You found a plumber's number on a directory, a seller on a marketplace, or a lead on a website, and you want to send them a quick WhatsApp. The usual way is to save them as a contact first, wait for WhatsApp to sync, then find them in your chat list. Do that twenty times a day and your contacts fill up with people you'll never message again.
You don't have to. WhatsApp has an official way to open a chat with any number, and there are faster options if you message new numbers often. This guide covers three methods that work anywhere in the world, on a phone or a computer.
The short version: open https://wa.me/ followed by the full international number, with no plus sign or spaces, for example https://wa.me/14155550132. WhatsApp opens a chat with that number without saving it.
WhatsApp's own "click to chat" feature works on Android, iPhone, WhatsApp Web and the desktop app. It's free and built in.
Start with the country code, then the number. Remove the +, spaces, brackets, dashes and the leading 0 of a local number. A UK mobile written 07911 123456 becomes 447911123456; a US number written (415) 555-0132 becomes 14155550132.
Type https://wa.me/ plus the number into any browser's address bar, for example https://wa.me/447911123456.
On a phone, WhatsApp opens the chat. On a computer, you get a page with a button to continue to WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. Type your message and send.
Add ?text= and your message to the end of the link. Spaces become %20:
The chat opens with "Hi, I saw your listing. Is it still available?" already typed. Nothing is sent until you press Send. Businesses also use these links on websites and in email signatures so customers can message them in one tap.
| Written as | Wrong link | Right link |
|---|---|---|
| +44 7911 123456 | wa.me/+447911123456 | wa.me/447911123456 |
| 07911 123456 (UK) | wa.me/07911123456 | wa.me/447911123456 |
| (415) 555-0132 (US) | wa.me/4155550132 | wa.me/14155550132 |
| 098765 43210 (India) | wa.me/09876543210 | wa.me/919876543210 |
| 04 1234 5678 (Australia) | wa.me/0412345678 | wa.me/61412345678 |
If WhatsApp says the number isn't on WhatsApp, check the format first. Most of the time a missing country code or an extra 0 is the cause.
If you'd rather not touch a browser, use WhatsApp itself:
This is handy on a phone when someone sends you a number in a message. For more than a few numbers a day, it gets slow.
If your work involves messaging numbers you find on websites (leads, suppliers, property listings, directories), copying each number and building a link is the slow part. A browser extension removes it.
Click to Chat & Call by GrabNear is a free Chrome extension that does three things:
{{first_name}} and {{site}}, so each message is filled in for the person you're contacting. You still read it and press Send yourself.It also adds your default country code to local numbers, which fixes the most common wa.me mistake from the table above. Templates and settings stay in your browser, and the extension only reads websites you turn it on for.
| You want to… | Best method |
|---|---|
| Message one number now, on any device | wa.me link |
| Reply to a number someone sent you in WhatsApp | Tap the number in the chat |
| Put a "chat with us" link on your website or email | wa.me link with ?text= |
| Message many numbers you find on websites every day | Click to Chat & Call extension |
| Send the same kind of message with the name filled in | Extension templates |
✅ Message people who expect to hear from you, or whose number was published for exactly this kind of contact, such as a business number. WhatsApp can restrict accounts when many people block or report them, and many countries have rules on unsolicited business messages. Say who you are and why you're writing.
Click to Chat & Call adds WhatsApp, Call, SMS and Email buttons to the sites you choose, with your own templates. Free for Chrome.
Add to Chrome — It's Free →Related: Capture leads from Instagram into your CRM · WhatsApp B2B outreach · Best Chrome extensions for lead generation
WhatsApp is a trademark of WhatsApp LLC. GrabNear is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by WhatsApp or Meta.