How to Send Clickable Links on WhatsApp

Too Long? Didn't Read ● A clickable link on WhatsApp is a complete URL that users can tap to open a website, product page, payment page, form, or another WhatsApp chat. ● Use the full link starting with https://. A clickable link can still work even if WhatsApp does not show a preview card. ● Businesses mainly use three link types: wa.me chat links, Click-to-WhatsApp Ads, and CTA buttons inside WhatsApp Business API templates. ● You can create a free WhatsApp chat link, pre-filled message, QR code, and website button using AiSensy’s free tools. ● If you use WhatsApp for campaigns, add clear CTA buttons, track engagement, and send links only to opted-in users. ● With AiSensy, you can send broadcasts with links, use AI Agents and chatbot flows to share the right links, run Click-to-WhatsApp Ads, and track campaign performance from one place.

You paste a link into WhatsApp and hit send.

Sometimes it turns blue, shows a preview, and looks ready to click. Sometimes it stays as plain text, the preview does not load, or the page opens with an error.

For businesses, that matters because one clickable link can move a customer from a WhatsApp conversation to a product page, payment link, booking page, or demo form.

And the opportunity is huge. WhatsApp has crossed 3 billion monthly active users, with more than 100 billion messages sent every day. India alone accounts for close to 600 million users.

That is exactly why businesses want to know how to send clickable links on WhatsApp properly.

In this guide, you’ll learn how clickable WhatsApp links work, why some links do not become tappable, how to fix broken previews, and how to create WhatsApp chat links and QR codes that are easier for customers to use.

What Is a Clickable Link on WhatsApp?

A clickable link on WhatsApp is a URL that a user can tap to open a destination outside the chat window.

That destination can be a website, product page, payment page, registration form, blog post, mobile app, or another WhatsApp conversation.

WhatsApp detects complete URLs automatically. You do not need HTML, anchor tags, or a special hyperlink button when you send a regular chat message.

Three terms get mixed up constantly, so here is the difference.

A link stays perfectly clickable even when WhatsApp shows no preview card. Keep those two problems separate when you troubleshoot.

The Three Types of Links Businesses Send on WhatsApp

A personal user shares one kind of link. A business works with three, and each one serves a different job.

The first two pull people into WhatsApp. The third pushes them out of WhatsApp toward a page where the action completes.

Most businesses need all three working together. An ad brings the lead in, a chat link keeps the door open on every other channel, and a template button closes the loop with a payment or booking page.

Why Clickable Links on WhatsApp Matter for Your Business

Before the how, it helps to know what a good link actually does for you.

It removes steps.

A customer sees your number, saves it, opens WhatsApp, searches for it, then types. That is five steps. A chat link makes it one tap.

It brings offline customers online.

Print the matching QR code on your packaging, receipt, or shop signage. A customer scans it with their camera and lands in a chat with you.

It tells you why someone is messaging.

You can load a message into the chat before the customer even types. A pricing page can pre-fill "I want pricing details," so your team knows what the chat is about before reading a word.

It turns conversations into sales.

Product pages, payment links, and booking pages all live behind a tap. Without the link, the chat ends with interest instead of an order.

It can be measured.

Add tracking tags to your link and you can see which campaign brought the traffic, which page they visited, and whether they bought anything.

That is the difference between a link that sits in a chat and a link that does work for you.

  Explore: How to Run Click to WhatsApp Ads

Can You Hide a Link Behind Text on WhatsApp?

Short answer: no, not in a normal chat.

You cannot turn the words "click here" into a link the way you can in an email. WhatsApp always shows the full web address. There is no hidden setting for this, so it is not worth hunting for one.

You do have two good options instead.

Shorten the link. A short link looks much tidier than a long one full of random characters.

Use a button. If you are on the WhatsApp Business API, your message can carry a proper button that says Shop Now or Track Order, with the link tucked behind it. More on that further down.

The same goes for photos. You cannot make an image itself tappable in a normal chat. Send the image, then put the link right underneath it.

Read More: WhatsApp Broadcast Best Practices

How to Create and Send a WhatsApp Clickable Chat Link

A chat link opens a conversation with your business straight away. The customer does not have to save your number first.

This is the link you put on your website, your ads, your Instagram bio, and your QR codes.

There are two ways to make one.

Option 1: Create a WhatsApp Link Manually

You can create a WhatsApp chat link yourself without using any tool.

The basic format is:

https://wa.me/919876543210

Here’s what each part means:

• https://wa.me/ tells WhatsApp to open a chat.
• 91 is the country code for India.
• 9876543210 is the WhatsApp number you want people to message.

