WhatsApp Link With Message: How to Create It and Track Every Lead

A WhatsApp link with message takes the customer to the chat with text already typed in the message field, one of the simplest entry points to WhatsApp Business. With a different message for each channel, the same link also shows where each lead came from.

Businesses that promote WhatsApp in their bio, on their website, in ads, and in print usually know how many conversations come in, but not where they come from. Without that information, it is hard to decide where to invest, especially when customer service runs on the official WhatsApp Business API.

This guide covers the wa.me format, encoding, QR codes, links by channel, tracking with codes, UTMs, and ads, CRM attribution, the 24-hour window, privacy, 10 ready-to-use messages, and common mistakes.

Key Takeaways

• A WhatsApp link with message uses wa.me, the number in international format, and the text parameter with the URL-encoded message.
• Meta does not offer statistics for QR codes and short links, so a source code in the message and Click-to-WhatsApp ad data do that job.
• The source should be saved in the CRM at the first contact, and the URL should never carry the customer’s name, email, phone number, or ID number.

What Is a WhatsApp Link With Message?

A WhatsApp link with message is a regular web address that the phone opens in the app. It has only three parts, and understanding each one prevents most broken links.

The wa.me Format and the International Number

According to the WhatsApp Help Center, the click-to-chat feature uses https://wa.me/ followed by the number in full international format. The number goes without extra zeros, a plus sign, parentheses, or dashes, as the page’s own example of the wrong format shows.

A Brazilian business mobile number becomes wa.me/55119XXXXXXXX: 55 is Brazil’s country code, 11 is the area code, and the rest is the number. The customer does not need to save the contact to start the conversation, which reduces friction on the first click.

The text Parameter and the Pre-Filled Message

The pre-filled message goes after the number, with ?text= and the URL-encoded text. The result appears in the message field, and the customer can edit it or send it as is, without typing anything.

Where the button sits on a WhatsApp landing page is a separate topic. Here the focus is the link itself: building it, testing it, and turning the pre-filled message into source data.

How to Encode the Message in the URL

URLs accept a limited set of characters. Spaces, accents, and some symbols need to become sequences with the percent sign, or part of the message may disappear when the customer opens the link.

Why Encoding Matters

The MDN reference for encodeURIComponent explains that the function replaces each special character with the UTF-8 bytes that represent it. Letters, digits, and a few symbols, such as the hyphen, period, and underscore, stay as they are.

The biggest care is with &, #, and +. The & separates URL parameters, the # marks the start of the fragment, and the + can be read as a space. Without encoding, the message can be cut off or changed exactly at those points.

Special Characters Table

The table below was generated with the encodeURIComponent function itself, the same one link generators use. It covers the most common characters in messages, including accented letters used in languages such as Portuguese, Spanish, and French:

In practice, nobody needs to memorize the table. Just write the message normally, run the text through the encoding function, a spreadsheet, or a trusted generator, and then test the link on a phone.

WhatsApp QR Codes and Short Links

A QR code is the physical version of a WhatsApp link with message. It carries the same address to menus, packaging, storefronts, and business cards, where nobody is going to type a URL.

QR Codes With a Pre-Filled Message

Any QR code generator turns the wa.me link into an image. Meta also lists QR codes and short links among the free entry points to a business’s WhatsApp, alongside the buttons on the Facebook Page and the Instagram profile.

For businesses using the app, the guide to free WhatsApp automation shows native features such as the catalog and short link. The QR code should be large enough to read, have high contrast, and include a line that says what happens when someone scans it.

Limits of the Official Short Link

On Meta’s platform, the QR codes and short links documentation says scanning a QR code can start a pre-filled message of up to 140 characters. Each number can have up to 2,000 QR codes and short links.

The same document notes that there are no statistics for QR codes and short links, because Meta limits the data it records to protect privacy. Links in the wa.me/message/ format can have their text edited later and do not expire on their own.

WhatsApp Links by Channel

Using a single link everywhere is the fastest way to lose the lead source. The ideal is one link per channel, all pointing to the same number, with only the pre-filled message changing.

Instagram, Website, and Ads

In the Instagram bio, the WhatsApp link with message can mention the profile, such as “I came from Instagram.” Keeping the profile active, for example with AI for Instagram, helps this link get qualified visits.

