How to send a WhatsApp message without saving the number
Use a click-to-chat link. Open https://wa.me/ followed by the full number with its country code in your browser, for example https://wa.me/966501234567 (an example number). WhatsApp opens a chat without adding the number to your contacts, as long as the number has an active WhatsApp account. Add ?text= to pre-fill a message.
By Mousa Alhelo, founder, E-SAFQA · Updated · 6 min read · How we write and test these guides
What is the easiest way to message a number that is not in my contacts?
Click to chat is the method WhatsApp documents. Its Help Center says it lets you begin a chat with someone without having their number in your address book, and that clicking the link opens the chat automatically. It is the same on iPhone and Android.
- Write the number in international format. For a Saudi mobile number that is 966, then the nine-digit number without its leading 0: 966501234567 (example).
- In your phone's browser, type https://wa.me/ and the number, so the full link reads https://wa.me/966501234567.
- Open the link. On a phone, WhatsApp opens the chat with that number.
- Write your message and press send. The number is not added to your contacts.
How do I message an unsaved number from a computer?
Click to chat works on WhatsApp Web as well as on the phone. Paste the link into your browser's address bar. WhatsApp shows a page with two buttons, Open app and Continue to WhatsApp Web. Choose Continue to WhatsApp Web, or Open app if WhatsApp is installed on the computer.
WhatsApp Web must already be linked to your phone from Settings and then Linked devices. If you have not installed WhatsApp, the same page offers a download.
How do I add a ready-made message to the link?
Add ?text= after the number, followed by the message with spaces written as %20. Example: https://wa.me/966501234567?text=Hello%2C%20I%20am%20contacting%20you%20about%20order%20%231234. WhatsApp pre-fills the message box, and you press send.
To share a message without choosing a number first, use https://wa.me/?text= and your encoded message. WhatsApp then shows your contacts so you can pick who gets it.
The free generator at /tools/whatsapp-link-generator does the encoding for you. Type your number starting with 966, because it does not add the country code and it strips leading zeros.
Which messages should a store pre-fill?
A pre-filled message saves the customer typing and tells you why they wrote. Keep it short, in the language your customers use, and let them edit it before they send. Replace the words in braces and encode the finished text, for example # as %23.
| Where the link sits | Message to pre-fill |
|---|---|
| Product page | Hello, I have a question about {product}. |
| Order email or invoice | Hello, I would like to check on order {number}. |
| Instagram bio | Hello, I found you on Instagram. |
| Shop window or packaging | Hello, I would like to order or ask about delivery. |
Why does the link not open a chat?
- The person needs an active WhatsApp account. WhatsApp says click to chat works when they have one.
- Check the Saudi format: 966 first, and no 0 after it. A number written 9660501234567 will not work.
- Landline numbers cannot be registered on WhatsApp Messenger. Only the WhatsApp Business app accepts them.
- Check that # and & in your text are encoded as %23 and %26, or the message is cut short.
- If WhatsApp is not installed, the page asks you to download it.
What about the other tricks people mention?
Some guides describe messaging yourself and tapping the number, tapping a number inside a group, or typing a number into New chat. We describe only the link method because it is the one WhatsApp documents. The other menus change with the phone model and app version, and we could not confirm them in WhatsApp's Help Center.
Is it allowed to message customers who did not save my number?
Replying to a customer who wrote to you is normal. Starting a conversation is different. WhatsApp's guidance says businesses may contact someone only if the person gave them their number and agreed to be contacted on WhatsApp, and its responsible-use page warns against using contact lists that are not yours.
Messaging numbers from a bought, scraped or old list is the kind of behaviour that gets accounts restricted or banned. Our guide to avoiding a WhatsApp Business ban lists what WhatsApp says to avoid.
How can customers message your store without saving your number?
Give them a link or a button instead of a number to copy. Put your wa.me link in your Instagram bio, order emails and packaging. On Shopify, WhatsApp Pilot, a Shopify app by E-SAFQA, adds a floating WhatsApp button: the shopper types a message in a chat-style panel and Send opens WhatsApp with it, addressed to your number. The shopper never has to save the number first.
The button is free on your homepage and shows on every page type with Pro. Replies arrive in your own WhatsApp, because the button is a launcher and not an inbox.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send a WhatsApp message without saving the number?
Open https://wa.me/ followed by the full number with its country code, for example https://wa.me/966501234567, in your browser. WhatsApp opens a chat with that number without adding it to your contacts.
Can I do this on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Open the wa.me link in any browser on either phone and WhatsApp opens the chat. The steps are the same on both.
Does it work on WhatsApp Web?
Yes. WhatsApp says click to chat works on both your phone and WhatsApp Web. On a computer you choose Continue to WhatsApp Web or Open app.
How do I write a Saudi number in a WhatsApp link?
Use 966, then the nine-digit mobile number without its leading 0, with no plus sign or spaces. The example number 050 123 4567 becomes 966501234567.
Do I still have to press send?
Yes. A link only opens the chat and, if you add ?text=, fills in the message. You press send, so nothing is sent without you.
Ready to put WhatsApp to work on your store?
Start with the free widget. Upgrade to Pro for order and shipping messages, cart recovery, repeat-purchase codes, the smart product button, back-in-stock alerts and Product Demand.