WhatsApp QR code generator
This WhatsApp QR code generator turns your business number and a short opening message into a code customers scan to start chatting with you. The code is static, so it never expires and no server sits between the scan and the chat. It is free with no sign-up, made entirely in your browser, and verified by a real scanner before you download it.
Content: WhatsApp
Country code first. Spaces, dashes and the + are removed automatically.
Style
PNG, JPG or SVG up to 2 MB. It stays on your device.
Your codes on this device
Off by default. When on, each downloaded code (type, content, style) is saved in this browser only, never uploaded. You can delete them at any time.
How to use the WhatsApp QR code generator
- Enter the WhatsApp number (with country code), for example 44 7700 900123 for a UK mobile. The generator keeps only the digits, so spaces, brackets and a plus sign are fine, but leave out the trunk zero you would dial at home.
- Type the Pre-filled message, such as "Hi, I would like to book a table". Keep it to a sentence or two; the customer can edit it before sending.
- Open the Style panel if you want a Style preset, a Foreground colour or your own logo through Upload logo; the site ships no platform logos.
- Turn on Show encoded text to check the wa.me link the code will contain.
- Wait for the badge under the preview to read Verified, then choose Download PNG, Download SVG or Download PDF.
WhatsApp QR code details
A WhatsApp QR code is a link in a form WhatsApp recognises. For the number +44 7700 900123 and the message Hi, I would like to book a table it reads https://wa.me/447700900123?text=Hi%2C%20I%20would%20like%20to%20book%20a%20table. The phone opens that link, WhatsApp takes over, and a chat with your number appears with the message already typed. The customer taps send and you have a conversation. Nothing is looked up on this site or any other; wa.me is WhatsApp’s own domain for exactly this purpose.
What the encoder does with your input
The number is reduced to digits. Spaces, dashes, brackets and a plus sign are removed, so +44 7700 900123 and 447700900123 produce the same code. What the generator cannot do is add a missing country code or remove the trunk zero you dial at home, so 07700 900123 must be entered as 447700900123. The message is percent-encoded: spaces become %20, commas %2C and line breaks %0A, and WhatsApp decodes them on the phone. Turn on Show encoded text under the preview to see the finished link.
What happens on scan
The wa.me link works whether or not your number is saved on the customer’s phone, which is the reason to use it instead of a plain phone code. If WhatsApp is not installed, the link opens a page that offers the app or WhatsApp Web. The message is a suggestion, not a submission: the customer can edit or delete it before sending, and nothing is sent until they tap the button.
Where it earns its keep
Shop counters and windows (“Message us to check stock”), restaurant tables for orders and reservations, service businesses that book by chat, and business cards where a message is a lighter touch than a call. Because the message is pre-filled, you can tell where a chat came from by giving each location its own opening line.
Common mistakes
- Local number format. 0555 123 4567 without a country code produces a link that opens nothing useful. Always start with the country code.
- A number that is not on WhatsApp. The code cannot check this. Scan the finished code with your own phone before printing; the chat should open immediately.
- Very long messages. Each character adds to the code, and a paragraph makes a dense pattern that is hard to scan on a small card. One sentence is plenty.
- Landline numbers. WhatsApp Business can be registered on a landline, but ordinary WhatsApp cannot; make sure the number is active in the app.
Check the downloaded file with the QR code reader to see the exact link, and read the size guide if the code goes on a window or a poster.
This code never expires
The code holds a plain wa.me link with your number and message, so it keeps working for as long as that number is registered on WhatsApp. This is a static QR code: the data is written into the pattern, so scanning it needs no server, no account and no subscription. There is nothing to renew and no redirect that can be switched off, which is why a code made here keeps working for as long as the printed copy exists. The trade-off is honest: a static code cannot be edited after printing and does not count scans. If you need either, encode a link to a page you control. Read how static and dynamic codes differ, and if a code you already have has stopped working, see why QR codes expire.
Styling, formats and print size
Every code can be styled in the Style panel: six dot shapes, corner shapes, solid or gradient colours, a transparent background, a quiet zone of 0–8 modules, and your own logo up to 30 percent of the width. A contrast checker warns below 3:1 and blocks downloads below 1.5:1, and after each change the preview is decoded again so the badge tells you whether the styled code still scans.
| Output | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Web, documents, quick prints | 256 to 4096 px; transparent background supported |
| SVG | Designers and print shops | Vector, scales without limit; logo embedded |
| Printing at an exact size | Vector modules at a chosen width in mm or inches, optional caption | |
| JPG | Platforms that reject PNG | White background; no transparency |
| EPS | Legacy print workflows | Vector from the module matrix, no logo |
| Copy / Print | Pasting into a document; a quick paper test | PNG to the clipboard; print view with caption |
Print size: as a rule of thumb the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance wide, with the quiet zone included.
| Scan distance | Minimum width |
|---|---|
| 0.5 m (arm's length) | 5 cm |
| 1 m | 10 cm |
| 2 m | 20 cm |
| 5 m | 50 cm |
A WhatsApp code is usually scanned from a counter, a table card or a shop window at 20–80 cm, so 3–8 cm wide covers most uses; export the PDF at a fixed size in millimetres for the print shop.
The QR code size guide has a calculator for module size, DPI and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Does a WhatsApp QR code expire?
No. The code contains a wa.me link with your number and message as plain text, and the phone opens that link directly. There is no shortener or redirect that can be switched off. It stops working only if the number leaves WhatsApp, in which case you make a new code with the new number.
Is this WhatsApp QR code generator free, and does it need an account?
Yes, and no account. The link is assembled and drawn in your browser; nothing is sent to a server, and nothing is stored unless you turn on Remember my codes on this device. Every output format, including SVG and PDF, is free with no watermark and no limit on the number of codes.
Does the customer need my number saved to chat?
No. The wa.me link opens a conversation with the number in the link whether or not it is in the customer's contacts. That is the main advantage over a phone-number code: the customer does not have to save you first, and your message is already typed in the box, ready to send.
What format should the number be in?
Country code followed by the subscriber number, digits only. A UK mobile 07700 900123 becomes 447700900123, and a US number (415) 555-0132 becomes 14155550132. The generator strips spaces, brackets and the plus sign for you, but it cannot guess a missing country code, so check it before you print.
Can I change the message after printing?
No. The message is part of the printed code, so changing it means a new code. Keep it generic enough to stay useful, for example an opening line rather than a dated offer. If the wording needs to change over time, link to a page on your own website instead and change that page.
Does it work with WhatsApp Business?
Yes. wa.me links work with both WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, because both are tied to a phone number. With a Business account the customer also sees your business profile, catalogue and greeting message on top of the pre-filled text. The number is what matters, not the type of account.
How big should I print a WhatsApp QR code?
A number plus a 60-character message is about 100 bytes, which gives a code of roughly 41 to 49 modules per side depending on error correction. At 3 cm wide that scans comfortably from 30 cm; on a shop window read from a metre away, print it at least 10 cm wide and keep the white margin.
Related
Last updated . QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Open-source engines are listed on the how it works page.