How to create a WhatsApp link (wa.me) and add it to your Instagram bio
Make a wa.me click-to-chat link with a pre-filled message, turn it into a QR code and add it to your Instagram bio, with examples for every format.
By Max · Founder of mssg.me and Stick
· 6 min read
The short answer
A WhatsApp link is https://wa.me/ followed by your full phone number in international format, digits only: no plus sign, spaces, dashes, brackets or leading zero. For a US number that looks like https://wa.me/14155550123. Add ?text= and a URL-encoded message to pre-fill the chat. Anyone who taps the link opens a chat with you, without saving your number first.
WhatsApp calls this feature click to chat, and it works with both the regular WhatsApp app and WhatsApp Business. It's free, needs no API or developer account, and takes about a minute to set up. Here's how to build the link, pre-fill a message, add it to Instagram and turn it into a QR code.
How to create a WhatsApp link
1. Write your number in international format. Start with the country code, then your number. Remove the plus sign, spaces, dashes and brackets, and drop the leading 0 that many countries use for local calls.
| Country | Number as you'd dial it locally | In the link |
|---|---|---|
| United States | (415) 555-0123 | 14155550123 |
| United Kingdom | 07700 900123 | 447700900123 |
| Ukraine | 0XX XXX XX XX | 380XXXXXXXXX |
| Brazil | (XX) 9XXXX-XXXX | 55XX9XXXXXXXX |
| India | XXXXX XXXXX | 91XXXXXXXXXX |
2. Put it after https://wa.me/. The result is your link: https://wa.me/14155550123.
3. Optionally, pre-fill a message. Add ?text= and the message, URL-encoded: spaces become %20, commas %2C, question marks %3F.
https://wa.me/14155550123?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20to%20order%20a%20cake
The visitor sees "Hi, I'd like to order a cake" in the message box and can edit it before sending. Nothing is sent automatically.
4. Test it on your phone and on a computer. On desktop, the link opens a WhatsApp page with a button to continue to the chat in the desktop app or WhatsApp Web.
These rules come from WhatsApp's own How to use click to chat help page.
Every WhatsApp link format
| Format | What it does |
|---|---|
https://wa.me/14155550123 | Opens a chat with that number. |
https://wa.me/14155550123?text=Hello | Opens the chat with "Hello" typed in. |
https://wa.me/?text=Hello | Opens WhatsApp with "Hello" typed in and lets the person pick who to send it to. Useful for "share this" buttons. |
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=14155550123&text=Hello | The older long format. Same result; use wa.me for anything people will see. |
https://wa.me/message/… | A short link generated by the WhatsApp Business app, which hides your number and can carry a default message. |
To get the short link in WhatsApp Business, look under Settings → Business tools → Short link. The same screen shows a QR code for it.
Pre-filled messages that get answered
A pre-filled message saves the customer from thinking about how to start, and it tells you what they want before you reply. Write it from the customer's side, keep it short, and name the thing they came for:
- Orders: "Hi! I'd like to order the [product]. Is it in stock?"
- Bookings: "Hi, I'd like to book a [service]. What times do you have this week?"
- Quotes: "Hello, I need a quote for [job]. Here are the details:"
- Support: "Hi, I have a question about my order number:"
Replace the words in brackets with your own before you encode the text.
A small trick: use a slightly different message for each place the link appears ("Hi, I found you on Instagram…", "Hi, I scanned the code on the box…"). You'll know where every chat came from without any analytics.
How to add a WhatsApp link to your Instagram bio
- Open your profile and tap Edit profile.
- Tap Links, then Add external link.
- Paste your
wa.melink and give it a title such as "Chat on WhatsApp". - Save. If you have several links, drag this one to the top so it shows in your bio.
Instagram allows up to five links, but only the first one is visible in the bio itself; the others appear after a tap. Professional accounts can also connect a WhatsApp number in Edit profile to show a contact button, though the option's name changes between app versions.
For Stories, add a link sticker with your WhatsApp link to any Story where you'd like people to message you: new stock, last-minute booking slots, giveaways.
One link for WhatsApp and everything else
The catch with a bare WhatsApp link in your bio is that it's the only thing people can do from there. Customers who prefer Telegram or Viber, or who want to see prices before writing, have nowhere to go.
That's the problem mssg.me was built for: a mobile page with buttons for WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber and Facebook Messenger, your links, and your products. You put one mssg.me link in your bio, and each customer opens the chat in the app they already use. Here's everything an mssg.me page can do.
If your page is more about your work than about chats, for example a creator's portfolio, a newsletter or a digital product, Stick lets you add WhatsApp as a link or a social icon on a page designed around everything else. Both are made by our team, and both are free to start.
Make a WhatsApp QR code
A QR code turns your WhatsApp link into something people can scan from packaging, a shop counter, a business card or a flyer.
- Any QR code generator works: paste your
wa.melink and download the image. Test it with two different phones before you print. - The WhatsApp Business app shows a QR code for your short link under Business tools.
- mssg.me creates a QR code for every site, so the code on your print materials can lead to all your messengers at once.
Print the code at least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 inch), leave a white margin around it, and add a line of text that says what happens when you scan it: "Scan to order on WhatsApp".
WhatsApp link not working? Check these
- There's a plus sign, space or leading zero in the number. The link needs digits only: country code plus number.
- The message has unencoded characters. Spaces,
&,#and?inside the text break the link. Encode the message, or let a link generator do it. - The number isn't registered on WhatsApp. The chat opens with an error. Make sure WhatsApp is set up on that exact number.
- It opens a web page on desktop. That's expected: WhatsApp asks whether to continue in the desktop app or WhatsApp Web.
Questions people ask
How do I create a WhatsApp link?
Type https://wa.me/ followed by your phone number in international format, digits only, without a plus sign, spaces or a leading zero. For example: https://wa.me/14155550123.
Can I add a message to a WhatsApp link?
Yes. Add ?text= and your message with spaces written as %20, for example https://wa.me/14155550123?text=Hi%20there. The person can edit the message before sending it.
Does a WhatsApp link work if someone hasn't saved my number?
Yes. Click to chat opens a conversation with your number without adding it to the person's contacts.
How do I add a WhatsApp link to my Instagram bio?
Go to Edit profile, then Links, then Add external link. Paste your wa.me link, give it a title such as "Chat on WhatsApp" and drag it to the top if you have several links.
Are WhatsApp links free?
Yes. Click-to-chat links are a free WhatsApp feature and work with both WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business.
mssg.me and Stick are made by the same team. We point you to whichever one fits the job, and we say so when we do.
About the author
Founder of mssg.me and Stick
Max is the founder of mssg.me, the mobile website builder people have used to create more than 100,000 websites and a Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund recipient, and of Stick, a link in bio builder for creators. He writes about link in bio pages, messenger links and selling on social media.