What a WhatsApp QR code is
A WhatsApp QR code is a picture that a phone camera can read. When someone scans it, their phone opens a WhatsApp chat with your business number, often with a first message already typed.
There is nothing special inside the code. It simply stores a normal WhatsApp link, the kind that starts with wa.me. That means you can put it anywhere a link would be awkward: posters, menus, packaging, shop windows and business cards.
How to make one
- Build your link. Add your number with the country code and write the first message people should send. The free WhatsApp link generator does this and shows a QR code next to the link.
- Download the QR code as an image.
- Scan it yourself with a phone before you use it anywhere.
- Add it to your design and print or publish it.
The WhatsApp Business app can also make a short link and a QR code for your number from its business settings. The menus change between versions, so look for the short link or QR code option in the app's business tools.
Decide the message before you print
A QR code stores the link exactly as it was when you made it. If you later want a different opening message, or you change your number, the printed code will still point to the old one. Settle on the wording first, and keep a spare copy of the file so you can reprint.
If you expect to change things often, point the QR code at a short address on your own website that redirects to the WhatsApp link. You can then change where it leads without reprinting.
Print it so it scans
Most failed scans come from the design, not the code. Keep to these rules:
- Dark on light. Use a dark code on a plain light background. Light-on-dark and low-contrast colours scan badly.
- Keep the empty border. Leave a clear margin around the code. Do not crop it or put text close to the edge.
- Do not stretch it. Resize with the proportions locked so it stays square.
- Make it big enough. A rule of thumb is a width of about one tenth of the distance someone will scan from. A code on a poster read from two metres away needs to be much larger than one on a business card.
- Use a sharp image. A blurry file prints with blurry squares. The downloaded PNG is large enough for most print jobs.
Where it works well
| Place | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Restaurant tables and menus | Customers ask for the bill or place an order without waving a waiter down |
| Shop windows | People who walk past after closing can still send a message |
| Packaging inserts | Buyers can reach you about a delivery or a return |
| Invoices and receipts | A direct line for questions about a payment |
| Event stands and flyers | Visitors can follow up when they are ready |
Add a short line next to the code, such as "Scan to chat with us on WhatsApp". People scan more when they know what will happen.
Be ready for the replies
A QR code is only useful if someone answers. Decide who looks after the chat, and how quickly. When more than one person replies, a shared inbox keeps things from falling through. AiSend gives your team one place for those chats.
Run WhatsApp marketing, chatbots and a shared inbox from one dashboard.
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