Want customers to message your business directly from Google Search or Maps? Create a WhatsApp click-to-chat URL, add it to the Chat field in your Google Business Profile, and customers can open a conversation without saving your number first.
The basic link is:
https://wa.me/COUNTRYCODEPHONENUMBERFor an Indian WhatsApp number such as 98765 43210, the finished link is:
https://wa.me/919876543210Do not include the +, spaces, brackets, dashes, or the domestic leading zero. You can build and test the URL in seconds with The Tech Pad's free WhatsApp link generator.
What Google Business Profile Supports
Google Business Profile—still commonly called Google My Business or GMB—lets eligible businesses add WhatsApp or SMS as a chat option. According to Google's official Business Profile instructions, the profile must be claimed and verified, and the Chat feature is available only for selected regions and profiles.
When WhatsApp is available, Google asks for a WhatsApp click-to-chat URL. That URL opens WhatsApp on a phone or WhatsApp Web on a computer. The customer sees a new chat with your business number and can send a message immediately.
This is different from Google's older built-in Business Messages product. Google discontinued the old Business Profile chat and call-history features in July 2024, but eligible profiles can now direct customers to WhatsApp or SMS instead.
Create the Correct WhatsApp Click-to-Chat URL
WhatsApp's official format is https://wa.me/<number>, where the number is written in full international format.
Use this three-step rule:
- Start with the country calling code.
- Add the complete phone number.
- Remove every symbol, space, bracket, dash, and domestic trunk prefix.
Examples:
| Country | Number as normally written | Correct click-to-chat URL |
|---|---|---|
| India | +91 98765 43210 | https://wa.me/919876543210 |
| United Kingdom | +44 7700 900123 | https://wa.me/447700900123 |
| Brazil | +55 (11) 98765-4321 | https://wa.me/5511987654321 |
| Indonesia | +62 812-3456-7890 | https://wa.me/6281234567890 |
The number must have an active WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business account. WhatsApp's official click-to-chat guide confirms that the link works on mobile devices and WhatsApp Web.
Add a pre-filled message
A pre-filled message gives the customer a useful starting point and tells your team where the enquiry came from. Add ?text= followed by URL-encoded text:
https://wa.me/919876543210?text=Hi%2C%20I%20found%20your%20business%20on%20Google.%20I%27d%20like%20more%20information.The customer will see:
Hi, I found your business on Google. I'd like more information.
Keep the message short. It should make starting the conversation easier, not force the customer to send a long promotional paragraph. A source-specific phrase such as “I found your business on Google” also helps your team identify Google Business Profile enquiries inside WhatsApp.
If you do not want to encode the message manually, use the free click-to-WhatsApp link generator. Enter the country code, number, and message; then copy the finished URL.
Add WhatsApp to Your Google Business Profile
Once the link works, add it to your profile:
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
- Find your business on Google Search or open it in Google Maps.
- Select Edit profile.
- Open Contact.
- Next to Chat, select the edit icon.
- Choose WhatsApp from the Chat drop-down.
- Paste your full
https://wa.me/...URL into the URL field. - Select Save.
Google may review the change before it appears publicly. Check the profile from a phone while signed out of the manager account, because the public view can differ from the editing view.
Google notes one important display rule: if you add both WhatsApp and text messaging, only the text-message option may be shown to customers. If WhatsApp is your priority, avoid enabling SMS at the same time unless you have tested which button appears.
What If the Chat or WhatsApp Option Is Missing?
The WhatsApp Chat field is not available to every Business Profile. Rollout depends on region, account, category, and Google's eligibility systems. A missing field does not necessarily mean your link is wrong.
Check these points first:
- The Business Profile is claimed and verified.
- You are signed in as an owner or manager.
- The number has an active WhatsApp account.
- The link begins with
https://wa.me/and contains digits only after the slash. - You checked both Google Search and the Google Maps mobile app.
- You allowed time for a recently verified profile or profile edit to process.
If Edit profile → Contact → Chat still does not appear, do not paste the WhatsApp URL into an unrelated field merely to force a button. A booking or appointment field should represent a real booking flow, and the main website field should continue to point to your official website.
The clean fallback is to add a visible WhatsApp button to your website's contact page, then keep that page as the website destination in your Business Profile. You can also place the same click-to-chat URL in your social bios, email signature, QR code, and Google Ads where the destination type permits it. The Tech Pad has free guides for adding a WhatsApp button to Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, and Blogger.
Why Google Rejects a WhatsApp URL
Most rejected or broken links come from formatting errors:
| Problem | Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Plus sign included | https://wa.me/+919876543210 | https://wa.me/919876543210 |
| Spaces or dashes | https://wa.me/91-98765-43210 | https://wa.me/919876543210 |
| Domestic zero retained | https://wa.me/4407700900123 | https://wa.me/447700900123 |
| Number not on WhatsApp | Link opens an error | Register or use an active WhatsApp number |
| Message not encoded | Spaces and symbols break the URL | Encode the text or use a link generator |
| Shortener used | Destination is hidden from review | Submit the direct wa.me URL |
Use the direct WhatsApp URL in Google Business Profile. Link shorteners add another redirect, hide the final destination, and make troubleshooting harder.
Test the Link Before and After Publishing
Test the URL in four places:
- Mobile with WhatsApp installed: the chat should open with the correct business.
- Desktop: WhatsApp Web or the desktop application should open.
- Incognito or signed-out Google view: confirm customers—not only profile managers—can see the chat action.
- A second phone: verify the displayed business name, number, and pre-filled message from a real customer's perspective.
Send a test message as well. A link that opens the right number is only half the setup; someone must receive and answer the enquiry. If several employees handle leads, the WhatsApp Business app on one phone quickly becomes a bottleneck. A shared WhatsApp team inbox lets agents work from the same number with assignments, notes, and conversation ownership.
Track Enquiries from Google
A raw wa.me link does not send a normal Google Analytics page view because the customer leaves Google for WhatsApp. Use these practical signals instead:
- Add “I found you on Google” to the pre-filled message.
- Save a label such as Google Business Profile when the chat arrives.
- Compare chat activity with the performance data available in your Business Profile.
- Use a dedicated link or message for each location if you manage several profiles.
- Record the lead source in your CRM when the conversation becomes an enquiry or sale.
Do not attach random UTM parameters after the phone number. WhatsApp officially supports the text parameter for pre-filled content; a custom campaign parameter will not create a Google Analytics session inside WhatsApp.
One Link for One Location—or Many
Google allows different Business Profiles to use the same WhatsApp link, which is useful when one central team answers for several branches. But separate links usually produce better routing.
For example, keep the same WhatsApp number and change only the pre-filled message:
Hyderabad: https://wa.me/919876543210?text=Hi%2C%20I%20found%20your%20Hyderabad%20location%20on%20Google.
Bengaluru: https://wa.me/919876543210?text=Hi%2C%20I%20found%20your%20Bengaluru%20location%20on%20Google.Your team immediately knows which location the customer viewed. Larger teams can go further by connecting the number to the official WhatsApp Cloud API and routing conversations by branch, label, or department.
Create Your Google Business WhatsApp Link Now
The setup takes a few minutes: format the number, add an optional pre-filled message, test the link, and paste it into Edit profile → Contact → Chat → WhatsApp. The two things that cause most failures are a + sign in the number and trying to use the feature on a profile where Google has not enabled Chat yet.
Create the URL with The Tech Pad's free WhatsApp click-to-chat link generator. When one phone is no longer enough, move the same business number into The Tech Pad's shared team inbox so every Google enquiry reaches the right person and gets answered.