WhatsApp platform2 min read
Message on WhatsApp without saving the number
By Shraddha Agarwal
The short answer: You can message on WhatsApp without saving the number: search for it in the Chats tab, or open wa.me/ followed by the full international number, digits only. A business can put the same link behind a QR code or a website button.
Search inside WhatsApp
From the Chats or Calls tab, search for the phone number. If it uses WhatsApp, open the chat and type; saving it is optional. For a foreign number, include the country code.
Use a wa.me link
WhatsApp's click to chat opens a chat with any number that has an active WhatsApp account, on your phone or WhatsApp Web. Write the number in full international format, with no plus sign, leading zero, brackets, spaces or dashes.
| Written locally | Link |
|---|---|
| UAE mobile, 050 XXX XXXX | wa.me/97150XXXXXXX |
| Saudi mobile, 05X XXX XXXX | wa.me/9665XXXXXXXX |
Open the link in your phone's browser, or send it to yourself and tap it.
Add a first message
Add ?text= and your message to the end of the link. Encode spaces as %20, so "Hi there" becomes ?text=Hi%20there.
The text lands in the typing field, ready to edit. Our free WhatsApp link and QR code generator builds the link and encodes the message for you.
QR codes and website buttons
- QR code. It carries the same link for print: a counter, packaging, a menu. The WhatsApp Business app has its own QR code under Tools then Short link, which does not expire unless you reset it.
- Website button. WhatsApp publishes an official Chat on WhatsApp button, in English only. Our free chat button takes your own label and color and loads no script.
If they gave you a username
WhatsApp is rolling out optional usernames, such as @Name123. Type the exact username in WhatsApp to start the chat; there is no directory to search.
After a customer taps your link
They open a 24-hour customer service window, and you can reply freely. Promotions you send later still need opt-in.
Where Otobiz fits
Otobiz connects your number to the official WhatsApp Business API. Each lead capture link or QR code records where the chat came from, and your team answers from one shared inbox.
