AI-generated illustration of a small-business enquiry setup; not a photograph of a real shop or a WhatsApp interface screenshot.
A customer sees your handmade gift box, home-baking menu or repair service online. They want to ask one question, but a bare phone number leaves them to decide what to write. A prefilled WhatsApp enquiry link gives them a starting message they can edit before sending.
This guide shows how to prepare, test and place those links using KuchhBhi's released WhatsApp Direct tool. It is a practical workflow reviewed on 4 October 2026, rather than a claim about a new WhatsApp feature.
What a prefilled link actually does
WhatsApp's click-to-chat format uses a full international phone number and can include URL-encoded message text. When someone follows the link, the message appears in the chat's text field. Opening the link does not automatically send an enquiry.
Those capitalised words are placeholders, not a working link. Replace them only with your own business number and encoded text. Do not copy an example phone number from a tutorial: it might belong to someone else.
A sensible starter message identifies the product or service and asks a small, answerable question. It should sound like something a customer would choose to send.
Prepare one link for one customer need
Start with the enquiry you most often answer. For a bakery, that might be availability on a date; for a tutor, a trial lesson; for a craft seller, the price and delivery options for a specific item.
Write the message from the customer's perspective. For example:
Hello! I saw your gift-box collection. Could you share the price, available designs and delivery options?
Avoid putting promises in the customer's mouth, such as “I confirm my order” or “I agree to pay today.” An enquiry should not look like a purchase commitment.
For India's multilingual audience, use clear everyday language and offer a language preference when useful: “Please reply in English, Tamil or another language you support.” List only languages your team can actually handle. A WhatsApp link itself does not translate messages.
Check the separate country-code field. It defaults to 91. Use the correct code for your business number.
Enter the national phone number in the adjoining field. Do not repeat the country code there. For an Indian mobile number, put 91 in the first field and the ten-digit mobile number in the second.
Paste your enquiry template into the optional Message field.
Choose Open in WhatsApp. Check that the correct business chat opens and that the message looks right.
Review without pressing Send, or send a clearly labelled test message to your own business account.
The released tool combines the two number fields, removes non-digit characters and encodes the message before opening the link. It does not validate ownership of the number or provide a campaign dashboard. You must verify the recipient yourself.
It currently offers an opening button rather than a dedicated “copy shareable link” button. If you need a permanent website link, construct the official wa.me format below or ask whoever manages your website to do it. Do not copy a temporary app redirect and assume it is your permanent enquiry URL.
Build the permanent link correctly
Use your business number in international format without the plus sign, spaces, brackets or hyphens. Do not add a domestic dialling prefix.
For message text, URL encoding prevents characters such as spaces and ampersands from breaking the query. For instance:
Hello! Can you share prices?
becomes:
Hello!%20Can%20you%20share%20prices%3F
A website developer can generate the message portion with JavaScript's encodeURIComponent(message), which is also what KuchhBhi's tool uses. Encode the message once; encoding an already encoded string again can leave customers seeing literal percent codes.
Before publishing, open the completed link on both a phone and a desktop browser. Check the destination account, punctuation, line breaks and any non-English script. Account sign-in and app availability can affect the opening journey, so test the devices your customers commonly use.
Three ready-to-adapt enquiry templates
Product availability
“Hello! I saw your ceramic mug collection. Is the blue design available? Please share the price and delivery options.”
Service appointment
“Hello! I would like to ask about a bicycle repair appointment. What times are available this week, and how do you provide an estimate?”
Class or workshop
“Hello! I am interested in your beginner painting workshop. Please share the next date, fee and what materials are included.”
These are original suggested templates, not measured conversion winners. Replace the product and service details with accurate information. Keep sensitive details out of the starter message.
You can give different pages different text while using the same business number. A mug page and a workshop page answer different needs. Use a simple reference such as “mug page” if it helps your team understand context; do not treat that wording as reliable attribution because customers can edit or delete it.
Place the link where its purpose is clear
Use a descriptive button such as Ask about gift-box availability, rather than an unexplained “Click here.” Put it next to the relevant product details or service description so customers know what they are asking about.
For a social profile, check the destination field's link support and preview the final profile. For a PDF catalogue, add the link to relevant enquiry text and test the exported PDF; a link that works in the editing file may need checking again after export.
If you need help arranging catalogue pages, see KuchhBhi Images to PDF. Its purpose is combining images into a PDF; it is not a promise that it adds clickable enquiry buttons.
Maintain a short list of where each link appears. When your business number changes, update every placement and retest. Publishing a link is not evidence that enquiries increased: compare actual customer conversations over time.
Privacy and limitations to understand
A public enquiry URL reveals the destination phone number. The message is also part of the URL, so anyone who receives the link can read it. Do not include passwords, payment credentials, identity documents or private customer records.
Use a number you are comfortable publishing for business enquiries. A click-to-chat link does not hide your identity, send bulk messages, supply automatic replies or guarantee delivery. Respect customers' choices and use their enquiry for the purpose they requested.
If the link fails, first check the full number and country code, confirm the number has a WhatsApp account, and test without message text. Then add the encoded message back. If nothing opens from the tool, check whether your browser blocked the new tab.
Frequently asked questions
Will clicking the link send a message automatically?
No. The prefilled text is a starting point in the chat field. The customer can review, change or discard it before choosing to send.
Can I use a message in a language other than English?
You can include your chosen message text and encode it. Test the result carefully, including script and punctuation. Use a language your business can support; the link does not perform translation.
Is this the same as WhatsApp Business automation?
No. This guide covers a link to start a chat. Automated messaging, account features and any business-platform setup are separate subjects.
Can I use one number for several enquiry links?
Yes, the message text can differ while the destination number stays the same. Keep each template tied to its page's purpose, and remember customers can edit the text.
How is this different from messaging an unsaved contact?
The underlying click-to-chat mechanism is related. This guide focuses on creating customer-facing enquiry entry points and maintaining them. For the basic one-off chat workflow, read messaging without saving a number.
Sources and review date
Reviewed on 4 October 2026 against the live KuchhBhi tool and its production implementation.
