Start a chat with a single scan
For a customer to message you on WhatsApp, they normally have to save your number, open the app, find you and write a message. That’s a lot of steps, and you lose people at every one of them. A WhatsApp QR code cuts it down to one: scanning it opens a chat with you straight away, even if they haven’t saved your number, and, if you like, with a message already typed that they just have to send.
The code contains a link such as https://wa.me/15550100199, WhatsApp’s official click-to-chat format. It works with both WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, on Android, iPhone and desktop (where it opens WhatsApp Web or the desktop app).
Who uses WhatsApp in the US?
Texting is still king for many Americans, but WhatsApp has a large and growing US user base, and it’s the default way to communicate for many immigrant and bilingual communities and for anyone with family or clients abroad. If you serve Spanish-speaking customers, run an international business, rent to travelers or work with clients in Latin America, Europe or Asia, a WhatsApp code meets them where they already are. Many businesses offer two codes side by side: one for WhatsApp and one for a regular text message, which you can create with our email, text and call QR generator.
The pre-filled message
The optional text you write will appear in the message box of whoever scans the code. It isn’t sent automatically: they can edit or delete it. But it’s useful for two things:
- Breaking the ice. Many people don’t message because they don’t know how to start. “Hi, I’d like info on Tuesday classes” solves that.
- Knowing where the lead came from. Put one code on your truck with “Hi, I saw your truck” and another on a flyer with “Hi, I got your October flyer”, and you’ll know which ad works without any analytics tools.
Keep it short. Emoji and accented characters work fine, but every character makes the link longer and the code a bit denser.
Getting the number right
The most common mistake with WhatsApp links is the number format. WhatsApp needs the full international number, without the plus sign, leading zeros, spaces or dashes: 15550100199 for a US number. The tool handles this for you: pick the country, type the number however you have it, and it will strip spaces, dashes and parentheses and add the country code. If you start with a + or 00, it assumes the number already includes the country code and won’t add it twice.
Before printing, tap Test link: WhatsApp will open with the chat and the message so you can confirm everything is right.
Ideas for businesses
- Salons, clinics and auto shops: a code at the front desk or on your card with “I’d like to book an appointment”.
- Restaurants and food trucks: takeout orders from the menu or the delivery bag.
- Retail: in the window, so people can check stock after hours.
- Real estate: on each yard sign, with the listing address in the message.
- Events: attendee support from the entrance or the badge.
If you use WhatsApp Business, combine the code with an automatic greeting message and quick replies so customers get useful information right away, even when you can’t answer.
Privacy
Keep in mind that the number is written into the code, so anyone who scans it will see it. For business use, a dedicated business number is best. The tool builds the link and the image in your browser: your number and message are never sent to our servers or to WhatsApp until someone scans the code.