# QR code for a WhatsApp group > Encode the group's invite link (chat.whatsapp.com followed by an opaque invite code), but know that any admin who taps "reset link" instantly kills every printed copy, so agree link ownership before printing. For one-to-one chat a wa.me number link is the right payload instead, and joiners' phone numbers are visible to the whole group. Source: https://useqr.app/docs/marketing/qr-code-for-a-whatsapp-group · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, no signup. --- ## Two different payloads: pick the right one "WhatsApp QR code" means two unrelated things, and printing the wrong one is a common mistake: | Goal | Payload | How to build it | |---|---|---| | Message **you** (or your business) | `https://wa.me/447700900123`, optionally with `?text=` prefill | the [WhatsApp generator](/whatsapp) | | Join a **group** | `https://chat.whatsapp.com/` | copy the group invite link, encode with the [URL generator](/url) | The [WhatsApp tool](/whatsapp) builds click-to-chat links from a phone number. That is the right code for a shop counter or a support line. For a group, get the invite link from the group's settings (Invite via link) and encode that URL directly. ## The reset-link trap The group invite link contains an opaque invite code, and **any group admin can reset it at any moment**, one tap under the invite settings. Reset is instant and retroactive: the old link stops working everywhere, including on every table card, flyer and poster you have printed. The [QR code itself never expires](/docs/basics/do-qr-codes-expire); the link behind it just died. So before print: - **Agree ownership.** One named admin owns the invite link; nobody resets it while print is in circulation. - **Have a spam plan.** The usual reason someone resets the link is a flood of strangers or spam, which a printed public code makes more likely, not less. If a reset ever becomes necessary, treat the print run as dead and reprint. - **For long-lived print**, put a redirect on your own domain (`yourdomain.com/group`) in the code and point it at the current invite, then a reset costs you one redirect edit, not a print run. See [how to change what a QR code points to](/docs/how-to/how-to-change-what-a-qr-code-points-to). ## Who joins, and what they see Anyone who scans can join: the link is the only gate. Two consequences worth deciding about deliberately: - **Members see each other's phone numbers.** That is how WhatsApp groups work. For a neighbourhood group it is fine; for a customer-facing group it hands every customer's number to every other customer. For one-way announcements, a broadcast-style channel or a business chat link is the better structure, WhatsApp's Communities and Channels features exist for exactly this, though their availability and shape have shifted over time. - **Admins can require approval.** Group settings can put joiners into an approval queue, which is worth enabling before a public drop. ## Print basics A counter or table card is read from about half a metre, so keep the code **at least 5 cm wide** (the 10:1 distance rule; the [size calculator](/size-calculator) covers other distances), leave the quiet zone clear, and write the reason next to it, "Join the residents' group for bin-day alerts" beats a bare code. Scan the final proof and confirm with the [validator](/validate) that it decodes to the exact invite URL before the print run. ## FAQ ### How do I make a QR code for a WhatsApp group? Open the group's settings, choose "Invite via link", copy the chat.whatsapp.com URL, and encode it with any QR generator. Scanning opens WhatsApp with a join prompt. Do not use a wa.me number code. That starts a chat with one person, not a group join. ### Why did my WhatsApp group QR code stop working? An admin reset the group's invite link. Reset invalidates the old link everywhere immediately, including all printed codes. Recreate the code from the new link, and agree that nobody resets it again while print is in circulation. ### Can strangers join my group from a printed QR code? Yes: anyone who scans the code can join, and once in they can see other members' phone numbers. Enable admin approval for new members before printing the code anywhere public, and decide whether a one-way channel would serve better. ### Is there a limit on WhatsApp group size? Yes, groups have a member cap, and WhatsApp has raised it repeatedly over the years, into the low thousands at last change. If your community could outgrow a group, start with a structure built for broadcast instead. ## Try it - https://useqr.app/whatsapp - https://useqr.app/url - https://useqr.app/validate