WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the key features of WhatsApp is the ability to send links to websites, videos, documents etc. However, sometimes when you receive a link on WhatsApp, you may find that it is not clickable. There are a few potential reasons for this.
Link Formatting
One of the most common reasons that a WhatsApp link may not be clickable is due to the link formatting. WhatsApp requires links to be formatted in a specific way in order to be recognized and converted into a clickable link. The link should start with “https://” or “http://”. If the link does not have this, WhatsApp will not convert it into a clickable link. For example, a link like “www.example.com” would not be clickable on WhatsApp. The user sending the link needs to format it properly starting with “https://www.” for it to work.
Unsupported Characters in Link
WhatsApp also cannot make links clickable if there are unsupported special characters in the URL. Characters like brackets, hyphens, underscores etc may sometimes cause a link to not work properly on WhatsApp. For example a link like “https://www.example.com/this_page” may not be clickable because of the underscore. Removing special characters from the link can help fix this issue.
Link Preview Not Generated
WhatsApp creates a link preview which allows you to see the website title, description and thumbnail image when you receive a link. This preview is what makes the link clickable. Sometimes if the website does not have proper metadata, WhatsApp is unable to generate this preview and thus the link is not clickable. The sender can try using another URL shortener or use a website that provides meta tags for the link preview to be generated properly.
Long Link
WhatsApp also has a character limit when sending messages. So if a link is very long, it may get truncated when sending and becomes unclickable as a result. For example a long Google Forms link may not work properly. To fix this, the sender can use a URL shortening service like Bitly to create a shorter link to share on WhatsApp.
Limitations of WhatsApp Web
Links shared on WhatsApp web/desktop may have issues being clickable compared to the mobile app. There are limitations in how WhatsApp web handles link previews and conversions. Trying the same link on the mobile app usually resolves this issue if the problem is with WhatsApp web.
Link Blocked by WhatsApp
In rare cases, WhatsApp may block certain links if they are found to be malicious or violating policies. This usually occurs with links to copyright infringing content, illegal products/services etc. Users will not be able to click or open such blocked links on WhatsApp. There is no workaround for links blocked by WhatsApp intentionally due to policy violations.
How to Fix Non-Clickable Links on WhatsApp
If you have received a non-clickable link on WhatsApp, here are some tips to try and fix the issue:
- Ask the sender to resend the link in proper format starting with “https://”
- Copy and paste the link in browser to check if it works outside of WhatsApp
- Use URL shortener services like Bitly or TinyURL to shorten long links
- Check the link on WhatsApp mobile app if sent via web/desktop
- Remove any special characters or underscores in the link
- Request sender to enable link previews by using meta tags
WhatsApp Features for Better Link Sharing
WhatsApp has made improvements over the years to make link sharing better and hassle-free. Some of the key capabilities are:
- Link Previews – Automatically generates preview of links with title, description, thumbnail image etc.
- QR Codes – Allows generating a scannable QR code for any link to share easily.
- Clickable Text – URLs within text are automatically converted into clickable links.
- Document Sharing – Supports PDFs, documents, spreadsheets etc. natively.
- Media Bundling – Allows sending media like images, gifs, videos bundled along with links.
Despite improvements, there may still be occasional hiccups with unclickable links on WhatsApp. Thankfully there are workarounds like reformatting, URL shortening, using meta tags etc. to ensure links work seamlessly. With billions of messages sent each day, even a small failure rate affects many users, but overall WhatsApp linking capabilities keep improving.
Troubleshooting Guide for Non-Clickable Links
Follow this step-by-step troubleshooting guide if you encounter non-clickable links on WhatsApp:
- Check link formatting – Add “https://” if missing
- Look for special characters in URL and remove them
- Verify link works outside of WhatsApp by copying it
- Use URL shortener like Bitly to shorten long links
- Check if it is a WhatsApp for Web/Desktop issue
- Ask sender to add meta tags for proper link preview
- Request sender to re-send or replace the link
- Update WhatsApp to latest version if available
- Try the link on WhatsApp mobile to rule out Web/Desktop issues
This covers the most common things to try when faced with an unclickable link on WhatsApp. Let the sender know if issue persists so they can adjust link formatting or use an alternate URL as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are some links not clickable on WhatsApp Web?
WhatsApp Web has certain limitations in rendering link previews and converting links compared to mobile. Trying the same link on mobile app usually fixes issues faced on WhatsApp Web.
Do links need to be formatted a certain way for WhatsApp?
Yes, WhatsApp requires links to start with “http://” or “https://”. Links without this prefix may not be clickable.
Can I fix an unclickable link by shortening it?
Yes, using URL shorteners like Bitly or TinyURL to shorten long links can help make them clickable on WhatsApp.
Why does my WhatsApp link work on mobile but not web?
WhatsApp Web has some limitations in rendering link previews properly. Trying on mobile app fixes this issue if caused by WhatsApp Web/Desktop.
What happens if WhatsApp blocks a particular link?
In rare cases, WhatsApp may block certain links violating policies. Such links remain unclickable and there is no workaround.
Conclusion
Unclickable WhatsApp links can be frustrating but are often caused by minor formatting issues or limitations. Confirming proper formatting, removing special characters, shortening long URLs and enabling meta tags for previews can help address many cases. With billions of links shared daily, some issues are inevitable but Web/Desktop limitations account for many instances. Overall, WhatsApp’s capabilities for sharing and previewing links keeps improving, minimizing instances of unclickable links over time.