Time-Based QR Codes: Show Your Lunch Menu at 12PM and Dinner Menu at 7PM Automatically
A time based qr code redirect guide — how one printed code can automatically switch between a lunch menu, a dinner menu, or any other time-specific destination using scheduled redirect rules, with no manual swapping required.
The Problem With One Menu, All Day
Most restaurants print one QR code and point it at one menu, which means either the lunch and dinner menus get merged into one long, cluttered page, or someone has to manually swap the destination twice a day — easy to forget, and dependent on someone remembering at exactly the right time. A time-based QR code removes the manual step entirely: the same printed table card automatically shows whichever menu is actually relevant at the moment someone scans it.
How Scheduled Redirect Rules Actually Work
SMLLR's scheduled redirect rules (Pro plan, ₹4,999/month) let you define a time window — a start time, an end time, and the destination to show during that window, matched against the current time in a timezone you set (typically Asia/Kolkata). Outside any defined window, the code falls back to its default destination. This means a single printed code can carry as many time-based rules as your day actually needs — lunch, dinner, a late-night menu, a weekday-only happy hour — without ever touching the print.
Setting Up a Lunch/Dinner Split
A typical setup: define one rule for 12:00–15:00 pointing at the lunch menu, another for 19:00–23:00 pointing at the dinner menu, and leave the code's default destination as a general page (today's specials, or simply the dinner menu if that's your primary business) for any scan outside both windows. Test by scanning the code yourself at a few different times of day before relying on it for real customers — confirm the switch actually happens at the boundary you expect, and that the timezone is set correctly so the switch doesn't happen an hour early or late.
Beyond Restaurants: Other Genuinely Useful Time-Based Cases
The same mechanism applies anywhere a destination's relevance is tied to the clock rather than the calendar:
- **Retail stores** showing in-store hours and a click-to-call number during open hours, switching to an online store link after closing.
- **Events and conferences** showing the current session's schedule block, switching automatically as the day's agenda progresses.
- **Transit and parking signage** showing different information during peak versus off-peak hours.
- **Service businesses** routing to a live booking calendar during business hours and a "leave a message" page after hours — see our [WhatsApp QR for business sales guide](/guides/whatsapp-qr-code-business-sales-india) for a related business-hours routing pattern.
Combining Time Rules With Day-of-Week Rules
Scheduled redirect rules can also be scoped to specific days, not just a time window — the same rule type covers both. If your lunch menu doesn't run on Sundays, or your dinner hours extend later on weekends, those are the same underlying feature, just with different days selected per rule. Our day-of-week QR redirect guide covers that side of the same mechanism in more depth.
A Quick Setup Checklist
Define each time window and its destination before printing, confirm the timezone is correct for your location, test-scan at the actual boundary times rather than only mid-window, and set a sensible default destination for any time outside your defined windows rather than leaving it pointed at something stale.
Create your QR code on SMLLR, set your time-based rules once, and let the clock manage your menu switches from here on.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What plan do I need for a time-based QR code?
Scheduled redirect rules, which power time-based switching, are available from the Pro plan (₹4,999/month).
Can one QR code have more than two time windows?
Yes — you can define as many scheduled redirect rules as your day actually needs (lunch, dinner, a late-night menu, and so on), each with its own time window and destination.
What happens if someone scans the code outside any defined time window?
It falls back to the code's default destination, which you should set deliberately rather than leaving pointed at whichever menu happened to be set up first.
Does the time zone matter for scheduled redirects?
Yes — each rule is matched against the current time in a timezone you set, typically Asia/Kolkata for an Indian business. Getting this wrong can switch the destination an hour early or late.
Can time-based rules also depend on the day of the week?
Yes — the same scheduled redirect rule type can be scoped to specific days as well as a time window, so a lunch menu that doesn't run on Sundays or extended weekend dinner hours use the same feature.
How should I test a time-based QR code before relying on it?
Scan it yourself at the actual boundary times you've set, not just comfortably mid-window, to confirm the switch happens exactly when you expect and the timezone is configured correctly.