How do I create a WhatsApp QR code?
Updated September 14, 2026 · 2 min read
Click Create new, then Create a QR Code, click More on the Type step and choose WhatsApp. Put your number in Phone Number (with country code) and, if you want, a first line in Pre-filled Message (optional), then design and download. Keep it on Dynamic so you can change the number later without reprinting.
Video transcript
Here is how to create a WhatsApp QR code. One scan opens a chat with your number, with a first message already typed.
Use it in the shop window, on business cards and flyers, and on delivery notes where a question about the order should go straight to you. Because the code is dynamic, you can change the number later and the printed code keeps working.
In the dashboard, click Create new, then Create a QR Code. Click More to show the full type grid, pick WhatsApp, and leave it on Dynamic. Give the code a name, then type your phone number with the country code and a starter message. Choose a theme, then Download.
Two fields matter. First, the phone number. Include the country code and nothing else changes. Second, the starter message. It is optional. It appears typed in the chat box, so the customer only has to tap send.
Try it on the seven-day free trial. No credit card, five dynamic QR codes. Link in the description.
When to use a WhatsApp QR code
- Shop windows and counters. Customers start a chat without saving your number first.
- Business cards and flyers. One tap to message beats a phone number to copy.
- Delivery notes and packaging. A question about the order goes straight to your chat.
The WhatsApp QR code generator runs the same wizard if you want to build one before signing in.
Steps in the dashboard
- Open the wizard. In the dashboard, click Create new, then Create a QR Code.
- Pick the type. On the Type step the grid shows the first 15 types, so click More to show the rest and choose WhatsApp. Leave it on Dynamic unless you have a reason not to: static codes need a paid plan, record no scans, and can never be edited.
- Fill in the content. Click Next →. The first field is QR Code Name — it is optional and only for your own list. Then, under Basic Information:
Field What to put in it Phone Number (with country code) The number the chat opens with, in full international form: a plus sign, the country code, then the number. Pre-filled Message (optional) Appears already typed in the chat box, so the customer only taps send. - Design and download. Click Next → to reach QR Design, pick a theme or set your own colours, then click Download ✓. The code is saved to My QR Codes at the same time.
After you download
A dynamic code can be pointed somewhere new at any time: open it from My QR Codes, click Edit, change the address and save. The printed pattern never changes, because it always points at the same short address on our side.
Scans are recorded too, so Full analytics shows totals, devices, browsers and where people came from. A static code encodes the address directly — nothing to edit afterwards and no scan data at all. See static versus dynamic in QRCodeStack.
Common problems
The chat opens on the wrong number, or not at all
Almost always the country code. Write the number in full international form and drop any leading zero from the local part.
The message is not pre-filled
Some WhatsApp versions drop it when the app is not installed and the chat opens in the browser. The chat itself still opens.
There is no Edit parameters button
UTM tags are not offered on WhatsApp codes, because they mean nothing on a chat link. Use the code's scan analytics instead.
Scan the preview with your own phone before you send anything to print. Testing before printing covers what else to check.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a WhatsApp Business account?
No. Any WhatsApp number works.
Can I change the number after printing?
Yes, on a dynamic code. Edit it and save.
What if the scanner has no WhatsApp app?
The chat opens in the browser instead.
Can the first message be changed later?
Yes. Edit Pre-filled Message (optional) at any time.
Related articles
How do I create my first dynamic QR code?
Click Create new, pick a type, leave the toggle on Dynamic, fill in the content, style it, then click Download. The code is saved with its redirect built in.
How do I edit a QR code's destination after printing?
Open the code, click Edit, change the destination on the Content step and click Update. The printed pattern keeps working. Static codes cannot be edited.
Can I download my QR code as SVG, PDF or another vector format?
Yes. Open the code, click Download, and pick SVG in the Save as... dialog. JPEG, PNG and PDF are there too. Paid plans and the free trial get all four.
How do I create a Phone QR code?
Pick Phone in the wizard, type the number with its country code, then download. A dynamic code opens a page with Call Now, Send SMS and Copy Number.
How do I create an SMS QR code?
Pick SMS in the type grid, enter the phone number and a prewritten message, then download. One scan opens a page with Send SMS and Call Instead.
Still stuck?
Email support@qrcodestack.com with the email on your account and, if it is about one code, its name or short link. A person replies within one business day, usually sooner.