How to Add WhatsApp to Google Maps: 5 Steps for Businesses

Google guidance reviewed: 5 November 2026.

A customer finds a beauty clinic on Google Maps and wants to ask about availability before booking. If WhatsApp is available on the listing, that button can take them straight to the business. The next question is whether the right team sees the message and can help.

Google offers WhatsApp and text options for eligible Business Profiles in selected regions. Start with the account you actually manage. These steps show how to add WhatsApp to Google Maps where the option is available and how to handle what happens after the tap.

1. Check whether Chat is available on your profile

Sign in with an account that can edit the profile. Open Edit profile, then Contact, and look for Chat. Google’s Business Profile chat guide describes the path and eligibility. If the option is absent, check that the profile is claimed and verified and that you opened the correct location. Availability can still vary by profile and region.

A branch can continue using its existing public phone or website contact route while it checks eligibility. If WhatsApp is already supported on your own website, make that route easy to find from the branch page.

2. Create the right WhatsApp link for the branch

Use a WhatsApp number the business controls. Google asks for a click-to-chat link for the WhatsApp option. Use wa.me/ followed by the full international number as digits, including the country code. Leave out the plus sign, spaces, and hyphens. Follow WhatsApp’s click-to-chat guide for the format. Open the link yourself and check the receiving account before saving it.

Several profiles can use the same link. Use a branch number if a local team handles inquiries. If a central team answers, make it easy to identify the intended branch early in the conversation.

3. Save and test the public contact option

Select WhatsApp in the Chat settings, paste the tested link, and save. Google says that if both text and WhatsApp options are added, it shows the text option to customers. Review the configuration if WhatsApp is your intended contact channel.

Open the public Maps listing on a phone and tap the contact button when it appears. Confirm that the intended conversation opens, then send a short test message. A colleague should verify that it reaches the expected inbox and that they can reply.

4. Give the conversation an owner

Decide who handles new messages and when someone is available. Keep the first reply useful. A clinic might ask which location and appointment type the person wants. A retailer might ask which product they are looking for and whether they prefer pickup.

Write down who handles questions that need a branch employee. If the business uses one number for several locations, the team needs a clear handoff and enough information to avoid making the customer repeat their question.

5. Track the tap, the chat, and the outcome

Look for messaging-click data where it is available. Google added a messaging-click metric to the Business Profile Performance API on 14 October 2026. A click records a tap on a messaging option. Count conversations and qualified inquiries from your inbox or customer records. Keep bookings or sales in their own column. If the same number is used on several profiles and channels, mark an inquiry as Maps-sourced only when you have a reliable source signal.

One branch can start with a short weekly check. For teams already managing multiple channels, Sira’s community management can help handle messages from a connected WhatsApp channel in a shared inbox. Set the public button in Google and confirm the connection and the handoff on the receiving side.

Frequently asked questions