On the website, each page can have its own message, such as the product page or the quote page, and an AI landing page speeds up that test. Click-to-WhatsApp ads, on the other hand, do not need the link: the ad itself opens the conversation.

Email, Print, and Physical Locations

In emails, the link goes into buttons or clickable text, with a message tied to the campaign. This is a good trigger for sales follow-up automation, because the reply arrives already tied to the offer that was sent.

In print, such as menus, flyers, packaging, and window stickers, the QR code plays the role of the link. Each piece deserves its own code, so you can compare, for example, the packaging with the flyer handed out on the street.

How to Know Where a Lead Came From

Because WhatsApp does not show who clicked which link, the source has to travel inside the conversation. The simplest way is the pre-filled message itself, which reaches the team along with the first contact.

A Unique Message and a Source Code

Each channel gets a different message and a short source code, such as IG01 for the bio or QR02 for the packaging. When the conversation arrives, the agent or the automation reads the code and tags the contact.

The code complements WhatsApp lead qualification, because it shows the source before the first question. Since the customer can delete the text, a simple question such as “how did you hear about us?” covers the cases without a code.

Sample Tracking Plan by Channel

The plan below is a starting point. The codes are examples and can follow any pattern, as long as they are short, unique, and recorded in a shared spreadsheet:

With the plan in place, the monthly report starts matching codes with sales. That way, customer service metrics stop counting only conversations and start counting conversations by channel.

UTMs and Click-to-WhatsApp Ad Data

The code in the message covers most channels, but two sources bring richer data. UTMs measure the path to the page, and Click-to-WhatsApp ads deliver the source through the webhook itself.

UTMs Before the Click

UTM parameters go on the link that takes the visitor to the website or landing page, not on the wa.me link. Google Analytics Help describes utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign and recommends always using lowercase, because the values are case-sensitive.

On the page, the message code can reflect the UTM campaign, linking the visit to the conversation. How you build the page and measure clicks on the button is a landing page question; this guide stays on the link and the code.

The referral Object in Ads

When a customer writes from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, Meta’s webhooks reference says the message includes the referral object. It only appears in messages that come from this type of ad.

The referral includes the ad ID, URL, headline, body text, media type, and click identifier, ctwa_clid. That identifier is not included for ads in WhatsApp Status, so attribution needs to handle its absence.

First-Touch Attribution in the CRM

The same customer can arrive from Instagram, come back through an email, and buy after an ad. Without a clear rule, each new conversation erases the previous one, and the channel that brought the lead disappears from the report.

First Touch and Last Touch

Google Analytics Help separates “first user” dimensions, which store the source of new users and stay the same when they return, from session dimensions. The same logic applies to WhatsApp.

The first touch shows which channel generates new contacts and should never be overwritten. The last touch shows what reactivated the conversation. Storing both, in separate fields, avoids arguments about which channel “deserves” the sale.

From the Code to the CRM Pipeline

In a WhatsApp CRM, the source becomes a field and a tag on the contact, and the deal in the pipeline inherits that data. In ConverZAP, UTMs and the source page of forms are stored in the contact fields, and the ad source appears in the conversation panel.

Integrating WhatsApp with a CRM also lets simple rules read the code and apply the tag. With an AI agent integrated with the CRM, that reading happens in the first reply, without depending on the agent remembering.

Official API Numbers and the 24-Hour Window

A WhatsApp link with message works with any number, but what happens after the click depends on where that number lives. On the official API, the conversation enters a system with rules, webhooks, and multiple agents.

Why Use the API Number

With the number on the WhatsApp Cloud API, each message arrives through a webhook and can be read by automations, the CRM, and a team with multiple agents. That is what makes it possible to save the source at the first contact.

QR codes and short links managed on Meta’s platform are also tied to the account’s number. Businesses still on the regular app can create wa.me links normally, but recording the source depends on someone tagging the conversation by hand.

The 24-Hour Window and the Free Window

According to Meta’s messaging documentation, when the customer writes, a 24-hour customer service window starts and renews with each new message from them. Once it closes, only approved WhatsApp message templates can be sent.

