WhatsApp links and QR codes: entry points

An entry point is a link or a QR code for one medium: shop window, till, flyer, business card, social media, website. The customer scans it, WhatsApp opens with a message already written, and they send it. You know where they came from. If they sign up for your offers, their permission is recorded with its proof, without any paid message.

Create an entry point

1. Open Contacts and click Entry points. Another way: Settings › Entry points.
2. Click New entry point.
3. Medium and number: enter a Name (for example “High Street window”), choose the Medium and the WhatsApp number.
4. Goal and message: choose Conversation to know where your customers come from, with a Prefilled message of 120 characters at most. Choose Offers sign-up to collect their permission: the message then contains a fixed wording, “Hi, I’d like to receive …'s offers on WhatsApp.”, with the Business name in the wording.

Choose Form on your website to add a WhatsApp consent form: name, number, a choice of channel and a separate offers box, then confirmed in WhatsApp (see WhatsApp consent form on your website).

5. If needed, choose a Tag added to the contact: it can trigger an automatic message or a scenario.
6. Language and output: choose the Message language. Keep Reply automatically to confirm the permission if the customer should get a confirmation. Click Create entry point.
7. On the entry point’s page, copy the Branded link or download the QR code as PNG or SVG. Scan it with your phone, or click Test (not counted).

When the customer writes

• Their message ends with a “Ref. …” line that WYP.chat recognises, then hides. The conversation shows Source: …, and See the original message shows the full text.
• The one exception is the Website chat entry point created by the bubble: its message has no reference, it is recognised by its sentence (see Start the conversation on WhatsApp from your website chat).
• The chosen tag is added to the contact.
• For a sign-up, if the wording is sent unchanged, their permission is recorded. The customer receives: “Done, you’ll receive …'s offers on WhatsApp. To stop, reply STOP at any time.” If they changed the wording, no permission is recorded and a note says so in the conversation.
• In the contact record, See the proof shows what the customer sent, when and through which entry point. You can export it as JSON or text.

Follow the results

The list compares entry points: opens, conversations, permissions. An entry point’s page gives its Statistics over 30, 90 or 365 days: permission rate, edited wordings, unsubscribes, contacts who became customers, and Opens by route: one line per route (QR code, Computer (WhatsApp), WhatsApp Web, App, Phone, Direct link), adding up to the total number of opens. A printed QR code or a shared link counts as Direct link; the other routes come from the website chat (see Start the conversation on WhatsApp from your website chat). See contacts who came from this point opens the filtered list. In Contacts, the Permission via and Came from filters work for segments too.