So, if your WhatsApp number is 98765 43210, your link becomes:

https://wa.me/919876543210

Notice that the link does not contain a +, spaces, or hyphens.

Correct:

https://wa.me/919876543210

Incorrect:

https://wa.me/+91-98765-43210

When someone taps the correct link, WhatsApp opens a chat with that number directly. They do not need to save the number first.

Want a message to appear automatically?

You can also add a pre-filled message to the link.

For example, suppose you want customers to see this message when WhatsApp opens:

Hi, I want to know more

The link can look like this:

https://wa.me/919876543210?text=Hi%2C%20I%20want%20to%20know%20more

The customer will not see %20 or the other codes. WhatsApp converts them back into normal text.

For example:

I%20want%20to%20know%20more

appears inside WhatsApp as:

I want to know more

Here, %20 simply represents a space inside the URL.

You do not need to memorize these codes. They are only required because spaces and some special characters need to be converted when they are added inside a web link.

For a short message, you can create the link manually. But if your message contains several words, emojis, punctuation, or line breaks, building the URL yourself can become confusing.

That is where a WhatsApp link generator is easier. It creates the link and handles all this formatting automatically.

Option 2: Use the Free WhatsApp Link Generator using AiSensy

This option is one of the easiest methods.

AiSensy has a free tool at create.aisensy.com that does all of this for you. It builds the link, handles the encoding, shows you a live preview, and gives you a QR code as well. You do not need an account or a payment to use it.

Step 1: Open the tool. Go to create.aisensy.com and see two cards, one for a WhatsApp Link and one for a WhatsApp Button. Click Generate Link on the first one.

Already using AiSensy? You can get there from your dashboard too. Look at the panel on the right for the card that says Customize WhatsApp Link, and click through.

Step 2: Add your number. Pick your country from the dropdown. It starts on India with +91 already filled in. Then type your number in the box next to it, without the country code, since that part is added for you.

Use the number that actually receives your business chats. If you are on the WhatsApp Business API, use your API number so replies reach your team inbox and not somebody's personal phone.

Step 3: Write your custom message. This is the message that appears in the customer's chat box when they open your link. Emojis and WhatsApp formatting both work here, and you do not need to encode anything.

One thing people get wrong: write it as the customer, not as you. They are the one sending it. So "Hi, I want to know about your pricing" works. "Thanks for reaching out" does not.

Watch the preview panel on the right while you type. It shows you exactly how the chat will look on the customer's phone.

Step 4: Generate and test. Click Generate Link. You get a shareable link plus a QR code pointing to the same place.

Step 5: Copy and share your Free WhatsApp Link with your audience on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, Pinterest and more. You can also download the WhatsApp QR & add it to your product's packaging to get more traction. Click Go Back once you are done with this.

Test it once on your own phone before it goes anywhere. Open it, check the right chat opens, and check the message reads correctly.

Explore: How to Create a WhatsApp Link for Your Business

How to Add a WhatsApp Chat Button to Your Website

The same free tool builds one, and you do not need to know any code.

A link works when someone is already looking for your number. A floating chat button catches people while they are still browsing your site, which is usually when they have the question.

Step 1: Open the button generator. From create.aisensy.com, click Generate Button. Inside the AiSensy dashboard, the WhatsApp Website Button card takes you to the same page. Or, you can simply: click FREE WhatsApp Link Generator by Aisensy.

Step 2: Add Your WhatsApp Number

Type your business number with your country's dial code in front of it.

India's dial code is 91. So a number like 98765 43210 becomes:

919876543210

No plus sign, no spaces, no dashes.

Use the number your business actually replies from. If you are on the WhatsApp Business API, use that number so enquiries reach your team inbox.

Step 3: Pick a Button Colour

The button only works if people notice it.

Choose a colour that contrasts with your website background. A green button on a green page disappears. A green button on a white or dark page stands out.

If your brand colour already contrasts well, use it. Otherwise stay with the default WhatsApp green, which people recognise instantly.

Step 4: Set the Button Position and Spacing

Two things to decide here.

Position. Left or right side of the screen. Bottom-right is the common choice, but the left side is worth testing, especially if you already have something sitting in the bottom-right corner.

Spacing. Margin bottom, left, and right are all set to 30 by default. Border radius is set to 24, which gives the button rounded corners.

Increase the bottom margin if the button covers a cookie banner or a sticky footer. Lower the radius if you want squarer corners to match your site.

Step 5: Write the CTA Text and Pre-Filled Message

CTA Text is the wording on the button itself. It starts as "Chat with us."

Something more specific often works better, because it tells people what the chat is for. "Talk to sales" or "Ask about pricing" both set an expectation before the tap.

