Chat Link MakerThe most common reason a WhatsApp link fails is a wrongly written number. WhatsApp wants the full number in international format: the country code, then the number, with no plus sign, zeros, brackets or dashes in front.
The rule
Country code + number, digits only. For India the code is 91, so a mobile number 98xxxxxxxx becomes 9198xxxxxxxx. The official example is written as https://wa.me/1XXXXXXXXXX, which is the US form, and the official page warns against https://wa.me/+001-(XXX)XXXXXXX.
Examples
| Country | Code | You write |
|---|---|---|
| India | 91 | 91 + 10-digit mobile number |
| United States, Canada | 1 | 1 + 10-digit number |
| United Kingdom | 44 | 44 + number without its leading 0 |
| United Arab Emirates | 971 | 971 + number without its leading 0 |
| Pakistan | 92 | 92 + number without its leading 0 |
| Bangladesh | 880 | 880 + number without its leading 0 |
Common mistakes
- A leading zero. In many countries the local number starts with 0. Remove it when you add the country code.
- Typing the country code twice. The link maker removes a doubled 91 for India, but in other cases check the number you typed.
- Spaces and dashes. Copy-pasted numbers often contain them. The link maker removes everything except digits.
- A landline. A link only works for a number that has a WhatsApp account.
How to check a number
Before you publish, send the link to yourself. Open the chat it makes and look at the number at the top. If it shows the country flag and the digits you expected, the number is right. If WhatsApp says the number is not on WhatsApp, the digits are wrong or the person does not use it.
Numbers that look similar
Some countries have several mobile prefixes, and some numbers are written differently locally and abroad. When in doubt, ask the owner to send you their number from WhatsApp itself: open their profile and copy the number shown there, which is already in international form.
Our dial codes section lists the calling code of every country. Then make the link.
Questions people ask
Do I write the plus sign?
No. The official format has no plus sign, zeros, brackets or dashes. Write the digits only.