WhatsApp QR Code: Open a Chat with the Message Already Typed
A WhatsApp QR code is an ordinary URL code whose destination is a wa.me chat link. Scanning it opens WhatsApp with your number, and optionally a message already written in the composer. The visitor still presses send — nothing is sent silently.
The wa.me link format
The address is https://wa.me/<number>, with the phone number in international format and no punctuation. Add ?text= followed by a URL-encoded message to prefill the composer. Keep the message short: every character lengthens the link and makes the printed modules denser.
Format the phone number in E.164
E.164 means the country calling code followed by the subscriber number, digits only, no plus sign and no leading zero after the country code. A UK mobile written as 07700 900123 becomes 447700900123. A US number written as (555) 123-4567 becomes 15551234567.
- Drop +, spaces, dashes and parentheses — wa.me accepts digits only.
- Keep the country code even when the audience is local; a scan from a foreign phone must still work.
- Test with a number that actually receives WhatsApp messages, not a landline.
Prefill the message with URL encoding
The text parameter must be percent-encoded. A space becomes %20, an apostrophe %27, a comma %2C and a newline %0A. Unencoded spaces often survive a browser but fail in some scanners, so encode every reserved character and verify the final string in a plain browser tab before putting it on a sign.
Where the conversation lands
On a phone with WhatsApp installed the link opens the app; on a desktop it offers WhatsApp Web. A number without a WhatsApp account shows an error, and a business account behaves like any other chat. If you need routing to a team inbox or an API, that is a different product — a wa.me code always lands in one conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the visitor need to save my number first?
No. wa.me opens the chat directly; the number is only saved if the visitor chooses to add it.
Can the message be sent automatically?
No. The message is prefilled and the visitor presses send. Silent sending would require the WhatsApp Business API and explicit opt-in.
Why does my code open an empty chat?
Check the number: a leading zero, a missing country code or punctuation usually sends the link to a number that does not exist on WhatsApp.