How to Create a WhatsApp Link with a Pre-filled Message
One tap opens a chat with your number and a message already typed. Here is how to make the link, and how to measure it.
In this article
A WhatsApp link opens a chat with your number when someone taps it, with a message already typed in the box. Customers do not need to save your number first, and they do not have to think about what to write. For a small business, it is one of the simplest ways to turn a bio, a website or a printed flyer into conversations.
The fastest way to make one is our free WhatsApp link generator. This guide explains how the links work, so you can build them by hand, avoid the common mistakes and track how many people use them.
How a WhatsApp link works
WhatsApp's click-to-chat links follow this format:
https://wa.me/<number>?text=<message>
For example, for the Indian mobile number 98765 43210 and the message "Hi, I saw your post":
https://wa.me/919876543210?text=Hi%2C%20I%20saw%20your%20post
When someone opens the link, WhatsApp starts a chat with that number and puts the message in the text box. Nothing is sent automatically: the person reads the message and taps send. The same link works for personal and WhatsApp Business numbers, on phones and on WhatsApp for desktop and web.
Step by step
- Write the number in international format. Country code first, then the number, digits only. No
+, no leading0, no spaces, dashes or brackets.+91 098765-43210becomes919876543210. - Write your message. Keep it short and specific, so the customer knows what happens next.
- Encode the message. Spaces become
%20, commas%2C, and a new line%0A. The generator does this for you. - Put it together:
https://wa.me/+ number +?text=+ encoded message. - Test it on your own phone before you share it.
Message ideas that work
| Situation | Pre-filled message |
|---|---|
| Product enquiry | Hi! I'd like to know more about the blue kurta in your post. |
| Table or appointment booking | Hi, I'd like to book a table for 2 this Saturday evening. |
| Order status | Hi, I'd like an update on my order. My order number is: |
| Support | Hi, I need help with my account. |
| Lead from an ad | Hi, I saw your Diwali offer and want to know the price. |
Ending a message with a prompt like "My order number is:" nudges people to add the detail you need.
A link without a number
Leave the number out and the link lets people choose who to send the message to:
https://wa.me/?text=Check%20out%20this%20sale%3A%20minisnip.com%2Fsale
This is perfect for "Share on WhatsApp" buttons on a blog post, a product page or a referral campaign.
Where to put your WhatsApp link
- Instagram, Facebook and TikTok bios. One tap from your profile to a conversation.
- Your website. A "Chat on WhatsApp" button in the header or on product pages.
- Email signatures and SMS. Give customers a faster way to reply than email.
- Print. Turn the link into a QR code for packaging, menus, visiting cards and shop counters. The QR code generator makes a free, print-ready SVG.
The problem: wa.me links can't be tracked
A wa.me link tells you nothing. You cannot see how many people tapped it, which post or poster they came from, or whether anyone used it at all. And if you want to change the pre-filled message, you have to replace the link everywhere you shared it.
Putting the wa.me link behind a short link fixes all three:
- Create a MiniSnip link that points to your wa.me link, with an alias like
minisnip.com/chat, or on your own domain,go.yourbrand.com/whatsapp. - Share the short link instead of the wa.me link.
- Add a source tag per place you share it:
minisnip.com/chat?src=igin your Instagram bio,minisnip.com/chat?src=qron the printed menu.
Now every tap shows up in your dashboard with its source, country and device, and the link-preview bots that WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram send are filtered out, so the count is real people. Want a new greeting for Diwali? Edit the destination and the link you already printed keeps working.
What about the WhatsApp Business short link?
The WhatsApp Business app can also create a short link to your business, with a default message, from its business tools. It works well, but it gives you no click counts and it always opens the same message. A wa.me link inside a MiniSnip short link gives you both the analytics and the control.
Common mistakes
- Missing country code.
wa.me/9876543210points to the wrong number, or none. - A leading zero or a plus sign. Both break the number. Digits only.
- Unencoded text. A raw
&or#in the message cuts it off. Let a generator encode it. - Very long messages. People edit long messages less and send fewer of them. One or two lines is enough.
Frequently asked questions
Is the message sent automatically when someone taps the link?
No. The link only opens the chat with your message typed in. The person can edit it and decides whether to send it.
Do WhatsApp links work on a computer?
Yes. On a computer the link opens WhatsApp for desktop or WhatsApp Web, where the person may need to be logged in.
Can I see how many people clicked my WhatsApp link?
Not with a wa.me link on its own. Share it through a short link, such as one from MiniSnip, to count every click and see where each one came from.
Can I change the pre-filled message after sharing the link?
Only if you shared a short link. Edit the short link's destination to a new wa.me link and every existing copy uses the new message.