WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features it offers is the ability to create a link to start a chat with someone without having their phone number saved in your contacts. This saves time and avoids the need to type in a phone number manually each time.
Creating a WhatsApp link only requires the phone number you want to message. When the link is opened on a phone with WhatsApp installed, it will automatically open a new chat with that number.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the simple steps to generate a clickable WhatsApp link for any phone number.
Prerequisites
Before creating your WhatsApp link, there are a couple of requirements:
- You need the phone number you want to message. This must be a valid mobile number in international format (country code + number).
- The recipient’s phone number should have an active WhatsApp account.
- You’ll need to access the link on a device with WhatsApp installed and set up.
As long as those prerequisites are met, you can easily create a WhatsApp link for any number.
Generate WhatsApp Link
Here are the steps to create a clickable WhatsApp link:
- Open your web browser and go to https://wa.me/. This is WhatsApp’s link generator.
- Enter the full phone number after wa.me/. The number must include country code and look like this: +1XXXXXXXXXX
- Once you enter the number, the browser will automatically convert it into a clickable WhatsApp link.
- Copy or bookmark this link to share as needed.
For example, if you want to create a WhatsApp link for the number +91XXXXXXXXXX, you would enter:
https://wa.me/+91XXXXXXXXXX
And the website will instantly convert that into an active link to message that number:
That’s all there is to it! As long as the number is in a valid format, wa.me will generate a working WhatsApp link for it.
Open WhatsApp Link
Once you’ve created the WhatsApp link, you can share or open it on devices with WhatsApp installed to initiate a chat.
Here’s what happens when you click the link:
- On an Android phone, it will open directly in WhatsApp (if installed).
- On an iPhone, it will redirect to the WhatsApp app if you have it, or the App Store to download it.
- On a PC, it will open web.whatsapp.com and log you into WhatsApp web to chat.
As long as the device has WhatsApp active, the link will automatically open a new chat window with the number entered.
Use Cases
WhatsApp links are handy for a variety of situations:
- Sharing your WhatsApp number on a website or digital profile
- Enabling customers to message your business easily
- Starting a chat with someone without requiring their number saved
- Creating call-to-action links to encourage messaging
Instead of listing plain phone numbers, a WhatsApp link makes it seamless for anyone to initiate a chat easily.
Some examples of using WhatsApp links:
- On a business card or website to let people message you
- In social media bios to chat with followers
- In email signatures to enable email recipients to WhatsApp you
- In online ads or posts to drive engagement
Custom Text in Link
By default, the WhatsApp link will just open the phone number. But you can customize the link text by adding some text after the number, followed by a comma.
For example:
https://wa.me/+91XXXXXXXXXX?text=I’m%20interested%20in%20your%20car%20for%20sale
This will open a WhatsApp chat with that number, and prefill the message “I’m interested in your car for sale”.
The text needs to be URL encoded, so spaces and special characters are replaced by codes like %20.
Adding custom text like this can provide more context and personalization when people click your WhatsApp link. The prefilled message also encourages them to respond.
Troubleshooting
Here are some troubleshooting tips if your WhatsApp link isn’t working:
- Make sure the phone number is entered in the proper international format starting with country code.
- The recipient’s phone number must have an active WhatsApp account.
- Verify the link works on different devices and networks.
- If it redirects to the app store, make sure you have WhatsApp installed and set up.
- Double check for any spelling or formatting errors in the link.
- Try generating a fresh link and testing it again.
If it still doesn’t work, you may need to confirm the recipient’s WhatsApp status with them directly.
Limitations
While WhatsApp links provide an easy way to start conversations, there are a few limitations to be aware of:
- The phone number must have WhatsApp activated. It won’t work for landlines or deactivated numbers.
- You can’t hide your own number when using these links.
- It only opens your default WhatsApp account if you have multiple accounts.
- The link opens a new chat window each time rather than existing chats.
Despite these limitations, WhatsApp links remain one of the fastest ways to initiate chats on WhatsApp without needing to save contacts.
Conclusion
Generating a WhatsApp link allows you to create a clickable chat link for any phone number. By simply entering the number in wa.me, it will instantly convert to a link that opens a new WhatsApp message window.
The link provides an easy way for anyone to start chatting with a number without having it saved in their contacts. It can be shared via websites, emails, or social profiles to encourage messaging.
With over 2 billion WhatsApp users worldwide, utilizing WhatsApp links can help boost engagement and connectivity. Just make sure the number has an active WhatsApp account, and the link will work seamlessly across devices.
While there are some limitations, the simplicity of creating and sharing WhatsApp links makes it a very useful feature for both personal and business messaging.
Summary
To summarize how to create a WhatsApp link:
- Go to wa.me and enter a phone number with country code
- The website will generate a clickable WhatsApp link
- Share or open the link to start a chat on WhatsApp
- Works on Android, iPhone, WhatsApp Web, etc
- Lets you initiate chats without contacts
With this easy process, anyone can create WhatsApp links to enable seamless messaging worldwide.