WhatsApp Group Link: How to Create, Share and Reset It

How to create a WhatsApp group invite link

1. 1

   Open the group

   Open WhatsApp and the group you want to invite people to. You need to be an admin, unless the admins have allowed all members to invite via link.

2. 2

   Open group info

   Tap the group name at the top of the chat. On WhatsApp Web or desktop, click the group name to open Group info.

3. 3

   Tap Invite via link

   Scroll to the members list and tap Invite via link (on some versions it is under Add members, or called Invite to group via link).

4. 4

   Choose how to share

   Send link via WhatsApp, Copy link, Share link to another app, or QR code. The link looks like https://chat.whatsapp.com/ followed by a code.

Share the link or a QR code

Copy link is the most flexible: paste it into an SMS, email, Instagram bio, website or a printed notice. Send link via WhatsApp lets you pick chats to forward it to. The QR code option shows a code people can scan with their phone camera or from inside WhatsApp, which works well on a shop counter, a school notice board or a slide at a meeting. You can share or save the QR image from the same screen.

When you share the link, add one line saying what the group is for and who should join, for example "Parents of Class 5B, 2026-27: join for school updates. Please use your own number." People are far more likely to join, and stay, when they know why.

How to reset (revoke) a group link

If the link has been forwarded too widely, posted publicly, or strangers are joining, reset it. On the same Invite via link screen tap Reset link and confirm. WhatsApp creates a new link and the old one stops working immediately; anyone who tries it sees that the link was reset and is invalid.

Resetting does not remove people who already joined with the old link. Check the members list and remove anyone who should not be there (tap their name, then Remove). The QR code changes with the link, so reprint any posters that used the old one.

Admin settings that control who joins

Open the group, tap the group name, then Group permissions (called Group settings on some versions). Only admins can change these.

• Approve new members: when on, people who join by link send a request, and an admin must approve them before they enter. Pending requests show in group info. Turn this on for any group whose link may be shared outside your circle.

• Invite via link / Add other members: decide whether every member or only admins can add people and share the invite link.

• Send messages: let only admins post, for an announcement-style group where members just read.

• Edit group settings: let only admins change the group name, photo and description.

• Add more admins: in a big group, make two or three trusted people admins so requests get approved quickly.

How to join a WhatsApp group with a link

Tap the link in any app, or scan the QR code with your camera or with the camera icon in WhatsApp. WhatsApp opens and shows the group name, photo and some details. Tap Join group, or Request to join if the admins approve new members. If it is a request, you will get in once an admin accepts it.

Joining shows your phone number to every member of the group and lets anyone in it message you directly. Before you join, make sure you know who runs the group.

Why a WhatsApp group link is not working

• The link was reset: an admin created a new link, so the old one is invalid. Ask an admin for the current link or to add you directly.

• The group is full: WhatsApp groups currently allow up to 1,024 members. When a group is full, nobody new can join until someone leaves.

• You were removed earlier: if an admin removed you, you may not be able to rejoin by link straight away, or the admins may have to add you back.

• Your request is pending: in groups with Approve new members on, you are not in until an admin accepts.

• The group was deleted or everyone left it.

• The link is broken: part of the code got cut off when it was copied, or the link was typed by hand. Ask for it to be sent again as a tappable link.

• Your WhatsApp is out of date: update the app and try again.

Group size and other limits

• Up to 1,024 members per group at the moment. WhatsApp has raised this before, so check the app if you are close to the limit.

• One active link per group: resetting replaces it; there is no separate link per person.

• A group link cannot add people automatically. Each person must tap it and join (or request) themselves.

• For more people than a group can hold, a community can link several groups with one announcement group, or a channel can reach unlimited followers one way.

Stay safe with group links

• Do not join random group links posted on websites, social media or "WhatsApp group links" lists. Many are used for spam, fake jobs, betting, crypto and loan scams, and every member can see your number.

• Be wary of a group that promises money, jobs for "likes" or investment tips. Leave and report it (group info, Report group).

• Never share OTPs or WhatsApp verification codes asked for inside a group, even by someone using a friend's name.

• Admins: do not post your group link publicly unless you mean it to be public, and keep Approve new members on if you do.

• If you were added to a group you do not want, you can exit and report it, and in Settings, Privacy, Groups you can control who can add you to groups.

Group link or a private message to each person?

A group link is ideal when people need to talk to each other. But if you just want to send the same update to many people, like customers, parents or wedding guests, a group shows everyone's number to everyone, and you have to wait for each person to tap the link. Our WhatsApp group vs broadcast guide compares groups, broadcast lists, communities and channels.

If you have the numbers in a sheet, you can also message each person privately. Rapid Sender is a free browser tool for WhatsApp that sends from your own WhatsApp, one private chat per contact. Upload an Excel or CSV (up to 5,000 rows), write the message with {{name}} so each person sees their own name, and add the group link in the text if you want them to join. Send a test to yourself first; there is a short random pause between messages and a live report of who received it. Only message people who know you.

Frequently asked questions