Most small businesses in India already sell on WhatsApp. The hard part is getting customers to start the chat: they have to save your number, find it in their contacts and type a first message. Many simply don't bother.
A click-to-chat link removes all of that. One tap opens a WhatsApp chat with your business, often with a message already typed. This guide shows how to create the link correctly, add a pre-filled message, use it on Instagram, visiting cards and your shop counter, and handle the conversations that follow.
Quick answer
- Basic link:
https://wa.me/91XXXXXXXXXX(country code + number, with no +, spaces, zeros, brackets or dashes). - With a ready-made message:
https://wa.me/91XXXXXXXXXX?text=followed by your message in URL-encoded form. - It is a free, official WhatsApp feature and works on phones and on WhatsApp Web.
1. What is a click-to-chat link?
Click to chat is an official WhatsApp feature. It lets someone start a chat with a phone number without saving it in their contacts. When they tap the link, WhatsApp opens a chat with that number on their phone, or WhatsApp Web on a computer, as long as the number has an active WhatsApp account.
It works for both the regular WhatsApp app and the free WhatsApp Business app. You do not need any other software, sign-up or paid service to create one.
2. Create your link
WhatsApp's format is:
https://wa.me/<number>
Here, <number> is your full phone number in international format: the country code followed by the number, written as digits only. WhatsApp asks you to leave out any zeros, brackets or dashes. For an Indian mobile number, that means 91 followed by the 10-digit number.
Correct: https://wa.me/91XXXXXXXXXX
Wrong:
wa.me/+91XXXXXXXXXX(no +)wa.me/091XXXXXXXXXX(no leading zero)wa.me/91-XXXXX-XXXXX(no dashes or spaces)
Test it before you share it. Open the link on a phone that is not yours and on a computer, and make sure it opens a chat with the right business name and number.
3. Add a pre-filled message
You can add a message that appears ready-typed in the customer's chat box. Add ?text= after the number, followed by your message in URL-encoded form:
https://wa.me/91XXXXXXXXXX?text=Hi%2C%20I%20want%20to%20order%20a%20cake
When a customer taps this link, their chat box shows "Hi, I want to order a cake". They can edit it, and nothing is sent until they press send.
Why the message must be URL-encoded
Web links cannot contain spaces and some punctuation, so these characters are replaced with codes. A few common ones:
| Character | Encoded as |
|---|---|
| Space | %20 |
| New line | %0A |
| Comma ( , ) | %2C |
| Question mark ( ? ) | %3F |
| Ampersand ( & ) | %26 |
| Hash ( # ) | %23 |
You do not have to do this by hand. Paste only your message, not the whole link, into our free URL Encoder, click Encode, and add the result after ?text=. Emojis and Hindi or other Indian-language text work too: the encoder converts them correctly.
Tips for good pre-filled messages
- Keep it short and natural, written the way a customer would actually say it.
- Include the detail you need to help them quickly, such as the product or service they are asking about.
- Use a different message for each channel or product (see tracking below).
4. A link without a number, for sharing
WhatsApp also supports a link with only a message and no number:
https://wa.me/?text=Check%20out%20this%20offer%20...
Tapping it opens WhatsApp with the message ready, and the person chooses who to send it to. This is useful for a "Share with a friend" button on your website or posts, so customers can forward your offer or product link.
5. Short links and QR codes
- WhatsApp Business app short link: the free WhatsApp Business app can create a short link and a QR code for your business from its business tools section (menu names change between app versions). Unlike a plain wa.me link, this kind of short link does not show your number in the URL, and you can change its pre-filled message later.
- QR codes: a QR code containing your wa.me link lets customers scan and chat, which is ideal for visiting cards, shop counters, flyers and product packaging. Print it large and in black on white, and test-scan it before printing many copies.
6. Where to use your link
- Instagram and Facebook: in your bio or profile link, story link stickers and post captions ("Tap the link in bio to order on WhatsApp").
