parameters configured or that parameters are passed correctly in the URL so the report loads immediately after scanning.