Meta’s pricing page also describes a free entry point window when the conversation starts from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad on the mobile app and the business replies within 24 hours; that window may remain open for up to 7 days. Rates and billing rules are covered in the WhatsApp API pricing guide.

Privacy: What Not to Put in the Link

Links circulate in screenshots, forwards, browser histories, and analytics tools. That is why whatever goes in the URL and in the pre-filled message should be treated as public information from the start.

Keep Personal Data Out of the URL

Google Analytics Help on personal data states that URL parameters and paths must not contain personally identifiable information, such as an email address, mobile number, national ID number (such as Brazil’s CPF), or name. The same rule applies to the wa.me link and to UTMs.

The source code should identify the channel or the campaign, never the person. A link such as “?text=I%20am%20customer%20John%2C%20ID…” exposes data in every forward and offers no tracking advantage over a channel code.

Data Minimization and Transparency

Brazil’s data protection law (LGPD, in Portuguese) defines personal data as information about an identified or identifiable person and requires processing limited to the minimum necessary. Similar rules apply under GDPR in the EU. Tracking by channel respects this principle, because it measures the campaign without identifying who clicked.

For campaigns, WhatsApp opt-in applies. Meta’s opt-in guidance requires making clear that the person agrees to receive messages and from which business, something the click on the link does not convey on its own.

WhatsApp Link Generator With Message: Step by Step

A WhatsApp link generator with message only automates what you can do by hand. Following the steps below gives you a correct link even without a tool, and helps you check any generator before trusting it.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building the Link

The process takes a few minutes per channel and can be repeated in a spreadsheet, with one column for each part of the link and one row for each channel:

1. Number: write the number with the country code, area code, and phone number, digits only.
2. Message: write a short text with the channel code in parentheses.
3. Encoding: run the text through the encoding function or the table in this guide.
4. Assembly: combine https://wa.me/, the number, ?text=, and the encoded text.
5. Test: open the link on a phone and check accents, symbols, and the code.
6. Record: note the channel, code, and publication date in the tracking plan.

Before publishing, send the test message to your own number and check that the tag was applied. If the account uses WhatsApp Business automated messages, the greeting should match the pre-filled text.

10 Ready-to-Use Messages by Goal

The messages below fit within the 140-character limit of the official short link. Replace the bracketed parts and the codes with your own:

• Quote: Hi! I’d like a quote for [service]. (SITE01)
• Product: Hi! I saw [product] on Instagram and want to know more. (IG01)
• Booking: Hi! I’d like to book an appointment for [service]. (AG01)
• Promotion: Hi! I saw the promotion in your email and want to take advantage of it. (EM01)
• Physical store: Hi! I scanned the QR code in the store and have a question. (QR01)
• Order: Hi! I saw the menu and want to place an order. (CAT01)
• Support: Hi! I’m already a customer and need help with my order. (SUP01)
• Event: Hi! I’d like to sign up for [event]. (EV01)
• Referral: Hi! A customer referred me to you. (IND01)
• Business: Hi! I’d like to talk to sales about business plans. (B2B01)

For WhatsApp for ecommerce, product messages can mention the collection. What matters is keeping the tone natural, since the customer reads the text before sending it and may give up if it sounds robotic.

Common Mistakes in a WhatsApp Link With Message

Most problems show up at two moments: when building the link, when the conversation does not even open, and in tracking, when the conversation opens but the source gets lost along the way.

Mistakes When Building the Link

Building mistakes are easy to avoid with a test on a phone before publishing the link on any channel. The three most common are:

• Nonstandard number: a zero before the area code, a plus sign, spaces, or parentheses.
• Unencoded text: &, #, or + cut the message in the middle.
• Message too long: long texts put people off and exceed the short link limit.

Tracking Mistakes

The most expensive mistake is using the same link on every channel, which makes it impossible to compare results. Another is letting each new conversation overwrite the source, erasing the first touch that brought in the lead.

It is also common to create codes and not record them, or to rely only on the agent’s memory. AI for WhatsApp sales helps read the code, tag the contact, and continue the conversation without losing the source.

ConverZAP connects the number to the official API, shows the ad source in the conversation panel, and brings contacts and deals into the WhatsApp CRM, with AI agents and multiple agents in the same inbox. Start a free trial to connect your number.

Frequently Asked Questions