How many times have you faced the irritation of having to save a phone number on your contacts list just for the sake of sending a message? Unlike most other messenger services, WhatsApp users often face the annoyance of having to save a contact’s number for a single, fleeting conversation—whether it’s for a delivery, a quick business query, or a short-term transaction. Fortunately, the messaging platform includes a built-in feature called ‘Click to Chat’, allowing users to bypass this process entirely, ensuring your address book remains uncluttered.
This useful tool leverages a standard URL format that works across both the WhatsApp mobile app and WhatsApp Web. It eliminates the need to add a phone number to your device’s contacts list, offering greater convenience for one-off messages.
Step-by-Step guide to using Click to Chat
The technique involves creating a specially formatted web link. You will need to follow these steps to initiate a conversation without saving the number:
1. Prepare the phone number:
- Ensure you have the full, intended phone number.
- The number must be in the complete international format, including the country code.
- Crucially, remove all extra symbols, such as plus signs (+), brackets, or dashes.
2. Construct the link:
- Open your mobile browser or any chat where you can type a link.
- Use the following base URL format: https://wa.me/
- Immediately follow the backslash with the full international phone number.
Example: For a US number (country code 1) like 555-123-4567, the final link should be: https://wa.me/15551234567. For Indian numbers, it will be https://wa.me/915551234567.
3. Initiate the chat:
- Tap or click on the link you have created.
- WhatsApp will automatically detect the link and open a new chat window with that unsaved number, allowing you to begin messaging immediately.
Advanced Option: Adding a pre-filled message
For businesses or users who want to send a templated opening message, the link can be customized to include pre-filled text.
- Append the base link (e.g., https://wa.me/15551234567) with ?text=.
- After this, add your message. All spaces in the message must be replaced with the URL-encoding symbol %20.
Example: To send the message “I’m interested in your car for sale,” the full link would look like this: https://wa.me/15551234567?text=I’m%20interested%20in%20your%20car%20for%20sale
With the “Click to Chat” function, users gain a faster, more flexible way to connect on Meta’s WhatsApp, thus preventing their contact lists from being overwhelmed by temporary entries.
