Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a page code?

A page code is simply a set of numbers that represent a URL. For example, you could generate a page code for https://www.google.com with a code like 000-152.

Q: Why numbers?

Believe it or not, humans are really good with numbers! The average human brain can easily memorize a six-digit number in seconds and retain that in memory for a good while. In fact, Miller’s Law shows that we can easily keep 5 to 9 items in our working memory!

Q: Why use page codes when there are already QR codes and url shorteners?

Page codes are best used in situations where cellphones are not handy or a situation where it would take too much time to grab your cellphone and scan the QR code. In the previous question we learned about Miller’s Law that shows humans can easily store six digit numbers in their working memory. Meaning, they can quickly remember the numbers and keep them there in working memory. This give you plenty of time to write down the numbers or even type them into Page-Code.com if your able to grab your phone.

Q: I still don’t get it…..when do we not have enough time to grab our phones and scan a QR code?

Imagine driving down the road and you see a used car for sale that catches your eye. You are at a stop light that is about to turn green. On the windshield of the car you see in big numbers with windshield paint….a six-digit page code…..000-010. The light turns green….no fear because you remembered the number! Just hold that in memory until you can write it down or type it into page code. This will take you to the AutoTrader.com link for that particular car.

Q: Oh, that’s interesting. Can you give me more use cases?

  • Imagine you are at a conference where you need to share a complex URL with the audience taking them to your latest book related to your talk. However, the conference is huge and screen are far away. Instead of expecting all the audience to try and scan a URL, simply provide a page code like 123-123 that they can write down or remember for later. This will take them to your book!
  • Same conference, but your MC has merely a brief moment to discuss how to sign up for the next conference before the next speaker comes on. This time no one has enough time to scan a QR code b/c its so brief. No sweat, pop a six-digit number on the screen and people will write it down.
  • You recently joined a forum but they don’t allow posting of URLs. No sweat, simply generate a nine-digit page code to send people to the link you wanted to share.
  • You are at a retreat where they respectfully ask you to put away cellphones for the day. However, they want to provide a link for more information that will guide you when you go home. No sweat, just have them write down a six-digit page code.
  • Let’s be honest, not everyone is so high tech they can properly scan QR codes. Let’s say you are at church or an event with a lot of boomers. Don’t expect them to be able to scan QR codes with their jitter bugs. Simply ask them to write down the page code for the URL you would like to share.
  • Someone was rushed to take a picture of a QR code. Well that pitcture isnt scannable on all phones. Further more, you text the picture to a friend to share the link....but their phone can't scan a photo for QR codes either. Would have been better to have provided a page code so they can take a picture, then later type the code into Page-Code.com

Q: Okay I’m starting to get it but any other practical advantages to page codes?

Yes, unlike QR codes and URL shorteners, page codes do not immediately take you to the URL it references. First it takes you to a validation page where you can see if the link is even trusted. Here at Page-Code.com we partner with Google and CloudFlare to give you some tools to help you know if the link is safe or not. This give you a chance to see the actual URL and if Google/CloudFlare think the URL is safe. This can be particularly helpful if you recently joined a discord or other forum where you haven’t gained trust yet. Or if you run across a very old post that you would like to validate before visiting the URL.

Q: How long does a page code last?

If you are a continuing subscriber, forever. If not, it is up to the discretion of the algorithm. If there is a link that hasn’t been used in a very long time, then it probably needs to be recycled. However, on a URL validation page, the recycled URL will show up in the history table. This is likely a scenario that won’t happen for many years, but its all up to the algorithm.

Q: How much to subscribe? What does it get me?

$15/year. You get access to generating six-digit codes. Your links persist forever unless you unsubscribe. You can generate more links per month than the free account. You can manage your subscription on Page-Code.com or Stripe.com…..totally up to you. (FYI, Stripe.com is the most respected online payment platform on the web so your payments are as secure as possible). Six-digit codes are obviously easier and faster to memorize than nine-digit codes and take up less space if you need to write them on the windshield of a car for example.