How to create a WhatsApp link for a Saudi number
A WhatsApp link opens a chat with your number in one tap. For a Saudi mobile number, drop the leading 0 and add 966: the example number 050 123 4567 becomes https://wa.me/966501234567. Add ?text= and an encoded message to pre-fill the chat. Below: the format, common mistakes and where a store should use the link.
By Mousa Alhelo, founder, E-SAFQA · Updated · 6 min read · How we write and test these guides
What is a WhatsApp link (a wa.me link)?
A WhatsApp link, also called a click-to-chat or wa.me link, is a web address that opens a chat with a given phone number. WhatsApp says click to chat lets you begin a chat with someone without having their number saved in your address book, as long as they have an active WhatsApp account. It works on your phone and on WhatsApp Web.
The format is https://wa.me/ followed by the full phone number in international format. WhatsApp's instructions say to leave out zeroes, brackets and dashes, and its guide for linking from other apps also says to leave out the plus sign and leading zeros.
How do I turn a Saudi mobile number into a WhatsApp link?
The only step people get wrong is the country code. Saudi numbers are written with a leading 0 at home (05X XXX XXXX) and with +966 abroad. In a wa.me link you use the international version, with no plus sign and no zero after 966. The number below is an example only, not a real business.
- A Saudi mobile link has 12 digits after wa.me/: 966, then the nine-digit mobile number that starts with 5.
- Landline numbers can only be registered on the WhatsApp Business app, so a mobile number is the safe choice for a public link.
- Start from the local number: 050 123 4567 (example).
- Remove the spaces and the leading 0: 501234567.
- Put the Saudi country code in front: 966501234567.
- Add it after https://wa.me/ to get https://wa.me/966501234567.
- Open the link on your phone and on a computer, and check that it opens the chat you expect.
| How the number is written | Does it work in a wa.me link? |
|---|---|
| 050 123 4567 | No. It is the local format without the country code. |
| +966 50 123 4567 | Remove the plus sign and the spaces: 966501234567. |
| 00966 50 123 4567 | Remove the 00 prefix: 966501234567. |
| 966 (0) 50 123 4567 or 9660501234567 | No. The 0 after 966 must go. |
How do I add a pre-filled message in Arabic or English?
Add ?text= after the number, then your message with spaces and special characters encoded. WhatsApp's own example writes each space as %20. Arabic letters are encoded as UTF-8 percent codes, which is why a generator saves time. The customer still has to press send, so nothing is sent without them.
Our free generator at /tools/whatsapp-link-generator builds the link, a QR code as PNG or SVG and an HTML button, and runs in your browser. It does not add the country code for you, and it removes leading zeros, so type 966501234567 and not 0501234567. Examples you can adapt:
- English: https://wa.me/966501234567?text=Hello%2C%20I%20want%20to%20ask%20about%20order%20%231234
- Arabic (the words As-salamu alaykum): https://wa.me/966501234567?text=%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%83%D9%85
- Characters that must be encoded: space %20, comma %2C, ampersand %26, hash %23 and question mark %3F. An unencoded # or & cuts the message short.
- A new line is encoded as %0A. Test the link before you publish it.
- A link with only a message and no number, https://wa.me/?text=Hello, shows a list of contacts so the sender can choose who receives it.
Where should a Saudi store put its WhatsApp link?
Use a different pre-filled message for each place, for example Hi, I came from Instagram, so you can tell from the first message which placement brings chats. UTM tags do not travel into WhatsApp, so the message is your tracking.
- Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat bios, and link-in-bio pages.
- The Instagram Story link sticker, for time-limited offers.
- Your store's contact page and product pages.
- Order emails, invoices and receipts.
- Printed QR codes on packaging, flyers and shop windows.
- Ads that click to WhatsApp.
How do I test a WhatsApp link before I publish it?
A wrong link in a bio or on printed packaging costs you lost chats. Test every new link before you publish it, rather than judging it by how it looks.
- Open the link on an iPhone and on an Android phone if you can, and check that the chat opens with your store's number and no other.
- Open it from a computer. WhatsApp shows a page with the buttons Open app and Continue to WhatsApp Web.
- Check that the pre-filled message appears in full, with no stray symbols, and that Arabic text shows in the right direction.
- Send a test message from another phone and confirm that it arrives in your store's WhatsApp.
- If you print a QR code, scan the printed copy itself, in the real light and from the real distance.
Why does my WhatsApp link not work?
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The wrong number opens, or an error appears | The local 0 was kept, or the number starts 9660 | Use 966 followed by the nine digits, with no zero |
| The message is cut off | An unencoded # or & in the text | Encode them as %23 and %26 |
| The chat does not open | The number has no active WhatsApp account | Check the number is registered on WhatsApp |
| Arabic text appears as symbols | The text was not UTF-8 percent-encoded | Use the generator, or encode with encodeURIComponent |
| The link points to a landline | Landlines cannot be registered on WhatsApp Messenger | Use a mobile number or a landline registered on the Business app |
How does a WhatsApp link fit with WhatsApp Pilot on Shopify?
A link starts a chat from outside your store, such as Instagram or a printed code. Inside your Shopify store, WhatsApp Pilot, a Shopify app by E-SAFQA, adds a floating WhatsApp button that opens a chat-style panel with a greeting and a message box. Send opens WhatsApp with the shopper's message, and the page link if you enable it.
It is a launcher, not an on-site inbox, so replies arrive in your own WhatsApp. The button is free on your homepage, and Pro shows it on every page type.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WhatsApp link format for a Saudi number?
https://wa.me/966 followed by the nine-digit mobile number without its leading 0, for example https://wa.me/966501234567 (an example number). Use no plus sign, spaces, brackets or dashes.
How do I make a WhatsApp link with a message?
Add ?text= and the URL-encoded message after the number, for example https://wa.me/966501234567?text=Hello. Spaces become %20, and a generator can do the encoding.
Does a wa.me link work with WhatsApp Business?
Yes. A wa.me link opens a chat with any number that has an active account on WhatsApp or the WhatsApp Business app.
Does a WhatsApp link expire?
No. The link only contains your number and message, so it keeps working while the number is active on WhatsApp. If you change your number, create a new link.
Is there a free WhatsApp link generator?
Yes. The generator at /tools/whatsapp-link-generator on whatsapppilot.esafqa.com is free, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser. Type 966 before the number, not a leading 0.
Ready to put WhatsApp to work on your store?
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