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Methodology

In short: PAYATE Chat turns each phone number you enter into an official WhatsApp click-to-chat link of the form https://wa.me/<number>?text=<message>. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing is uploaded, and WhatsApp itself opens the chat.

1. Reading your list

The tool reads one contact per line. A line can contain a number only, several numbers separated by commas, or a number and a name (for example 201001234567, Ahmed or Ahmed, 201001234567). Lists copied from Excel or Google Sheets (tab-separated) work too.

2. Normalizing phone numbers

WhatsApp links require the full international number with digits only. The tool:

  1. removes spaces, dashes, dots and brackets;
  2. keeps numbers that start with + or 00 as international and removes those prefixes;
  3. for local numbers, removes leading zeros and adds the country code of the country you selected (for example 01001234567 in Egypt becomes 201001234567);
  4. keeps numbers that already begin with your country code and have full length;
  5. rejects numbers shorter than 8 or longer than 15 digits (the international E.164 limit) and removes duplicates.

3. Building the message

If your message contains {name}, it is replaced with the first name from each line. The text is then URL-encoded so that emojis, line breaks and WhatsApp formatting (*bold*, _italic_, ~strikethrough~, ```monospace```) arrive exactly as written. The preview uses the same formatting rules as WhatsApp.

4. Creating the link

  • WhatsApp app mode: https://wa.me/NUMBER?text=MESSAGE — opens the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app on phones and WhatsApp Desktop on computers.
  • WhatsApp Web mode: https://web.whatsapp.com/send?phone=NUMBER&text=MESSAGE — opens the chat directly in WhatsApp Web.

QR codes encode the same link, so scanning one with a phone camera opens the chat.

5. Sending

The tool never sends messages automatically. You open each chat and press Send yourself. “Open next chat” simply opens the next link in your list and marks progress. This keeps you in control and within WhatsApp’s rules.

6. Privacy

All steps above run as JavaScript on your device. Your list and message are stored only in your browser’s local storage (so you don’t lose your work) and can be removed with the Clear button. See our Privacy Policy.

7. Limitations

  • The recipient must have a WhatsApp account on that number, otherwise WhatsApp shows “phone number shared via url is invalid”.
  • Very long messages may be cut by some browsers; we recommend keeping messages under about 2,000 characters.
  • WhatsApp may limit accounts that message many new contacts quickly. Send only to people who expect your message.

Sources

WhatsApp Help Center: “How to use click to chat” and “How to format your messages”. ITU-T Recommendation E.164 for international number length.