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How do I make a WhatsApp link for a UK or US number when my supplier or client is abroad?

Pick United Kingdom (+44) and type the local number 07700 900123: the tool removes the 0 and gives 447700900123. Pick United States and Canada (+1) and type (415) 555-0100: the parentheses and dash are stripped, no digit is removed, and the result is 14155550100.

Published · 3 min read

Two opposite systems

A UK mobile is written locally with eleven digits starting 07, and that 0 is a domestic prefix dropped when dialling from abroad, just like a Saudi mobile. A US or Canadian number has ten digits with no domestic 0, and its country code is the single digit 1. So the WhatsApp link generator treats them differently and tells you what it did: the UK number gets the 'leading 0 removed' note, the US one does not.

A UK number, step by step

  1. Pick 'United Kingdom' in the country-code helper.
  2. Paste the local number as you received it: 07700 900123.
  3. Check the 'Number inside the link' line: it should read +447700900123, with the note that the 0 was removed.

Watch for a format common in British email signatures: +44 (0)7700 900123. The 0 in brackets means 'dial this only from inside the UK'. The tool strips the brackets but keeps the 0, giving 4407700900123, which is an acceptable shape but the wrong number. Delete the (0) before pasting, or paste just the local number after picking the country.

A US or Canadian number

  1. Pick 'United States and Canada' from the list.
  2. Paste the number in any shape: (415) 555-0100 or 415.555.0100. Brackets, dots and dashes are removed.
  3. The result is 14155550100, with no 'leading 0 removed' note because there was no 0.

The trap here is different. Many Americans write their number with the 1 in front, such as 1 415 555 0100. Paste that after choosing +1 from the list and the tool adds another 1, giving 114155550100. The length is acceptable, so the tool does not object. Remove the first 1 yourself, or set the helper to 'The number I type includes the country code' and paste the full number with its +.

A sensible message for contacting someone abroad

If the link is for you to message a supplier, add a line that says who you are, because your Saudi or Emirati number will look like an unfamiliar foreign number to them. Here is an English example we built with the tool for the UK number:

https://wa.me/447700900123?text=Hello%2C%20this%20is%20Noura%20from%20Riyadh%20about%20the%20sample%20order

The numbers in this article are examples. The tool checks format only and cannot know whether a number uses WhatsApp, so open the link and confirm before relying on it.

Common questions

My supplier's country is not in the list. What now?

Choose 'The number I type includes the country code' and type the full international number with + or 00. If that country uses a domestic 0 that is dropped for international calls, remove it yourself.

Does the link work from the Gulf for a number abroad?

The link carries the full international number, so it does not depend on where you are. Whoever opens it reaches the same number wherever they are.