WhatsApp Link With Pre-Filled Message: Text Parameter Guide

A WhatsApp link with a pre-filled message opens a chat with your number and puts your chosen text in the message box. The person only has to press send. You build it by adding ?text= and the URL-encoded message to a standard wa.me link.

This guide shows exactly how the text parameter works, how to encode spaces, line breaks and emojis, and gives three copy-ready examples for a shop, a freelancer and an event.

The basic format

The official click to chat link looks like this:

https://wa.me/<number>?text=<urlencoded text>

A working example for a Spanish number:

https://wa.me/34612345678?text=Hello%20there

There are two parts to get right.

The number. Use the full phone number in international format, digits only. No plus sign, no leading zeros, no brackets, no dashes before the country code. An international number has a maximum of 15 digits including the country code, and it must belong to a WhatsApp account. Examples:

Local number	Use in the link
Spain 612 345 678	34612345678
UK 07700 900123	447700900123 (drop the leading 0)
US (415) 555-0132	14155550132
Mexico mobile 55 1234 5678	525512345678
Argentina mobile 11 1234 5678	5491112345678

The text. Everything after ?text= is your message, written in URL-encoded form. That is the part most people get wrong, so the next sections cover it.

The link works with both WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business. On a phone it opens the app. On desktop it opens WhatsApp Web or the desktop app.

How the text parameter behaves

The text parameter only fills the message box. Nothing is sent automatically. The person who clicks sees the text before sending, so they stay in control and can read it first.

That has two practical consequences:

• Write the message from the customer’s point of view, as if they typed it. “Hi, I want to order the blue mug” works. “Thanks for contacting us” does not, because the customer would be sending it to you.
• Keep it short and specific. A message that names the product, service or event gives you the context you need to answer fast.

If you would rather not hand-encode anything, you can build the link and a downloadable QR code with the free WhatsApp link generator. It runs in the browser and the number is not sent to any server. The sections below explain what it does behind the scenes, which helps when you need to edit a link by hand.

Encoding spaces: %20

A URL cannot contain a raw space, so each space in your message becomes %20.

Plain text:

Hello there, I need a quote

Encoded:

Hello%20there%2C%20I%20need%20a%20quote

The comma became %2C. Many punctuation marks have an encoded form, and encoding them is the safe choice. Characters that matter most:

Character	Encoded
Space	%20
Line break	%0A
Comma	%2C
Colon	%3A
Question mark	%3F
Exclamation mark	%21
Ampersand (&)	%26
Hash (#)	%23

The ampersand and the hash deserve special care. In a URL they have their own meaning, so a raw & or # in your message can cut the text off at that point. Encode them, or rewrite the sentence without them.

Line breaks: %0A

A line break is %0A. Use it to split a message into short lines, which makes forms and lists easier to read and fill in.

Plain text:

Hi, I want to book a session.
Name:
Date:

Encoded:

Hi%2C%20I%20want%20to%20book%20a%20session.%0AName%3A%20%0ADate%3A%20

Each %0A starts a new line. Ending a line with %3A%20 (a colon and a space) leaves the cursor in a natural place for the customer to type the answer.

Do not press Enter inside the URL itself. A real line break in a link usually breaks it when you paste it somewhere.

Emojis in a pre-filled message

Emojis are not plain ASCII, so they must be percent-encoded too. Each emoji becomes a group of %XX codes. A few common ones:

Emoji	Encoded
👋	%F0%9F%91%8B
🎉	%F0%9F%8E%89
👍	%F0%9F%91%8D
📍	%F0%9F%93%8D
✅	%E2%9C%85

You will not want to look these up by hand for every emoji. Paste your message with emojis into the generator and it produces the encoded link for you. After building any link with emojis, open it once on a phone and on desktop to confirm the emoji appears as expected, since display depends on the device.

Use emojis sparingly. One at the start of a message is usually enough, and it keeps the encoded link shorter and easier to check.

Three ready examples

Change the number and the wording to match your business. Each link is complete and can be pasted into a button, a bio, an email or a QR code.

Example 1: A shop

A product page button that tells you which item the customer is asking about.

Message:

Hello 👋 I want to order the blue ceramic mug, ref MUG014.
Quantity:
Is it in stock?

Link (Spanish number 34612345678):

https://wa.me/34612345678?text=Hello%20%F0%9F%91%8B%20I%20want%20to%20order%20the%20blue%20ceramic%20mug%2C%20ref%20MUG014.%0AQuantity%3A%20%0AIs%20it%20in%20stock%3F

Including a product reference means you do not have to ask “which one?” as your first reply. If you run a catalogue, create one link per product, each with its own reference.

Example 2: A freelancer

A link for a portfolio or proposal page that collects the basics of a project.

Message:

Hi Sam, I saw your portfolio and I need a logo design.
Project:
Deadline:
Budget:

Link (UK number 07700 900123, written as 447700900123):

https://wa.me/447700900123?text=Hi%20Sam%2C%20I%20saw%20your%20portfolio%20and%20I%20need%20a%20logo%20design.%0AProject%3A%20%0ADeadline%3A%20%0ABudget%3A%20

The empty fields act as a mini brief. Prospects who fill them in give you what you need to quote. Those who do not still start the conversation.

Example 3: An event

A link for a flyer or a QR code on a poster, to reserve places.

Message:

Hi! I want to reserve spots for Rooftop Night on 14 June 🎉
Name:
Number of guests:

Link (US number (415) 555-0132, written as 14155550132):

https://wa.me/14155550132?text=Hi%21%20I%20want%20to%20reserve%20spots%20for%20Rooftop%20Night%20on%2014%20June%20%F0%9F%8E%89%0AName%3A%20%0ANumber%20of%20guests%3A%20

For printed material, turn this link into a QR code so people can scan it and land in a chat with the message ready.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• A plus sign or zeros in the number. Write 447700900123, not +44 07700 900123. Remove the plus, spaces, brackets, dashes and the local leading zero.
• Raw spaces in the text. Replace each with %20. Some apps tolerate spaces, but others cut the link at the first one.
• An unencoded & or #. The message may stop at that character. Use %26 and %23, or reword.
• Pressing Enter inside the URL. Use %0A for every line break.
• A number that is not on WhatsApp. The link needs a number that belongs to a WhatsApp account. Check by messaging the number from a normal chat first.
• Never testing the link. Open it on your phone and on desktop before publishing. Check that the number is right, that the text appears and that line breaks and emojis display correctly.
• A message that sounds like it comes from you. The customer is the sender. Write it in their voice.

Where to use the link

Paste it behind a button on your website, in an email signature, in a social media bio, in a link in a newsletter or inside a QR code on packaging, menus and posters. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Google, Shopify or WordPress change their interfaces and link rules often, so check the current interface or policy of each one to see how and where external links are allowed.

For tracking which placement works best, create a different pre-filled message for each channel, for example adding the word “Instagram” or “Flyer” in the text. When the message arrives, you will see where the customer came from.

Build your link in a few seconds

If you want to skip the manual encoding, open the GenerateWaLink generator, enter your number with the country code, type your message and copy the link. You can also download the QR code for print. Hand-editing is still useful for quick changes, such as swapping a product reference or a date in a link you already have.