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WhatsApp QR Code Generator

Start a WhatsApp chat with your business, with the first message already written.

  • Free, with no account
  • Static — it never expires
  • Encoded on your device

Country code first. No +, no spaces, no leading zero.

Leaving the sentence unfinished is a small trick that reliably gets people typing.

Getting the number right

Written locally Use this
UK 020 7123 4567442071234567
US (415) 555-012314155550123
DE 0171 1234567491711234567
IN 098765 43210919876543210
Only non-personal fields go into the link.

Export

SVG has no resolution at all — it is the right choice for anything that will be printed.

Appearance & encoding

Higher levels survive damage and allow a bigger logo, but make the symbol denser.

The specification requires 4. Below that, decoders often fail to find the symbol at all.

Centre logo

PNG, JPG, SVG or WebP up to 512 KB. The file is read in this tab and never uploaded.

The safe maximum depends on the symbol size, not just the error-correction level — the check below works it out for the code you actually have.

Print readiness

Generate a code to see its minimum printed size.

What is actually encoded

What gets encoded

The payload is a plain https link that WhatsApp itself publishes:

https://wa.me/442071234567?text=Hi%21%20I%20saw%20your%20window%20sign

The number is digits only. Everything after ?text= is the percent-encoded opening message. When someone scans it, their phone opens the link, WhatsApp claims it, and a chat with your number appears with the message ready to send. No account of ours is involved at any point.

A small acrylic counter sign next to a till showing a QR Code and the words Message us on WhatsApp
The pre-filled opener doubles as attribution: you can tell the counter sign from the flyer by how the message starts.

Use the opening message as your tracking

A static code sends no data to anyone, so there is no scan counter — but you can still tell where an enquiry came from. Vary the pre-filled text per placement and the answer arrives with the message:

  • Window sign — “Hi! I saw your window sign and would like to ask about”
  • Menu insert — “Hi! I'm at table”
  • Delivery box insert — “Hi! My order number is”

Three codes, three different first lines, and your inbox sorts itself. It costs nothing and no third party sees any of it.

Never print the code from WhatsApp Web

The QR Code on the WhatsApp Web login screen is a short-lived session token. Printing it is at best useless and at worst a way to hand someone access to your account. The code on this page is a completely different thing: a public link to start a chat.

Where these work well

  • Shopfronts and counters. A message is easier to start than a phone call, and it leaves a record for both sides.
  • Delivery and packaging inserts. Support requests arrive with the order number already typed.
  • Market stalls and pop-ups. No till system, no email list, no app to install — just a chat.
  • Property and vehicle sale signs. Enquiries at midnight from people who would never have rung.

Limits worth knowing

  • WhatsApp must be installed. Without it the link is a dead end.
  • No scan analytics. Only what arrives in your chat list.
  • Changing the number means reprinting. The number is inside the pattern.
  • Business hours matter. Chat feels instant. Set an away message if it is not.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is this different from the QR Code inside WhatsApp?
Yes, and the difference matters. The code in WhatsApp Web links a browser session to your phone and rotates constantly — never print that one. The code here is a wa.me link: a permanent, public address for starting a chat with your number. It is safe on a poster.
Will it expire?
No. wa.me is WhatsApp's own permanent link format and QRCodeDojo is nowhere in the path. As long as you keep the number and WhatsApp keeps the format, a printed code keeps working.
Why must I leave out the + and the leading zero?
Because that is what wa.me requires: digits only, starting with the country code. UK 020 7123 4567 becomes 442071234567 — country code 44, then the number with its leading 0 removed. Getting this wrong is the single most common reason these codes fail.
Do I need WhatsApp Business?
No, an ordinary WhatsApp account works. Business adds a catalogue, away messages and labels, which are useful if the code brings real volume — but the link format is identical either way.
What happens if the person does not have WhatsApp?
The link opens in a browser and WhatsApp offers to install the app. Nothing breaks, but nothing useful happens either. In markets where WhatsApp is not dominant, offer an SMS or email route alongside it.
Can I pre-fill the first message?
Yes, and you should. A pre-written opener like “Hi — I saw your window sign” removes the blank-page hesitation and tells you where the enquiry came from. It is also the only campaign attribution you get from a chat code.

Keep going

Related tools

Telegram QR Code A t.me link for a username, a group invite or a phone number. SMS QR Code Number plus an optional pre-written message, in SMSTO or sms: form. Phone QR Code A tel: link with an E.164 check so it works internationally. URL QR Code A website, a menu, a booking page — encoded directly, with no redirect in between.