WhatsApp QR code: start a chat with one scan

WhatsApp’s click-to-chat links are ordinary https URLs. Anyone who opens one on a phone with WhatsApp installed lands in a chat with that number, without saving it as a contact first.

1. Start with https://wa.me/
2. Add your country code, then your number — digits only.
3. Leave out the plus sign, spaces, dashes, and brackets.
4. Drop the leading zero of the local number, if your country uses one for domestic calls.

Open the link on your own phone before you make the code. A wrong digit gives no error at print time — it just opens a chat with a stranger, or with nobody.

Add ?text= after the number, followed by the message. Because it sits in a URL, the message has to be URL-encoded: a space becomes %20, and characters like & and ? must be encoded too or they break the link.

• Plain: https://wa.me/15551234567
• With a message: https://wa.me/15551234567?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20to%20order

The customer still sees the text and has to press send, so they can edit it. A good pre-filled message tells you where the scan came from — “Hi, I saw your van” or “Takeaway order from the menu” — which is a simple way to know which printed code is working.

Keep it short. Every encoded character adds to the code’s density, and a long message can push a small code past the point where it scans comfortably; see how much data a QR code can hold.

You do not always need to build the link yourself. WhatsApp shows a personal QR code in its settings, next to your profile, that other users can scan to add you. The WhatsApp Business app also offers a short link and QR code for your business, with an optional default message, in its business tools.

Those built-in codes are fine for showing on your screen. For print, a wa.me link encoded yourself has two advantages: you can see exactly what the code contains, and you control the file — this site gives you a vector SVG for sharp printing and a 1024 × 1024 px PNG.

Group invite links

A group invite link (chat.whatsapp.com/…) is also an https URL and can be encoded the same way. Two cautions before printing one:

• Anyone with the code can join. A code on a public poster is a public group. Use admin approval for new members if the group has that option.
• Resetting the link breaks every printed code. Group admins can revoke and regenerate the invite link — often exactly what you do after spam arrives — and the old code then leads nowhere.

• Shop window. Lets passers-by ask about stock or opening hours when you are closed.
• Delivery van. Easier than writing down a number at a red light — though only scanned when parked.
• Business card. A wa.me link is short, so the code stays small; see QR codes on business cards.
• Takeaway menus and flyers. A pre-filled “I’d like to order” message gets straight to the point; see QR codes on flyers and posters.

The number is not hidden inside the code. Anyone who scans it can read it, and a code on a public sign publishes that number to everyone who walks past, including people collecting numbers for spam. Use a dedicated business number rather than your personal one.

This site generates the code in your browser, and the link you type — your number and message included — is never sent to a server. Because the code is static, it never expires, but it also cannot be changed after printing: if your number changes, the code must be reprinted. Static codes count no scans, so the pre-filled message is your tracking. If you would rather receive an ordinary text message or a call, use the SMS or phone number generator instead.

Paste your wa.me link and download the code:Generate a QR code