Asking a customer to save your phone number before they can message you is a step most of them won't take. A WhatsApp click-to-chat link removes it entirely: they tap, WhatsApp opens, the conversation is already started — often with your message pre-written for them.
It takes about a minute to create, and it works on any website, poster, or social profile.
The format
WhatsApp provides an official link format. It looks like this:
https://wa.me/972501234567
The rules for the number are strict, and this is where nearly everyone goes wrong:
- Use the full international format including country code
- No plus sign, no spaces, no hyphens, no brackets
- Drop the leading zero from the local number
So an Israeli number written locally as 050-123-4567 becomes 972501234567. A UK number 07700 900123 becomes 447700900123. Get this wrong and the link opens WhatsApp with an error — always test it yourself first.
Adding a pre-filled message
This is the part that makes the link genuinely useful. Add ?text= and your message:
https://wa.me/972501234567?text=Hi!%20I'd%20like%20to%20book%20an%20appointment
Spaces become %20. Most link tools handle that encoding for you, but if you're writing it by hand, replace every space.
Why it matters: a blank chat window makes people hesitate about what to write. A pre-filled message removes that friction — and tells you where they came from. Use a different message for each placement:
- Website button → "Hi, I have a question about your services"
- Instagram bio → "Hi! I found you on Instagram"
- Printed flyer → "Hi, I'd like to hear about the offer"
Now the first line of every conversation tells you which channel worked.
Making it short and trackable
A raw wa.me link with an encoded message is long and ugly — impossible to read out loud or print. Shorten it:
- Build your full WhatsApp link with the message.
- Paste it into Hide.link.
- Give it a readable alias:
hide.link/chat. - Use that everywhere.
You now get something you can say on the phone — and click data, which WhatsApp itself never gives you. You'll see how many people tapped it, from where, on what device. That's the difference between "we get some WhatsApp enquiries" and knowing exactly which poster produced them.
Turning it into a QR code
A WhatsApp link inside a QR code is one of the most practical uses of both. Put it on a shop window, a table tent, a receipt or a delivery box, and customers reach you with one scan — no typing, no saving contacts.
Use a dynamic QR code so you can change the number or the message later without reprinting anything.
Where to use it
- A floating chat button on your website
- Instagram and TikTok bios — or as a button on your bio page
- Email signatures
- Google Business Profile and Facebook page buttons
- Printed material — as a QR code
- Invoices and receipts — for support questions
Things to get right
- Test on both iPhone and Android. Always, before it goes anywhere public.
- Use a business number you actually monitor. An unanswered WhatsApp is worse than no link.
- Don't use it for anything sensitive. Pre-filled text is visible in the URL — never put personal data in it.
- Set expectations. "We reply within a few hours" next to the button prevents frustration.
Try it now
Build your link, shorten it, and put it where your customers already are. Create a free Hide.link account to shorten and track your WhatsApp link in under a minute.
Related reading: QR codes for business · How to shorten a URL
