How to create your WhatsApp link
- Enter the country calling code — 1 for the United States and Canada, 44 for the United Kingdom, 91 for India, 55 for Brazil, 60 for Malaysia, 62 for Indonesia, 234 for Nigeria. If you type the number with + or 00 in front, the code field is ignored.
- Type the phone number the way you would write it at home. Spaces, dashes, dots, brackets and a leading 0 are all fine.
- Add a message if you like, such as “Hi, I saw your ad and…”. It is placed in the chat box when the link opens, so the person only has to press Send, and they can still edit it first.
- Check the number in the line Number in international format, then copy the link — or tap Open in WhatsApp to try it yourself.
How a click-to-chat link works
WhatsApp’s click-to-chat feature opens a chat with any number that has a WhatsApp account, without saving it as a contact first. It works in the phone app and in WhatsApp Web. The link is https://wa.me/ followed by the full number in international format: the country code and the number, digits only. WhatsApp’s Help Center says to leave out the plus sign, zeros in front, brackets and dashes — wa.me/1XXXXXXXXXX works, wa.me/+001-(XXX)XXXXXXX doesn’t.
A pre-filled message goes after ?text= and has to be URL-encoded: a space becomes %20, a line break %0A, an ampersand %26, and emoji and accented letters turn into their UTF-8 bytes. Done by hand, an unencoded & or # silently cuts the message short; the generator encodes every character for you.
The tricky part is the zero at the start of a number. In most countries it is a national (trunk) prefix that you dial only at home, and it must go. In a few countries it is part of the number and must stay. The generator knows which is which for more than 200 calling codes — the prefixes come from Google’s open-source libphonenumber library — and it applies the extra rules WhatsApp publishes for Argentina and Mexico:
| Country | Code | You type | Link | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | +44 | 07700 900123 | wa.me/447700900123 | The 0 is dialed only inside the UK. |
| India | +91 | 098765 43210 | wa.me/919876543210 | The same: 0 is the national prefix. |
| Indonesia | +62 | 0812-3456-7890 | wa.me/6281234567890 | The 0 goes here too. |
| Italy | +39 | 06 1234 5678 | wa.me/390612345678 | Italian numbers keep their 0. |
| Russia, Kazakhstan | +7 | 8 (912) 345-67-89 | wa.me/79123456789 | The national prefix there is 8. |
| Brazil | +55 | 0 21 11 98765-4321 | wa.me/5511987654321 | The long-distance 0 and the carrier code (21) go. |
| Argentina | +54 | 011 15-2345-6789 | wa.me/5491123456789 | WhatsApp needs a 9 after 54, and the 15 goes. |
| Mexico | +52 | 55 1234 5678 | wa.me/5215512345678 | WhatsApp asks for a 1 after 52. |
A prefix is only removed when the number left over still has a valid length, so a Russian number in St Petersburg (area code 812) keeps its 8. Whatever the rules do, the generator shows the final international number, and a Please check line appears if the length doesn’t fit the country or the country code seems to be typed twice.
Worked example
A bakery in London wants customers to order on WhatsApp. Its mobile number is 07700 900123, so it enters 44 and 07700 900123, plus the message “Hi! I’d like to order a birthday cake.” The generator drops the 0 and returns:
https://wa.me/447700900123?text=Hi!%20I%E2%80%99d%20like%20to%20order%20a%20birthday%20cake.
The international number is +44 7700900123. Each space in the message became %20, and the curly apostrophe in “I’d” became %E2%80%99 — its three UTF-8 bytes. A customer who taps the link lands in a chat with the bakery, the message already typed.
Where to use your link
- Instagram, TikTok and Facebook: paste the link into the website or link field of your profile, where it can be tapped. A phone number typed into bio text usually can’t start a WhatsApp chat.
- Your website or online store: copy the HTML for your website line into any page builder that accepts HTML, such as a Custom HTML block in WordPress. Change the words “Chat with us on WhatsApp” to suit your page.
- Business cards, flyers, menus and shop windows: use Make a QR code for this link. The QR code generator opens with your link filled in; people scan it with the phone camera and land in the chat.
- Email signatures, ads and online listings: anywhere a link fits, it saves people from copying your number.
- “Share this” buttons: leave the number empty and write only a message. The link then opens WhatsApp with the message ready and a list of contacts and chats to send it to.
wa.me or api.whatsapp.com?
Both open the same chat. wa.me is WhatsApp’s short link and the format its Help Center documents; https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=…&text=… is a longer form of the same link that some website plugins and older guides use. The generator shows both, and the wa.me link is the one to choose unless a tool asks for the other.
Common mistakes
- Leaving in the + or 00, as in
wa.me/+447700900123. - Keeping the national 0, as in
wa.me/4407700900123: WhatsApp then looks for a number that doesn’t exist. - Typing the country code twice, for example 91 in the code field and 91 again at the start of the number.
- Using a number without WhatsApp. The link works only if the number has an active WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business account.
- Changing your number without updating your links and QR codes: the link points to the number, so make a new one.
Privacy
The link is put together in your browser. Your number and message aren’t sent to this site or to WhatsApp, and nothing is stored; reloading the page clears the message. Keep in mind that a public click-to-chat link shows your phone number to everyone who opens it, so a separate business number is worth considering.
WhatsApp is a trademark of its owner. This free generator is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by WhatsApp or Meta.
Frequently asked questions
Is a WhatsApp link free, and does it expire?
It is free and never expires. A wa.me link is simply a web address built from your number, so it keeps working as long as the number has a WhatsApp account. You don’t need to register it anywhere.
Do I need WhatsApp Business to use a wa.me link?
No. Click-to-chat works with personal WhatsApp accounts and with WhatsApp Business. Businesses often prefer the Business app because it adds a business profile, greeting messages and quick replies.
Why does WhatsApp say the phone number shared via the link is invalid?
The number in the link doesn’t match a WhatsApp account. Usually a national 0 was kept, the country code is missing or doubled, or a digit is wrong. Check the Number in international format line. It also happens when the number simply isn’t registered on WhatsApp.
Can I make a link to a WhatsApp group?
Not with a phone number. Group invite links are created inside WhatsApp by a group admin, in the group’s info under the invite link option. This generator makes links that open a chat with one phone number.
How do I add a WhatsApp link to my Instagram bio?
Create the link here, copy it, then edit your Instagram profile and paste it into the links field. Put a short call to action such as “Message us on WhatsApp” in the bio text so people know what the link does.
Last updated: October 15, 2026