- Your website: a visible "Chat on WhatsApp" button on the contact page and on product pages.
- Visiting cards, flyers and the shop counter: as a QR code with a line such as "Scan to chat with us on WhatsApp".
- Email signatures and invoices: a link for questions about orders or payments.
- Online listings and marketplaces: wherever the platform allows a contact link.
- Ads: Facebook and Instagram can run ads with a WhatsApp chat button, which use the same idea.
If you sell in person, put your WhatsApp QR code next to your UPI payment QR code, but make the two clearly different, so customers do not scan the wrong one.
7. Find out where your customers come from
Plain wa.me links do not come with analytics, so you cannot see how many people clicked them. A simple workaround is to use a slightly different pre-filled message for each place you share the link:
- Instagram bio: "Hi, I found you on Instagram..."
- Visiting card QR: "Hi, I got your card..."
- Website: "Hi, I saw your website..."
The first message in each chat then tells you which channel brought the customer, as long as they don't delete the text. Over a month, a quick count shows which channels are worth your effort.
8. The official "Chat on WhatsApp" button
For websites, WhatsApp provides an official branded "Chat on WhatsApp" button in three sizes, along with brand guidelines. WhatsApp asks businesses to use the button as it is (without changing its design), to use the latest version, and to make sure it is clearly visible and easy to read. Link the button to your wa.me link. A recognisable official button builds more trust than a home-made one.
9. Get ready to handle the chats
A click-to-chat link only helps if the chats are answered well. The free WhatsApp Business app has tools designed for this:
- Business profile: add your business name, address, hours, description and website, so customers know they have reached the right place.
- Greeting message: an automatic welcome for new customers, for example thanking them and saying when you will reply.
- Away message: an automatic reply outside your business hours.
- Quick replies: saved answers to common questions, such as prices, location and delivery areas, that you can insert with a shortcut.
- Labels: colour tags such as "New order", "Paid" and "Delivered", to keep track of each customer.
- Catalogue: a list of your products or services with photos and prices that customers can browse inside WhatsApp.
Sometimes a customer gives you their number in person or over the phone instead. To message them without saving the number to your contacts, use our WhatsApp chat tool: enter the number and it opens a chat directly.
10. Rules and good practice
- Let customers start the conversation. Click-to-chat links are ideal because the customer chooses to message you. Do not add people to groups or send them promotions they did not ask for.
- Never buy or scrape number lists for bulk messages. Unwanted messages get reported, and WhatsApp can restrict or ban numbers that are reported as spam.
- Respect "stop". If a customer asks you not to message them, don't.
- Protect customer data. Treat the numbers and chats you receive as private. Don't share them, and delete what you no longer need.
- Consider a separate business number. Your click-to-chat link and short-link chats show your number, so a dedicated SIM keeps business and personal life apart.
- Reply quickly. A fast reply, even "Thanks, we'll get back to you in an hour", turns more chats into sales.
Frequently asked questions
Is a WhatsApp click-to-chat link free?
Yes. It is a built-in WhatsApp feature, and creating and using wa.me links costs nothing.
Does it work with a WhatsApp Business number?
Yes. The same format works for numbers on the regular WhatsApp app and the WhatsApp Business app.
Why does my link say the phone number is invalid?
Usually the number is in the wrong format, with a +, spaces, dashes, a leading zero or a missing country code, or it is not registered on WhatsApp. Check it against the format above.
Can customers see my phone number?
Yes. A wa.me link contains your number, and once a chat starts, the customer can see the number they are chatting with. Use a separate business number if you want to keep your personal number private.
Is the pre-filled message sent automatically?
No. It only appears in the customer's chat box. They can edit or delete it, and nothing is sent until they press send.
Link formats are taken from WhatsApp's official Help Center article "How to use click to chat" (checked 12 October 2026). WhatsApp Business app menus and features change between versions, so check the app for the current options.