Pre-filled Message is the message already typed into the visitor's chat box when WhatsApp opens. It starts as "Hi."

Write it from the customer's side, since they are the one sending it.

Good: "Hi, I want to know more about your pricing"

Wrong: "Thanks for reaching out"

Here is a detail worth using. If you tag incoming chats by their first message, write the pre-filled message to match that tag. Every visitor who taps the button then gets sorted automatically, before anyone on your team touches the conversation.

Step 6: Customise the Chat Widget

The chat widget is the small window that pops open after someone clicks the button.

Fill in these fields:

Brand Name. Your business name, shown at the top of the widget.

Brand Subtitle. A short status line under the name. "Online" is the default, but "Typically replies in minutes" is better because it tells people when to expect an answer.

Brand Color. The colour of the widget header, separate from the button colour.

Brand Image Url. The web address of your logo. Not the file itself, the link to where it sits online, ending in .png or .jpg. To find it, right click your logo on your website and choose "Copy image address."

This is the single change that makes the widget look like your business instead of a generic tool.

Widget CTA Text. The button inside the widget, starting at "Start chat."

Default On-screen Message. The greeting shown inside the widget before anyone types, such as "Hi, how can I help you?"

Step 7: Personalise by Page or URL(Optional)

This step is optional, but it is the one that makes the button genuinely useful for a business.

By default, every page on your site sends the same pre-filled message. With URL personalization (ON), you can set a different message for each page.

You enter the source URL, then the pre-filled message and on-screen message you want for that page.

• Pricing page sends "I want pricing details"
• Demo page sends "I want to book a demo"
• Support page sends "I need help with my order"

Every chat now arrives already labelled with what the person wants. Your team answers directly instead of opening with "how can I help you?"

When entering the source URL, check it carefully, including any parameters, so the rule fires on the right page.

Step 8: Generate the Snippet and Add It to Your Site

Click Generate Snippet.

Copy the code and paste it just below the body tag of your webpage. The button then appears wherever that code is placed.

Most website builders have a spot for this. Look in your settings for "custom code," "footer code," or "site-wide scripts."

NOTE: You can also preview the button.

Step 9: Test It on Your Phone

Open your website on mobile and tap the button.

Check three things:

• Does it open a chat with the right number?
• Is the pre-filled message correct?
• Does the widget show your brand name and logo?

Five minutes of testing stops a broken button from sitting on every page of your site.

Read More: How to Create a WhatsApp Button for Free

Read More: How to Get WhatsApp Opt-in From Users

Where to Share Your WhatsApp Link

Once you have the link and QR code, put them everywhere a customer might want to reach you.

Online, that means your website button, landing pages, email signature, Google Business Profile, and social bios. Instagram is usually the biggest one for Indian businesses, since the bio is one of the few clickable spots on the platform.

Read More: How to Add a WhatsApp Link in Your Instagram Bio

Offline, the QR code does the same job. Print it on packaging, receipts, table cards, shop signage, and event standees. A customer points their camera at it and lands in your chat.

Explore: LinkedIn to WhatsApp Lead Generation

How AiSensy Helps You Send and Track WhatsApp Links

Once you move from personal chats to campaigns, link handling becomes a workflow rather than a copy paste job.

AiSensy is an official Meta Business Solution Provider, and businesses use it to run link-led WhatsApp campaigns end to end.

With AiSensy, you can:

• Send broadcast campaigns with links to opted-in contacts
• Deploy WhatsApp AI Agents to answer FAQs, qualify leads, recommend products, and share relevant links automatically based on customer queries
• Add CTA buttons and dynamic URL buttons to template messages
• Build no-code chatbot flows that share the right link based on user replies
• Track delivery, reads, and replies for every campaign
• Segment contacts based on how they responded to earlier campaigns
• Run Click to WhatsApp Ads from Facebook and Instagram
• Connect WhatsApp with your CRM, Shopify store, and payment tools

An ecommerce brand can broadcast a product offer with a shop link, then retarget the contacts who engaged. A SaaS team can share a demo booking link and automate a reminder for anyone who opened the link without booking.

Conclusion

Sending a clickable link on WhatsApp is simple once you know the rules. Paste the full address with https://, add one line explaining it, and test it before you send.

For a business, the real win is not one link. It is having a door open everywhere. A chat link in your Instagram bio, a QR code on your packaging, and a chat button on your website all lead to the same place: a conversation with you.

AiSensy gives you all three for free, with no account or code needed. And as an official Meta Business Solution Provider, it takes you further when you are ready, letting you send broadcast campaigns with CTA buttons, build no-code chatbot flows and more.

Start with a free link today, and grow into full WhatsApp campaigns when your business needs them.

Get Started with AiSensy.

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