How a WhatsApp link works
WhatsApp’s click to chat links open a chat with a number without saving it as a contact. The link is https://wa.me/ followed by the full number in international format: the country code, then the number, with no plus sign, spaces or brackets, and without the 0 some people dial first. Adding ?text= with a message puts that message in the box, ready to send. It works on Android, iPhone, WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop.
| Part | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| https://wa.me/ | https://wa.me/ | WhatsApp’s own short address for chats |
| Your number | 919876543210 | Country code 91 and the 10-digit number, digits only |
| ?text= | ?text=Hi%2C%20I%E2%80%99d%20like%20to%20order | The first message, written for a web address (spaces become %20) |
Where to use it
- Your Instagram bio, so people who find you on a post can order in one tap.
- Posters, counters and packaging, as the QR code: customers scan it with their phone’s camera.
- Your Google Business Profile and website, as a button that starts the chat.
- Messages to existing customers, when you start taking orders on a new number.
A tip: one message per place
Make a separate link for each place you share it, each with its own first message: “Hi, I saw your poster” on the poster, “Hi, from Instagram” in your bio. When chats arrive, the first message tells you where each customer found you, without any tracking.
Questions
Does a WhatsApp link work with the WhatsApp Business app?
Yes. It opens a chat with whatever number you put in it, on the WhatsApp Business app, the WhatsApp Business Platform or personal WhatsApp.
Is the link free?
Yes. wa.me links are part of WhatsApp. This page makes them for you and doesn’t save anything you type.
Can I change the link later?
The link is only your number and the message. Change either, and you have a new link; the old one keeps working as long as the number is on WhatsApp.
Will the QR code expire?
No. It holds the same link, and works for as long as the number is on WhatsApp.
After the first message
A link starts the chat; what happens next is up to you. If you type the menu, the total and your UPI ID into every chat, that’s the part Sellly takes over: its Share your store page makes this link, its QR code and a poster for your store, and the chat that follows takes the order and the payment. See WhatsApp ordering in Sellly.
Sources
- How to use click to chat (WhatsApp Help Center)