How to create a WhatsApp link
- Write the number in international format: the country code, then the number without its leading 0. A UK number 020 7946 0958 becomes 44 20 7946 0958.
- Add a message if you want the chat to start with text in the box, such as "Hi, I'd like the price list". Keep it short, since the person still has to send it.
- Copy the link and open it on a phone and on a computer before you print it or put it in an ad.
- Share it: a "Chat on WhatsApp" button on your site, your Instagram bio, an email signature, or a QR code on a menu or flyer.
WhatsApp's Help Center page on click to chat describes the link as https://wa.me/<number>, with the number in full international format and no zeroes, brackets or dashes. A pre-filled message goes after ?text= as URL-encoded text.
URL encoding writes a space as %20 and a line break as %0A. & and # have a meaning in a web address, so left as they are they cut the message short. The generator encodes every character that needs it, emoji included.
Messages on Instagram and Facebook too?
VivaDialog puts comments and DMs from Instagram, Facebook and Threads in one inbox, with keyword auto replies and AI answers written from facts you give it. For Instagram there is a matching tool: the Instagram DM link generator.
Questions about this tool
How do I create a WhatsApp link with a pre-filled message?
Write https://wa.me/ and the full number in international format, then ?text= and the message, URL-encoded. For example, https://wa.me/15550109999?text=Hi%20there opens a chat with +1 555 010 9999 with "Hi there" in the message box. The generator above does the encoding for you.
Why does my wa.me link not work?
Most often it is the number. Write it with the country code and leave out the +, any leading zero, spaces, brackets and dashes. WhatsApp's Help Center gives https://wa.me/1XXXXXXXXXX as a correct link and https://wa.me/+001-(XXX)XXXXXXX as a wrong one. The number also needs an active WhatsApp account.
Does the link send the message by itself?
No. The text appears in the message box, and the person decides whether to send it. They can change it first.
Can I make a WhatsApp link without a phone number?
Yes: https://wa.me/?text= followed by the message. WhatsApp then shows the person's contacts and they choose who gets the text. It suits a "share this" button, and it does not open a chat with you.
Does the person need to save my number first?
No. A click to chat link opens a chat with a number that is not in the person's contacts.
Does a wa.me link work on a computer?
Yes. WhatsApp says click to chat works in the phone app and on WhatsApp Web.
Is the number or message I type sent anywhere?
No. The link is built in your browser, and this page does not send the number or the message to VivaDialog or anyone else.
Also free: Instagram DM link generator, and all tools.
