How to create a WhatsApp link
A WhatsApp link opens a chat or a group in one tap, without anyone saving a number first. There are a few kinds, and they do different things. Here is how to make each one, what it reveals about you, and what to do when one will not open.
Which WhatsApp link do you need?
| Link | Looks like | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Click to chat | wa.me/15551234567 | Opens a one-to-one chat with a phone number, without saving it as a contact. |
| Username link | wa.me/ followed by a username | Opens a chat with someone by their WhatsApp username, without showing their number. Usernames are still rolling out. |
| Group invite | chat.whatsapp.com/ followed by a code | Lets anyone who has it join a group, or ask to join if the admins approve new members. |
| Channel link | whatsapp.com/channel/ followed by a code | Opens a WhatsApp channel so people can follow it. |
Make a click-to-chat link to a phone number
The link works for any WhatsApp number, not only your own, and it opens on a phone or on a computer with WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. You do not need an app or a link generator to make one.
- Write the number in full international format: the country code, then the number. Leave out the plus sign, any leading zeros, spaces, brackets, and dashes.
- Put it after https://wa.me/. The US number (555) 123-4567 becomes https://wa.me/15551234567, and the UK mobile 07700 900123 becomes https://wa.me/447700900123.
- Open the link yourself to check it starts a chat with the right number before you share it.
Add a pre-filled message
Add ?text= and your message to the end of the link. The message has to be URL-encoded, so each space becomes %20 and other punctuation becomes its own code; any URL encoder will convert it for you. For example: https://wa.me/15551234567?text=Is%20the%20flat%20still%20available%3F
The text appears in the message box when the chat opens. Nothing is sent until the person taps Send, and they can change it first.
Leave the number out, as in https://wa.me/?text=Have%20a%20look%20at%20this, and WhatsApp asks which chat to send the message to. That suits a share button on a website.
Share a link to your own WhatsApp
Your own click-to-chat link is wa.me followed by your number, made as above. Anyone who sees the link can read your number, because it is in the link.
To keep your number private, WhatsApp is introducing usernames. Once you have one, it gives you a link in the form wa.me/ followed by your username, and people who message you through it do not see your number unless they already have it. Usernames are arriving gradually and may not be available on your account yet.
Every account also has a QR code. Open Settings in WhatsApp and tap the QR icon next to your name to show or share it; someone who scans it starts a chat with you.
Create a group invite link
By default only group admins can create invite links. Admins can let other members add people in the group settings, or turn on Approve new members so that anyone who opens the link has to be approved before they join.
- Open the group and tap its name to open the group info.
- Tap Invite via link, which some versions call Invite to group via link. It sits near the list of members.
- Choose Copy link, Share link, or QR code.
Stop a group invite link from working
A group invite link works for anyone who has it, including people it was forwarded to, until an admin resets it. Open the invite link screen in the group info and choose Reset link, or Revoke link on WhatsApp Web and Desktop. The old link stops working straight away, and you get a new one to give to the people you do want.
Resetting the link does not remove anyone who has already joined. Remove them from the members list if you need to.
When a WhatsApp link will not open
- The number is in the wrong format. A plus sign, a leading zero, or a space is the usual cause. Rewrite it as country code and number, digits only.
- The number is not on WhatsApp. WhatsApp opens but says the phone number shared via the link is invalid.
- WhatsApp is not installed. On a computer, the link opens a WhatsApp page that offers to continue in WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. On a phone, it offers to download the app.
- The group invite has been reset, or the group no longer exists. Ask an admin for a new link.
- The link was opened inside another app’s browser, such as a social app, which did not pass it to WhatsApp. Choose Open in browser, or copy the link into your phone’s browser.
Before you post a WhatsApp link publicly
- A click-to-chat link contains your phone number. Anyone who sees it can save the number and call or text you outside WhatsApp.
- A public group invite lets anyone join and see who else is in the group, often including their phone numbers. Turn on Approve new members, or share the link only with people you know.
- Be careful with invite links from people you do not know. Scams often start by adding people to groups.
A link opens a chat, not a past conversation
A wa.me link or a group invite starts a conversation from now on. It cannot show someone messages that were sent earlier, and someone who joins a group through a link generally does not get the messages sent before they joined.
To show someone a past exchange, export the chat and share the part that matters as a page they read in a browser, without adding them to the chat.