WhatsApp QR code generator
A WhatsApp QR code opens a WhatsApp chat with your number when scanned, with a message already typed if you add one, so a customer can start the conversation with one tap.
Enter your number in international format and, if you like, a starter message. The code encodes a standard wa.me link, built in your browser.
Everything happens in your browser. Your Wi-Fi password, contact details and logo never leave it.
This code is static: once printed, where it points can't change. An editable DexURL QR can. Read does a QR code expire.
How it works
Enter your number
Start with the country code, for example +60 12 345 6789. Spaces, plus signs and dashes are removed for you.
Add a starter message
Optional, up to 500 characters. A short line such as "Hi, I'd like to book a table" saves the customer from typing it.
Style it
Add your colours, a logo or a frame with a call to action such as "Chat with us".
Download and test
Scan it with a phone that is not yours, check that the right chat opens, then print.
Write the number in international format
The link needs the country code first, then the number, with no leading zero. The page keeps only the digits and accepts 7 to 15 of them.
| You type | The link uses | Why |
|---|---|---|
| +1 (415) 555-0142 | 14155550142 | Brackets, dashes and the plus sign are removed. |
| +44 7911 123456 | 447911123456 | UK mobile numbers drop the local 0 after the country code. |
| +60 12-345 6789 | 60123456789 | Malaysian numbers drop the local 0 as well. |
| 012-345 6789 | Refused | A leading 0 is a local format. Add the country code instead. |
What happens when someone scans it
- Their phone opens WhatsApp on a chat with your number.
- If you added a message, it is typed in the box. They can edit it and tap send, and nothing is sent until they do.
- They do not need to save your number first.
- It works for a personal or a business WhatsApp number. They need WhatsApp installed.
Mistakes to avoid
- A number with the local leading 0 and no country code opens the wrong chat or none at all.
- A long message makes a denser code that is harder to scan. Keep it short, and never over 500 characters.
- A code printed on a small sign needs a short message. Print at least 20 mm wide and test it.
- Do not print a personal number on something public unless you want strangers messaging it.
What you can do
- More than a dozen dot shapes, with separate eye frame and centre shapes, and the eyes coloured separately
- Linear and radial gradients on the dots, eyes or background, and any background colour or a transparent background
- Logo upload with size, padding, background knockout and a square, rounded or circle badge
- Fourteen built-in icons (link, Wi-Fi, mail, phone, chat, map pin, calendar, contact, globe, menu, star, heart, shop, play) or up to three letters of initials
- Seven frames with your own call to action, such as "Scan me", in your frame and text colours
- Ready-made design templates
- Error correction levels L, M, Q and H, and a quiet zone from 0 to 10 modules
- Export as PNG, SVG, PDF (vector), EPS, JPEG or WebP, up to 8192 px, or set the print size in millimetres at 150, 300 or 600 DPI
- Ten content types: link, Wi-Fi, contact card (vCard), email, SMS, phone, text, calendar event, location and WhatsApp
- Bulk mode: paste or upload a CSV of up to 500 rows and download one ZIP of codes in the same design
- Save your design as a small file or a share link, with no account
- A live scan check in your browser that decodes the preview and warns about low contrast, a logo too large for the error-correction level, a thin quiet zone and light-on-dark codes
- Free, with no account, no watermark, no scan limit and no ads. Nothing leaves your browser, Wi-Fi passwords and logos included
| Aspect | Static | Dynamic |
|---|---|---|
| What is encoded | The destination itself — the URL, text, or contact details are inside the pattern. | A short link that forwards to the destination. |
| Can change after printing | No. The pattern is fixed the moment it is printed. | Yes. Repoint the short link and every printed copy follows. |
| Works without any service | Yes — nothing has to keep running for the code to keep working. | No — it depends on the link service continuing to resolve. |
| Needs an account | No. | Yes, to create and manage the short link. |
| Scan counts | Not measurable — nothing passes through a service that could count it. | Measurable, since scans pass through the short link. |
| Best for | Fixed content that will never need to change, such as a contact card or a product manual link. | Anything printed where the destination, schedule, or password might change later. |
When an editable code is the better tool
| Situation | Static code | Editable code |
|---|---|---|
| A campaign poster or packaging run | A typo or an offer change means every printed copy is wrong until it is thrown out. | Fix the typo or swap the offer, and the same printed code starts working correctly. |
| A menu or price list | A price change means reprinting every table tent or laminated page. | Update the destination page once; the printed code keeps pointing at the current menu. |
| A business card | A new phone number or job title means every card in circulation is out of date. | Repoint the code to updated contact details without reprinting a single card. |
| Wi-Fi in a rented space | A password reset (a new tenant, a router swap) leaves the printed code connecting to nothing. | Update the network details behind the code without touching the sign on the wall. |
| Event signage with a schedule | A room or time change means the printed code sends people to the wrong place. | Update the schedule page; the code on the signage keeps working. |
| Anywhere scan counts matter | A static code cannot tell you whether anyone scanned it at all. | Scans pass through a link you control, so they can be counted. |
FAQ
Does the person scanning need to save my number?
No. Scanning opens a WhatsApp chat with your number directly, with the message ready if you added one. They still have to tap send.
Does it work with a WhatsApp Business number?
Yes. The code is a standard wa.me link, which opens a chat with any WhatsApp number, personal or business.
How long can the message be?
Up to 500 characters. A shorter message also makes a sparser code that scans more easily on a small print.
What if my number changes?
A printed static code keeps the old number. An editable DexURL QR can be pointed at a wa.me link and repointed later without reprinting.
Related reading
- Dynamic QR code, free: how editable codes work
- Static vs dynamic QR codes: which to print
- Dynamic QR codes for menus, flyers, events and packaging
- Free QR codes with ads: what your guests actually see