The WhatsApp Ref URL trigger in Manychat is a versatile tool that directs users straight to a chat with your business on WhatsApp via a specific URL.
This feature is useful for various purposes, whether you're driving traffic from loyalty programs, newsletters, or other channels. The Ref URL creates a direct entry point into a WhatsApp conversation. Additionally, you can generate both a link and a QR code using the same trigger, both of which will lead to the same automation.
By sharing this unique URL across multiple platforms—emails, social media posts, or your website—you can capture leads, nurture relationships, and drive meaningful interactions with your audience, while keeping everything organized within Manychat. Later, you can engage with your audience, send promotional broadcasts, and build long-term relationships, turning leads into loyal customers.
In this article, we'll guide you through setting up and optimizing the WhatsApp Ref URL trigger to boost engagement and enhance your user experience.
How to set up a WhatsApp Ref URL trigger
You can add the WhatsApp Ref URL trigger to an existing automation or a newly created one by clicking the + New trigger button, as shown in the screenshot below:
Choose the trigger from the list to add it to your automation.
Once added, click the trigger to open the configuration panel on the left side, where you can customize various settings:
Let's break down the key sections.
Contact’s first message
In the first block, you can prefill your customer's initial message to the bot in their WhatsApp application.
⚠️ Note: When customizing WhatsApp Ref parameters, avoid using punctuation marks, as URLs work globally and support only a specific set of characters.
💡 Tip: You can preset the first message using the following format:
wa.me/yourphonenumberwithcountrycode?text=yourmessage
Example: wa.me/123456789?text=Hi! How are you?
When pasted into your browser's address bar, this converts to:
https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=123456789&text=Hi%21+How+are+you%3F&type=phone_number&app_absent=0
This link alone doesn’t trigger a specific automation. To link it with an automation, include a Keyword in your prefilled message. Once the message is sent, it will activate the corresponding automation.
For a step-by-step guide on creating this link, watch the video: WhatsApp Automation Tutorial
Your WhatsApp URL
The next section shows the ready-to-use WhatsApp Ref URL, which you can easily copy and use as needed. This URL is shown in its default format.
You can customize the link by replacing the symbols following “text=” with your chosen text. Make sure to click Save after making changes.
QR code
The trigger also generates a QR code that you can download and use to direct leads to your Manychat account.
⚠️ Important
Following the URL or QR code does not automatically add a customer as a Manychat contact. The customer must interact by sending a message first.
If a customer manually types a message instead of sending the prefilled one, the linked automation will not be triggered.
If Ice Breakers are enabled and the customer has no previous message history with your business, they will see both the Ice Breakers and the prefilled message when they start the conversation.