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How to take orders on WhatsApp from your website

Updated 7 November 2026 · 6 min read · By DigitalGigs

For many small businesses, customers don't want a shopping cart. They want to ask a quick question, check a colour or a delivery date, and then order from someone they can talk to. Taking orders on WhatsApp gives them exactly that, while your website does the job of showing your products and building trust. Here is how to set up a simple system that lets customers place orders directly through WhatsApp, and how to keep a good customer experience as the number of orders grows.

When taking orders on WhatsApp makes sense

• Small catalogue: a few dozen products or services rather than thousands.
• Custom or made-to-order products: sizes, colours, names, bulk quantities or delivery dates need a short conversation anyway.
• Customers who prefer to chat: in many markets people trust a seller more when they can message them directly.
• Restaurants and takeaway: many restaurants already take restaurant orders by phone. A WhatsApp chat with a link to your menu is easier for customers and for you.
• You want to start fast: no payment gateway, product database or checkout to set up.

If you sell many fixed-price products and customers want to pay without talking to anyone, a full online shop with checkout is usually the better choice. Many businesses combine both: a checkout page for standard items, WhatsApp for custom orders and questions.

Step 1: Use a WhatsApp Business number

A click-to-chat link works with any WhatsApp number, but the free WhatsApp Business app is built for sellers. It gives you a business profile with your address and opening hours, a product catalogue, labels to sort chats (for example "new order", "paid", "delivered") and quick replies for answers you type every day. You can also set a greeting message that answers the first message from a new customer automatically.

Use WhatsApp Business on a separate business account if you can, so private chats and customer orders don't get mixed up.

Step 2: Create your click-to-chat link

According to WhatsApp's own help centre, the format is https://wa.me/<number>, where the number is your full phone number in international format: country code first, with no plus sign, no leading zeros, no brackets and no dashes.

To pre-fill the message, add ?text= and the URL-encoded text. Spaces become %20. For example:

https://wa.me/15551234567?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20to%20order%20the%20Classic%20Tote

(The number above is a placeholder. Use your own.) You can turn the same link into a QR code for flyers, packaging or your shop window, so people who see your products offline can start a WhatsApp chat in one scan.

Step 3: Add one order button per product

Don't send every visitor to the same generic chat. Give each product its own button with its own pre-filled text, such as "Hi, I'd like to order the Classic Tote in black". Customers can browse your products, read the product information on the website and then place an order with one tap. You see immediately what the customer wants, and they don't have to type anything. A floating WhatsApp button for general questions is useful too, but it shouldn't replace the product buttons.

Keep the button visible on mobile, close to the product photo and price, with a clear label like "Order on WhatsApp" instead of just an icon.

WhatsApp order button or WhatsApp order form?

A WhatsApp order button is the fastest option: one tap, and the chat opens with the product name already filled in. A WhatsApp order form goes one step further. The customer first picks the product, quantity, size and delivery address in a short form on your website, and the form then opens WhatsApp with all of these details in the message, like a short order summary. You get all order details at once. That saves a few questions back and forth and works well for bulk or custom orders.

Start with buttons. Add a form only if you notice that most chats begin with the same questions about quantity, size or address.

Step 4: Prepare your replies

Speed decides many WhatsApp sales. Prepare quick replies for the common questions you get every day:

• price and available colours or sizes
• delivery areas, times and costs
• payment options and when you need payment
• what happens after the order (confirmation, production time, delivery)

Set an away message for when you are offline, so customers know when to expect an answer. Once payment arrives, confirm your order details in the chat and send short order updates (in production, shipped, delivered). That builds trust and brings repeat purchases.

Step 5: Track where your orders come from

Without tracking, you won't know whether your website or your ads bring the orders. Count clicks on your WhatsApp buttons, for example as a conversion action in Google Ads or an event in Google Analytics, and ask new customers in the chat how they found you. That tells you which products and campaigns are worth more budget.

As online orders grow, labels in WhatsApp Business are often enough for order management. Only when you handle many orders a day is a dedicated order management system or CRM worth it.

Common mistakes

• Wrong number format (with +, 0 or spaces), so the link opens an error instead of your chat.
• No product name in the message, so every chat starts with "Which one?".
• No prices or price ranges on the website, so people message just to ask and never order.
• Slow replies during the hours your customers are most active.
• Only an icon and no text on the button, which many visitors overlook.

A real example

For Onaliana, a brand of handcrafted luxury bags, we built a website with a product showcase where every bag has its own "Order via WhatsApp" button. Customers browse the collection on the website and order via WhatsApp with one tap, without a complicated checkout.

Want WhatsApp ordering on your website?

We build websites and product catalogues with WhatsApp ordering and landing pages for small businesses in any country, fully online. Every project gets a personal quote, usually within 24 hours once we have the details, and most standard business websites are finished within 2 working days after all content and information is in.

Frequently asked questions about WhatsApp orders

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Source for the link format: WhatsApp Help Center – How to use click to chat.