How to Create a WhatsApp Link and QR Code (wa.me)

A WhatsApp link is a web address in the form https://wa.me/<number> that opens a chat with your number, without the customer saving it first. Write the number in full international format with no plus sign, zeros, brackets or dashes: for an Indian mobile that is wa.me/91XXXXXXXXXX. Add ?text= and a URL-encoded message to have it typed in for them, ready to send.

Turn that link into a QR code and people can scan it from a bill, a box or a shop counter to start a chat. This guide shows the exact format from WhatsApp’s Help Center, how to encode messages, the WhatsApp Business app’s built-in short link and QR code, where to place them, how to tell channels apart and how links differ from Click-to-WhatsApp ads.

The wa.me link format

WhatsApp’s Help Center calls this feature click to chat. It works for anyone with an active WhatsApp account, opens on the phone app or WhatsApp Web, and doesn’t require the person to have your number saved.

Number format rules

• Use the full international format: country code, then the number. India is 91.
• Omit any zeros, brackets or dashes, as the Help Center puts it. Don’t add the leading 0 you dial within India.
• Don’t add a plus sign or spaces. WhatsApp’s own “don’t use” example is a number written with +, a leading 00, brackets and dashes.

Adding a pre-filled message

Add ?text= after the number, followed by your message in URL-encoded form. The text appears in the customer’s typing box; they can edit it before sending, and nothing is sent until they tap send.

You don’t need to encode by hand: our free WhatsApp link generator encodes the message for you. Keep the message short and specific, such as “Hi, I’d like to book a site visit”, so the chat starts with context.

The WhatsApp Business app’s short link and QR code

If you use the WhatsApp Business app, you already have a link and a QR code. WhatsApp’s Help Center says a short link is generated automatically when you create your account:

1. Open Tools, then Short link.
2. Copy the link to paste on your website or Facebook Page, or share it directly with customers.
3. Switch on a default message and edit it, so customers who open the link see a ready-made question.
4. Tap View QR code (Android) or QR Code (iPhone) to see, share or print your business QR code.

WhatsApp says the business QR code doesn’t expire unless you reset it or delete your WhatsApp Business account, and if you have a business username it is shown on the code. When someone opens the short link in a web browser, they see a page with your business information and a Continue to chat button.

Making your own QR code

A QR code is just your wa.me link stored as an image. Any QR generator works; ours runs in your browser and gives you a downloadable image. Tips for print:

• Test before printing with two or three different phones.
• Print it large enough to scan from where people stand, and keep plenty of white space around it.
• Add a call to action next to it, such as “Scan to order on WhatsApp” or “Scan for the price list”.
• Keep the pre-filled message short. Longer links make denser codes that are harder to scan.

WhatsApp also publishes an official green or white Chat on WhatsApp button in three sizes for websites and apps. Its Help Center asks you to use the button as it is, without changes, and notes it is available in English only.

Where to put your WhatsApp link and QR code

WhatsApp’s own list of places for a business QR code includes business cards, storefront signage, product packaging, event displays, and social media and email signatures. For more ways to get chats, see WhatsApp lead generation.

Tracking chats by channel, and the limits of plain links

A plain wa.me link carries no tracking. WhatsApp doesn’t tell you which link, page or poster a chat came from. The simple workaround is a different pre-filled message for each channel:

• Instagram bio: “Hi, I found you on Instagram”
• Packaging QR: “Hi, I’m scanning from the box”
• Diwali poster: “Hi, I saw the Diwali offer (D26)”

Count the chats that start with each message. It’s approximate, because customers can edit or delete the text before sending, but it shows which channels work.

• No attribution: you can’t see clicks, scans or people who opened the chat but didn’t send anything.
• No automation on its own: the link only opens a chat; replying, tagging and follow-up happen in whatever tool runs your number.
• Customer must send first: nothing happens until they tap send.

WhatsApp links vs Click-to-WhatsApp ads

Click-to-WhatsApp ads are paid ads on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp with a Send message button that opens a chat with your business. You set them up in Meta Ads Manager after connecting your WhatsApp number to your Facebook Page.

Both work well together: links and QR codes for customers who already know you, ads to find new ones. The free window and current rates are explained in WhatsApp API pricing in India.

Opt-in: what a chat from a link allows

When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens, and you can reply with any message, including buttons and lists. After the window closes you can only send approved template messages, and only to people who have opted in to hear from you.

Meta’s opt-in rules say you must clearly state that the person is opting in to receive messages from your business, and name the business. A customer asking about one order hasn’t agreed to weekly offers, so ask for permission clearly, for example with a reply button, before adding them to WhatsApp marketing campaigns.

From link to conversation with Automate AI

Our free WhatsApp link generator makes the wa.me link and a downloadable QR code. It runs in your browser, so the number and message you type aren’t sent to us.

If your number is connected to Automate AI, every chat that comes from your link or QR code lands in the shared inbox, where your team can reply, and the contact is saved automatically. For campaigns, Smart Links in Automate AI Marketing show who tapped your links, which a plain wa.me link can’t do.