WhatsApp QR Code

1. 1

   Decide the context for each code

   Create one code per place, product or campaign (Andheri store, table 12, Diwali hamper box) and put a short reference such as [QR-ANDH-01] in the pre-filled text so the chat can be attributed.

2. 2

   Create it through the API

   Call POST /{PHONE_NUMBER_ID}/message_qrdls with a prefilled_message of up to 140 characters and generate_qr_image set to SVG for print or PNG for screens. Store the returned code, deep_link_url and image.

3. 3

   Print it so it scans

   Use the SVG, keep the code dark on a light background with a clear margin, size it for the scanning distance (around 2 cm across is a practical minimum on packaging, far larger on posters) and print a line saying what happens: 'Scan to order on WhatsApp'.

4. 4

   Attribute and answer the chats

   When the first message arrives by webhook, match the reference in the text to the code, tag the conversation, and reply with a bot or an agent inside the 24-hour window.

5. 5

   Edit or retire centrally

   Send POST /{PHONE_NUMBER_ID}/message_qrdls with the same code and a new prefilled_message when a campaign changes, and DELETE /{PHONE_NUMBER_ID}/message_qrdls/{code} when it ends.

• One code for everything

  A single code on every poster, box and counter tells you nothing about which placement works. Create one code per placement or campaign; the 2,000-code ceiling leaves plenty of room.

• Relying on the reference surviving

  Customers can edit the pre-filled text before sending, and some delete the bracketed reference. Keep it short and at the end, and treat attribution from it as a minimum count.

• Styling the code until it fails

  Inverted colours, low contrast, logos over the modules and tiny print sizes cause failed scans. Meta advises against restyling the code; test every print proof with several phones.

• Deleting a code that is still in print

  A deleted code shows customers an expired message. If boxes or posters are still out there, update the pre-filled text instead and delete only when the print run is gone.

• Treating a scan as opt-in

  A scan starts a conversation, not a marketing subscription. Ask in the chat whether the customer wants offers, record the answer, and only then add them to marketing segments.

• Print the call to action next to the code; a bare code gets fewer scans than one that says what happens.
• Keep a register of code, location, print run and reference so everyone knows which code is where.
• Use SVG for print and test scanning in the real lighting: shop counters at night, delivery bags in sunlight.
• Write the pre-filled text the way a customer would speak, so most people send it unchanged.

“Offline is where many Indian customers first meet a business: a kirana counter, a restaurant table, a medicine strip, a property hoarding. A QR code turns that moment into a WhatsApp conversation in one scan, carrying context such as which store, table or product in the pre-filled text. Because codes are managed through the API, a marketing or operations team can create one per location or campaign, change the wording centrally and switch codes off when a promotion ends, and a developer can attribute every chat to the code that started it.