Doing foreign trade know that WhatsApp is the main tool to communicate with customers. But there is an annoying problem: every time you contact a new customer, you have to save the other party's number into your cell phone address book before you can send a message on WhatsApp.
Save the number itself is not a problem, the trouble is - when the customer receives the message, see an unfamiliar number, the willingness to reply directly discount.
Today we share a method to know each other WhatsApp account, no need to add as a contact, you can directly enter the chat interface. And this method is especially suitable for use in email development letters, which can greatly improve the customer response rate.
First, what does a WhatsApp direct chat link look like?
The core of this method is a special URL link. The structure is simple:
text
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=电话号码
Take it apart:
api.whatsapp.com/send-- This is the official WhatsApp sending interfacephone=-- followed by the phone number you want to reach
There is also a more concise format:
text
https://wa.me/电话号码
wa.meIt's the official WhatsApp short link domain, same usage, looks cleaner.
Second, the format of the telephone number has to be careful
The key thing to remember when using this link is that the phone number must be formatted correctly.
There is only one rule: country code + cell phone number without any symbols in between.
- Don't add
+号 - No spaces.
- No horizontal lines.
- - No brackets.
An example:
| States | Full number | Write-ups in links |
|---|---|---|
| sino | +86 135 1234 5678 | 8613512345678 |
| United States of America | +1 650 555 1234 | 16505551234 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | +44 7700 900123 | 447700900123 |
| abbr. for Saudi Arabia | +966 5X XXX XXXX | 9665XXXXXXXXXX |
important reminder: The area codes of Italy and Germany are 0039 and 0049, so when you write a link, you should remove the 00 in front of it and keep only 39 or 49..
III. Practical operation: three steps
Step 1: Prepare the link
Let's say your client number is Saudi Arabia.9665XXXXXXXXXXThe link is:
text
https://wa.me/9665XXXXXXXX
or
text
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=9665XXXXXXXX
Step 2: Test it out
Send this link to your own WeChat or memo and tap it. If you have WhatsApp installed on your phone, you will automatically be redirected to a chat window with this number.
Step 3: Use it in an email
When writing a development letter, add this paragraph to the bottom of the email:
text
Click here to chat with me on WhatsApp. https://wa.me/8613512345678
Customers receive emails, click on the link, you can directly talk to you - no need to save the number, no need to copy and paste, no need to any extra operation!.
Fourth, advanced skills: pre-filled messages, customers click to send
And that's not all. The link also supports “pre-filled messages” - when the customer clicks on the link, a message is already written in the input box for you, so all the customer has to do is click send.
Usage is to add the link followed by&text=parameter, followed by the content of the message you want to preset. However, the message content needs to be “URL-encoded” - that is, the spaces need to be replaced with%20Convert Chinese characters or special symbols into coded format..
Plain Text vs Encoded
| The message you want to preset | Encoded text parameter |
|---|---|
| Hi, I'm interested in your product | HiIminterestedinyourproduct |
| Hello, I would like to inquire about the price of the product | 1 TP3TB31TP3 TBB |
Example of a complete pre-filled message link:
text
https://wa.me/8613512345678?text=Hi%2C%20I%27m%20interested%20in%20your%20product%20catalog
After the customer clicks open, the chat box has been automatically filled with “Hi, I'm interested in your product catalog”, click to send on the line.
V. How does putting it in the mail work?
Many foreign traders write development letters and leave WhatsApp numbers at the end of the email, for example:
My WhatsApp: +86 135 1234 5678
Customers see it and want to contact you, they have to open their phone, save their number, then open WhatsApp, find you, type - there are so many steps that many people just don't bother to get it.
Change to link form:
Click to chat with me on WhatsApp.
https://wa.me/8613512345678?text=Hi%20I%27m%20interested%20in%20your%20products
The customer taps it and goes straight to the chat window, the message is pre-filled, just tap send.
The difference in this one step can make the difference in response rates several times over.
VI. About the new WhatsApp Guest Chat feature (2026 update)
In March 2026, WhatsApp began testing a new feature called “Guest Chat” - a link that allows people to chat with you even if they don't have a WhatsApp account!.
This feature is still in Beta testing and is only available to some users, but is expected to be fully rolled out soon!.
Features of Guest Chat:
- The other party does not need to sign up for a WhatsApp account
- Click on the link to chat directly in your browser
- Supports end-to-end encryption
- Currently only text messages are supported, not images, voice, video
- Chat windows are automatically closed after 10 days of inactivity
For foreign traders, this means that in the future, you can establish contact with more customers - the other party does not even need to download WhatsApp, click a link to chat.
VII. Reminders
1. Test the link by clicking on it yourself before sending it out
Make sure it's formatted correctly and jumps around properly. In particular, use the&text=Check for coding problems when pre-filling messages.
2. Always check the number.
Don't write the customer number wrong. Especially the country area code, misspell it and the link jumps to someone else.
3. After the customer clicks on the link, the speed of your response is important
Customers come to you on their own initiative, slow reply will drop the impression score. It's best to turn WhatsApp notifications on, so you don't leave customers waiting for half a day. Data shows that response speed directly affects the conversion rate.
ultimate
This method isn't complicated - it's a link format thing. But it solves a real pain point - customers are too lazy to save numbers and type.
Doing foreign trade, email development letter sent out to the sea is the norm. Add the WhatsApp link, match the pre-filled message, so that customers can talk to you with a click - one more step, one more layer of conversion funnel; one less step, one less batch of lost customers.
Try it now, make a link to your WhatsApp number and paste it in your email signature. The amount of inquiries you get next month may not be the same.
PS: If you're using WhatsApp and can't sign in with the message “For security reasons, we can't let you sign in at this time, please try again later”, check out this article for information.Rush to deal with “WhatsApp for security reasons we can't let you log in at the moment” issue》
