What is a WhatsApp click-to-chat link?
A click-to-chat link (wa.me link) opens a WhatsApp conversation with a specific number when someone taps it, on phone or desktop. It works with both the free WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business Platform. You can add a pre-filled message so customers don't have to think about what to type.
Where should you use your WhatsApp link?
- Website buttons and headers, like the "WhatsApp us" button on this site
- Instagram and other social media bios
- Your Google Business Profile
- Email signatures and newsletters
- QR codes on packaging, menus, receipts, shop counters and tables
- Ads that point to WhatsApp instead of a form
How do you write a good pre-filled message?
- Keep it short and natural: "Hi, I'd like to book an appointment."
- Use different messages for different sources ("from Instagram", "from menu QR") so you know where enquiries come from.
- If an automated workflow reads the message, include a keyword it can route on, such as "ORDER" or "BOOKING".
How do you turn the link into a QR code?
Paste your link into any reputable QR code generator, download the image, and test it with two different phones before printing. Print it large enough to scan easily, with a line of text like "Scan to WhatsApp us".
What happens after someone taps the link?
That's where automation helps. On the free app, a greeting message and quick replies handle the basics. On the WhatsApp Business Platform, an agent can answer, qualify, book and route, with a person taking over when needed. See WhatsApp automation, or compare the app and the API.
How do you track which link brought the enquiry?
WhatsApp doesn't give you analytics for wa.me links by itself, but there are simple ways to see what works:
- Use a different pre-filled message per channel, for example "Hi (from Instagram)" or "Hi (menu QR)", and count them in your chats or CRM.
- If you're on the WhatsApp Business Platform, an automated workflow can read that phrase and tag the lead source automatically. See Zoho CRM and WhatsApp.
- For website buttons, track clicks with your analytics tool before the redirect.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Leaving out the country code, or adding a leading zero or plus sign inside the link. The generator cleans this for you.
- Very long pre-filled messages that customers delete anyway.
- Sharing a personal number that's not monitored during business hours. Set a greeting and away message at the very least.
- Printing QR codes before testing them.
How do we apply this in client work?
Everything on this page feeds into how we run pilots. We start with a consultation to understand the process and the people involved, then write a one-page scope: the trigger, inputs, steps, outputs, a success measure and a stop rule that says what the agent may do alone, what needs approval and when it must hand over. We build inside the tools you already use, test on real or realistic cases including awkward ones, and review the results with your team before anyone talks about expanding.
We keep a few habits on every project: we never publish invented results, we label examples as illustrations, we list third-party costs separately, and we say so plainly when something isn't worth automating yet. If that sounds like the kind of partner you want, read the pilot process or message us on WhatsApp.
What should you prepare before talking to us?
You don't need a technical brief. A useful first conversation needs only a few things, and gathering them is valuable even if you never work with us:
- The process in plain words: what triggers it, who does what, and where it usually goes wrong.
- Rough volumes: how many messages, orders, tickets or invoices per week. A one-week tally is enough.
- Your tools: WhatsApp app or API, CRM, sheets, accounting or helpdesk software, including versions or plans where you know them.
- Three real examples: typical messages or cases, plus one awkward one, with personal details removed.
- What must never happen: the mistakes that would hurt most. These become the first lines of your stop rule.
- An owner: the person who will review the workflow once it runs.
Send these on WhatsApp or by email, or run the pilot scorecard first.