WhatsApp link generator: create a wa.me link with a pre-filled message
Make a click-to-chat link customers can tap from your website, Instagram bio, email signature or a QR code. No sign-up, nothing stored: the link is generated in your browser.
How WhatsApp click-to-chat links work
A WhatsApp link is a URL that opens a chat with a specific number. The official format is https://wa.me/<number>, where the number is in full international format with no plus sign, brackets, dashes or leading zeros. Add ?text= and a URL-encoded message to pre-fill the compose box, so the customer only has to tap send.
Two formats exist and both work everywhere WhatsApp runs (iPhone, Android, WhatsApp Web, desktop):
| Format | Example | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| wa.me (short) | https://wa.me/14155550142?text=Hi%20there | Bios, flyers, QR codes, anything customers read |
| api.whatsapp.com | https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=14155550142&text=Hi%20there | Older integrations and tools that expect the long form |
Message someone on WhatsApp without saving their number
The same trick works in reverse. To message a number you haven't saved, open https://wa.me/<number> in your browser. WhatsApp opens the conversation immediately, no contact required. Many people search for a way to do this every month; the link generator above is the fastest one.
Where to put your WhatsApp link
- Website: a button in the header, footer or contact page. Copy the HTML button above, or install a floating WhatsApp chat widget with a welcome bubble and opt-in capture.
- Instagram, TikTok and Facebook bios: paste the wa.me link in the link field. Pre-fill the message with the campaign name so you know where the chat came from.
- Email signatures and newsletters: link the words “Chat on WhatsApp”.
- Google Business Profile: add the link as your chat URL.
- Packaging, receipts, menus, counters: turn the link into a QR code with the WhatsApp QR code generator.
- Ads: Meta's click-to-WhatsApp ads open a chat directly, and conversations started from them get a free entry-point window of at least 72 hours.
Short links, branded links and tracking
wa.me is already a short link. For a branded address like yourbrand.com/whatsapp, add a redirect on your own domain that points to the wa.me URL. That keeps you in control (you can change the number later) and lets you count clicks in your analytics. Avoid free public shorteners on printed materials: if the shortener shuts down, every printed QR code stops working.
Common mistakes
- Leading zero or plus sign in the number. Use
4915112345678, not+49 0151.... - Un-encoded message text. Spaces must become
%20and special characters must be encoded; the generator does this for you. - Wrong number type. The number must be registered on WhatsApp. Landlines registered through the Business app work too.
- No context. A pre-filled message like “Hi, I'm interested in the spring menu” converts far better than an empty chat.
What happens after the click
A link opens a conversation, but it doesn't answer it. If you get more than a handful of chats a day, connect your number to Recoverly: an AI assistant replies instantly from your own FAQs and product data, the shared inbox lets your team pick up threads, and automations follow up leads, bookings and orders on their own. Every chat that starts from your link opens a 24-hour service window, and Meta gives each number 1,000 free service replies a month, so those first replies usually cost nothing.
WhatsApp link questions
https://wa.me/. For a US number 415 555 0142 the link is https://wa.me/14155550142. Add ?text= followed by a URL-encoded message to pre-fill the chat. The generator above does the encoding for you.https://wa.me/<number> in any browser, replacing <number> with the full international number (for example 919876543210 for an Indian number). WhatsApp opens the chat directly. This works for numbers you don't have saved, including your own.https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=14155550142&text=Hello. It still works and behaves the same as wa.me. Use wa.me when you can because it's shorter and easier to read on flyers and in bios.
Got the link? Now automate what happens next.
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