SMS link generator — a "Text us" link with the message ready to send

How to use the SMS link generator

1. Type the number in Phone number (international format), for example +1 (503) 555-0142.
2. Write the text you want ready in Pre-filled message, or leave it empty to open a blank message.
3. Set Link text to the words on your button, such as “Text us”.
4. Tick QR code if you also want a scannable code. You get it as a PNG and as an SVG.
5. Copy the Link or the HTML anchor. The Preview shows the button.

What it does and when to use it

Many customers would rather send a quick text than call. An sms link turns that into one tap: the messaging app opens with your number in the “To” field and a starter message already written. Restaurants use it for bookings, repair shops for “Send us a photo of the problem”, and charities for text-to-join keywords.

The pre-filled message also tells you where the contact came from. A message that starts “Hi! I’d like to book a table” is clearly from your website button. For other channels, the WhatsApp link generator and the click-to-call link generator work the same way, and the mailto link generator covers email.

How it works

The link follows RFC 5724: sms: then the number, then ?body= and the message. The number is cleaned to a leading + and digits. Letters in the number become keypad digits (ABC = 2 … WXYZ = 9), and a note shows the conversion. The message is percent-encoded with encodeURIComponent, so spaces become %20, and line breaks become %0D%0A. Characters such as ! and ' are safe in a URL and stay as they are.

If you tick QR code, the tool draws a code that contains the whole sms link, with medium error correction. Everything happens in your browser.

Worked examples

Table booking (the preset). Number +1 (503) 555-0142 and the message “Hi! I’d like to book a table for 2 tonight.” give:

sms:+15035550142?body=Hi!%20I'd%20like%20to%20book%20a%20table%20for%202%20tonight.

A local UK number. 07700 900123 with no message gives sms:07700900123 and the warning: “Add the country code (e.g. +44 7700 900123) so the link works for visitors abroad.”

An opt-out link. Number +61 412 345 678, message STOP, link text “Unsubscribe by text”:

sms:+61412345678?body=STOP

Limits and tips

• Letters in a number (such as 1-800-FLOWERS) are converted to keypad digits, giving +18003569377. Check the converted number in the note before you publish the link.
• Phones read the body in slightly different ways. Test your link on both an iPhone and an Android phone before printing it.
• Keep the pre-filled message short. A long body makes a dense QR code that is harder to scan when printed small.
• For a printed code with your own colours or a different error-correction level, paste the link into the QR code generator.