Why scan counts might look different from Google Analytics

It's common to see a mismatch between scan counts in Unqode SmartQR and session counts in Google Analytics. This is expected behaviour — the two tools measure different things.

Reason 1 — Bots and crawlers

Unqode SmartQR counts every request to the redirect URL, including those from bots and web crawlers. Google Analytics filters out most known bots. This means Unqode SmartQR may show more events than GA.

Reason 2 — Ad blockers and tracking blockers

Google Analytics can be blocked by browser extensions, iOS privacy features, or Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention. Unqode SmartQR tracks scans at the redirect level (before the user's browser loads your website), so it's unaffected by ad blockers.

Reason 3 — JavaScript must load

Google Analytics requires its JavaScript to load and execute on the destination page. If a user scans the QR code but leaves the page before it fully loads (or if the script is blocked), GA records no session. Unqode SmartQR records the scan the moment the redirect is requested.

Reason 4 — Session timeout differences

GA groups page views into sessions (default 30-minute timeout). Multiple scans in a row might be grouped into one session. Unqode SmartQR counts each scan separately.

Which number to trust?

Use Unqode SmartQR data to measure how many people scanned your QR code. Use Google Analytics to measure what they did on your website after scanning. The two are complementary, not competing.