wa.me link
wa.me is WhatsApp’s official short link for click to chat: https://wa.me/ followed by the full phone number in international format, without +, leading zeros, spaces or dashes, opens a chat with that number without saving it. Adding ?text= with a URL-encoded message pre-fills it, for example https://wa.me/393331234567?text=Hello. It works on phones and on desktop.
Create your wa.me link with the free generatorThe syntax requires the full number with country code and no plus sign, spaces or dashes, plus the text parameter with the message URL-encoded. The link works anywhere people can click: website buttons, email signatures, Instagram bios, newsletters, SMS. The pre-filled message lowers friction, because the user only has to press send, and doubles as source tracking — it can also trigger keywords and automations on the business side.
When the user sends the first message, the 24-hour customer service window opens and the business gains a contact it can talk to freely. Best practices: a short, already useful pre-filled text, such as a specific request or a campaign code; the link placed behind a clearly labeled button; a QR code generated from the same URL for physical materials. There is also the extended variant api.whatsapp.com, functionally equivalent.
To create one without typos, use the free WhatsApp link generator: enter the number and the message and copy the ready link. For posters, menus and packaging, turn the same link into a code with the WhatsApp QR code generator.
Numbers connected to SendApp work with any wa.me link: the pre-filled message can contain a keyword that triggers automated flows or the AI agent.
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Everything you read in this glossary can be done with SendApp: try it free, no credit card required.