WhatsApp QR code generator

How a WhatsApp QR code works

WhatsApp has an official link format for starting a chat, called click to chat. Its help page on click to chat, which we read on 3 November 2026, gives the format as:

• https://wa.me/<number>, where the number is the full phone number in international format.
• A version with a pre-filled message, made by adding ?text= and your message.

The maker builds that link from your number and message, then turns it into a QR code. Nothing you type is sent to our server: the code is made in your browser.

How to format your number

• Start with the country code: +1 for the US and Canada, +44 for the UK, and so on.
• Drop the leading zero of a local number after the country code.
• Spaces, brackets and dashes are fine to type. The maker removes them, because the link needs digits only.

Scan the finished code with a second phone before you print. If the chat opens with the wrong number, check the country code first.

Add a pre-filled message

The optional message appears in the text box when the chat opens, so the person only has to tap send. A good message tells you where they came from:

• “Hi, I saw your sign on Main Street.”
• “Hello, I would like to book a table.”
• “Hi, I have a question about my order.”

That makes it easy to sort messages from a poster, a menu or a delivery bag. Keep it short, because a long message makes a denser code that is harder to scan.

WhatsApp’s built-in QR code vs a wa.me QR code

WhatsApp has its own QR code in the app. WhatsApp’s help page on your WhatsApp QR code explains where to find it: in Settings, next to your name. WhatsApp also advises sharing that code only with people you trust.

A wa.me QR code from here is a link you control:

• It opens a chat with your number. People can message you straight away.
• It can carry a message, so you know which sign or flyer they scanned.
• You choose the file. Download SVG for print, and add your colors or a logo in “Colors, size and logo”.

Use the built-in code for friends. Use a wa.me code for signs, menus, packaging and business cards.

Privacy: your number is visible

This is the trade-off to know before you print. Anyone who scans the code can see your number, and anyone with a photo of the code can read it. If you put the code in a public place:

• Use a business number, not your personal one.
• Think about who will see the sign and for how long.
• If you would rather people call or text, use a phone number QR code or an SMS QR code instead.

People scanning a code from a stranger should also check where it leads. Our guide on whether it is safe to scan QR codes covers what to look for.

Where to use it

• Shop windows and counters: “Message us on WhatsApp” for questions and orders.
• Delivery bags and receipts: a direct line for repeat orders.
• Tradespeople’s vans and flyers: let people send a photo of the job.
• Event signs: a chat for questions on the day.

Will it keep working?

Yes. The code is static: the wa.me link is in the pattern, so there is no subscription behind it. It stops working only if the number leaves WhatsApp. Read do QR codes expire? to see why static codes do not run out.