# WhatsApp link and QR code generator > To create a WhatsApp link, use the wa.me address followed by the number in international format, without the + sign or the leading 0: https://wa.me/447700900123. Add ?text= and an encoded message to pre-fill it. The tool below does it for you and creates the QR code, without sending anything to a server. Key points - Format: https://wa.me/\?text=\. The number includes the country code, with no +, no leading 0 and no spaces: 07700 900123 becomes 447700900123. - The link opens a chat with your number without the customer having to save it, on a phone or a computer. The number must have an active WhatsApp account. - The pre-filled message appears in the message box: the customer can change it, and they are the one who sends it. ## How to create a WhatsApp link in 4 steps 1. Choose the country and enter your WhatsApp number, with or without the leading 0. 2. If you like, write the message the customer will find already written, such as “Hello, I would like a quote”. 3. Select Create the link, then Copy the link. Test it on your phone before sharing it. 4. Download the QR code as PNG for a screen or a document, or as SVG for your printer. Without a tool, you can build the link by hand: remove the +, the leading 0, spaces and dashes from the number, then replace spaces in the message with %20 and line breaks with %0A. ## Where to use your link and QR code - Your website: a “Message us on WhatsApp” button in the header, on the contact page or on a product page. - Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: the link in your bio or profile links, to move from a direct message to WhatsApp. - Business card, quote, invoice: the QR code as SVG, sharp in print. - Shop window, counter, flyer: a QR code with a pre-filled message (“I would like to book a table”) so you know what the customer wants from their first message. - Email signature: the direct link, for customers who prefer to write on WhatsApp. ## Limits to know about - The link opens a chat, it sends nothing: the customer is the one who taps Send. - The pre-filled text can be edited: the customer can delete or change it. It is not proof of consent. - The QR code is fixed: the number and message are written into it. To change them, you have to create and print a new code. - The link does not tell you where the customer came from: the same link on your shop window and on Instagram gives identical messages. - A long message makes a dense QR code that is harder to scan: keep it to one short sentence. - A wa.me link points to a number, not a group: a group invite link is created inside the group, by an admin. ## See where your customers come from with WYP.chat In WYP.chat, every link or QR code becomes an entry point: a branded link for each placement (shop window, flyer, Instagram) that counts opens, shows the source of each conversation and can change its text without reprinting. Your whole team then replies from the same shared inbox, and an automatic reply answers when you are closed. - [The WYP.chat shared inbox](https://wyp.chat/en/features/shared-inbox) - [Guide: the WhatsApp Business auto reply](https://wyp.chat/en/guides/whatsapp-business-auto-reply) ## How to do it in WYP.chat Help centre articles that walk through each setting, screen by screen. - [WhatsApp links and QR codes: entry points](https://wyp.chat/en/help/points-entree) - [WhatsApp consent form on your website](https://wyp.chat/en/help/formulaire-accord-whatsapp) - [Connect your WhatsApp Business number](https://wyp.chat/en/help/connecter-whatsapp) - [Install the widget on your website](https://wyp.chat/en/help/installer-widget) ## Sources 1. WhatsApp Help Center, How to use click to chat: [faq.whatsapp.com/5913398998672934/?locale=en\_GB](https://faq.whatsapp.com/5913398998672934/?locale=en_GB) 2. ITU, Recommendation E.164 (international numbering format): [www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.164/en](https://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.164/en) Pages accessed on 12 October 2026. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I create a WhatsApp link with a message? Add ?text= to the end of the wa.me link, followed by the encoded message: https://wa.me/447700900123?text=Hello%20I%20would%20like%20a%20quote. The tool on this page encodes the message for you. ### Do I need WhatsApp Business to create a WhatsApp link? No. A wa.me link works with any number that has an active WhatsApp account, personal or business. WhatsApp Business becomes useful to keep work and personal apart and to reply as a team. ### Does the customer have to save my number? No. The link opens the chat with your number directly, without adding it to their contacts. ### Can I create a link to a WhatsApp group? Not with wa.me, which opens a chat with a number. A group invite link is created by an admin from the group info. ### How do I add a WhatsApp link to Instagram? Copy the link you create here and paste it into the links on your Instagram profile. Your followers then open a WhatsApp chat with you in one tap. ### Are my number and message stored? No. The link and the QR code are worked out in your browser: nothing is sent to WYP.chat or any other server, and no cookie is set. ## Read next - [How do you switch from WhatsApp to WhatsApp Business without losing your chats?](https://wyp.chat/en/guides/switch-whatsapp-to-whatsapp-business) - [WhatsApp Business auto reply: how do you set it up?](https://wyp.chat/en/guides/whatsapp-business-auto-reply) - [How do you use WhatsApp Business with multiple users without sharing a phone?](https://wyp.chat/en/guides/whatsapp-business-multiple-users) --- Source: https://wyp.chat/en/guides/whatsapp-link-generator · Updated on 12 October 2026