How do I create a WhatsApp click-to-chat link?

Use the format https://wa.me/ , where the number is in full international format with no plus sign, spaces, or dashes — for example https://wa.me/447911123456. Anyone who clicks it opens a chat with your business, even without saving your number.

How do I add a pre-filled message to a WhatsApp link?

Add ?text= followed by your URL-encoded message, e.g. https://wa.me/447911123456?text=Hi!%20I%20have%20a%20question. Spaces become %20. When clicked, WhatsApp opens with that message already typed, ready to send.

Do customers need to save my number to use a wa.me link?

No. That's the whole point — a click-to-chat link opens a conversation with your business without the customer saving your number first, which removes friction and gets more people messaging you.

Is wa.me an official WhatsApp link?

Yes, wa.me is WhatsApp's official click-to-chat domain. The older api.whatsapp.com/send?phone= format also works, but wa.me is shorter and preferred.

How to Create a WhatsApp Click-to-Chat Link (wa.me) in 2026

A WhatsApp click-to-chat link is a small thing with a big payoff: one URL that opens a WhatsApp conversation with your business the instant someone clicks it — no saving your number, no searching, no friction. Put it in your bio, your emails, your ads, and your website, and you turn every touchpoint into a potential chat. Here's exactly how to create one, with the format, pre-filled messages, and the mistakes to avoid.

The format

WhatsApp's official click-to-chat link uses the wa.me domain:

https://wa.me/<number>

The <number> is your WhatsApp number in full international format — country code included — with no plus sign, no spaces, no dashes, no brackets, no leading zeros. Examples:

UK number +44 7911 123456 → https://wa.me/447911123456
US number +1 (415) 555-2671 → https://wa.me/14155552671
India number +91 98765 43210 → https://wa.me/919876543210

That's it. Anyone who clicks the link opens a chat with your business — even if they've never saved your number.

Adding a pre-filled message

You can make the link even better by pre-filling the first message. Add ?text= followed by your message, with spaces written as %20:

https://wa.me/447911123456?text=Hi!%20I'd%20like%20to%20book%20an%20appointment

When someone clicks it, WhatsApp opens with "Hi! I'd like to book an appointment" already typed — they just hit send. This is powerful because:

It lowers the effort to start (they don't have to think of what to say).
It gives you context — a link on your booking page can pre-fill "I'd like to book," while one on a product page pre-fills the product name.
It helps you route enquiries at a glance.

Encoding tip: spaces = %20, and if you use an online URL encoder you can safely include punctuation and emoji. Keep the pre-filled text short and friendly.

The older format (still works)

You may see this longer version, which also works:

https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=447911123456&text=Hi!

Both do the same thing, but wa.me is shorter, cleaner, and the one WhatsApp recommends. Use wa.me.

Where to use your click-to-chat link

The link works anywhere you can put a URL. Put it everywhere your customers are:

Instagram / TikTok / Facebook bio — the classic "message us" link.
Email signature and newsletters.
Google Business Profile and directory listings.
Paid ads — send clicks straight into a conversation.
Your website — as a button or floating bubble (see how to add a WhatsApp button).
Print and packaging — turn the link into a scannable WhatsApp QR code.

Each placement is a doorway into a chat. The link is the same; only where you paste it changes.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few things trip people up:

Leaving the plus sign in — wa.me/+447911... breaks. Remove the +.
Adding spaces or dashes — strip everything but digits.
Forgetting the country code — always include it, even for local links.
A leading zero — drop the national trunk zero (UK 07911 becomes 7911 after the 44).
Not URL-encoding the message — raw spaces and special characters can break the ?text= part.

Test your link on both a phone and a desktop before you publish it. On mobile it opens the WhatsApp app; on desktop, WhatsApp Web or the desktop app.

Make the chat behind the link worth it

A click-to-chat link is brilliant at starting conversations — sometimes a lot of them, all at once, at any hour. The question is what happens next. If people message and wait, the friction you removed with the link comes right back as a slow reply.

That's where an AI receptionist completes the picture. Every person who clicks your link and messages gets an instant, accurate answer — prices, availability, a booking — 24/7, in their language, even to a voice note. The link removes the friction of starting; the AI removes the friction of waiting. Together they turn casual clicks into booked customers.

The takeaway

A WhatsApp click-to-chat link is just https://wa.me/<number> with your number in international format and no plus or spaces — optionally with a pre-filled ?text= message. Drop it in your bios, ads, emails, website, and QR codes to turn every touchpoint into a conversation, with no saved contact required. Then make sure the reply is instant: pair it with an AI receptionist so no click ever goes cold. Try ChatMunshi free and answer every click-to-chat the moment it lands.