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Build a WhatsApp click-to-chat link with https://wa.me/ followed by the recipient’s full international-format phone number, with formatting removed. To prefill a message, add it as an encoded text query parameter. The link opens a chat with the text ready; the user must still tap Send.

WhatsApp click-to-chat URL format

WhatsApp documents this basic form: https://wa.me/<number>. Use the recipient’s complete international-format number in the path. Omit the plus sign, leading zeroes, spaces, brackets, and dashes from the link representation, while taking care to use the correct international number rather than blindly removing digits from a locally formatted number. See WhatsApp’s click-to-chat instructions and its iOS linking guidance.

For example, a number represented internationally as +1 555 123 4567 would be written in the path as 15551234567: https://wa.me/15551234567. The recipient must have an active WhatsApp account. WhatsApp says click-to-chat works on phone and WhatsApp Web, and lets you start a conversation without saving the number to your address book.

Add a pre-filled message

Append the message as a text query parameter: https://wa.me/<number>?text=<encoded-message>. The message appears in the chat’s text field; opening the link does not send it automatically.

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Encode the message value as one URI component. Keep the fixed URL structure—protocol, host, path separator, and ?text=—literal, and encode only the dynamic message. Encoding the whole URL would encode its separators and prevent it from retaining the intended structure.

Build the link in JavaScript

In browser-side JavaScript or another JavaScript application, use encodeURIComponent() on the message value:

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function makeWhatsAppLink(phoneNumber, message) {
  // Supply an international-format number with formatting removed.
  const base = `https://wa.me/${phoneNumber}`;
  if (message === undefined || message === null || message === "") {
    return base;
  }
  return `${base}?text=${encodeURIComponent(message)}`;
}

console.log(makeWhatsAppLink("15551234567", "Hello! Is this still available?"));

The output is https://wa.me/15551234567?text=Hello!%20Is%20this%20still%20available%3F. encodeURIComponent() encodes reserved characters and non-ASCII text in a component, including characters such as & that otherwise could be interpreted as query syntax. See MDN’s encodeURIComponent() documentation.

Build the link in Python

For a Python script or application, use urllib.parse.quote() with safe='' to percent-encode the message component:

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from urllib.parse import quote

def make_whatsapp_link(phone_number: str, message: str | None = None) -> str:
    # Supply an international-format number with formatting removed.
    base = f"https://wa.me/{phone_number}"
    if not message:
        return base
    return f"{base}?text={quote(message, safe='')}"

print(make_whatsapp_link("15551234567", "Hello! Is this still available?"))

This produces the same URL as the JavaScript example. Python’s quote() uses UTF-8 by default. quote_plus() is intended for form-value encoding and converts spaces to +; quote() makes percent-encoded component construction explicit. The example’s str | None type syntax requires Python 3.10 or later; on earlier versions, remove the annotation or use Optional[str]. The URL construction itself does not depend on that type hint. See the Python 3.12.15 urllib.parse documentation.

Let the user choose a recipient

To create a message link without specifying a number, omit the number path and keep the text parameter:

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// JavaScript
const link = `https://wa.me/?text=${encodeURIComponent(message)}`;
# Python
from urllib.parse import quote

link = f"https://wa.me/?text={quote(message, safe='')}"

WhatsApp says this message-only form opens a recipient-selection flow so the user can choose a contact.

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JavaScript and Python encoding compared

Implementation Encoder Spaces and reserved characters Typical context
JavaScript encodeURIComponent() Encodes the message component, including reserved characters and non-ASCII text; spaces are percent-encoded. Browser-side JavaScript or another JavaScript application.
Python urllib.parse.quote(message, safe='') Percent-encodes the component using UTF-8 by default. Unlike quote_plus(), it does not convert spaces to plus signs. Python scripts and applications.

Both approaches encode only the message value, not the fixed URL syntax.

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Common mistakes to avoid

  • Passing a locally formatted number: Do not put a value such as +1 (555) 123-4567 in the path. Use the correct full international-format number, represented without the plus sign or punctuation.
  • Stripping digits without checking the number format: WhatsApp’s link format omits leading zeroes, but this is not a rule to remove digits indiscriminately. Establish the proper international-format number first.
  • Concatenating raw message text: A message containing spaces, &, ?, #, or non-ASCII characters should be encoded as a component before it is placed after text=.
  • Encoding the complete URL: Keep the URL’s fixed separators literal and encode only the dynamic message.
  • Expecting the message to send on click: The text is prefilled; the user decides whether to send it.
  • Assuming every number can receive a WhatsApp chat: The recipient needs an active WhatsApp account.

For WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business can automatically generate a short link for a business to share, and the business can set or edit a default message. WhatsApp notes that anyone with the link can message the business. See WhatsApp’s short-link instructions.

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