It is 9:14 on a Thursday evening. Someone searches for a hair salon near them, taps your listing, and sends a WhatsApp: "Hi, any chance of a cut and colour on Saturday?" You see it at 10 the next morning, between two clients. By then they have booked somewhere else.
Google now shows a WhatsApp button right in its local results, next to Call and Directions. That makes it easier than ever for customers to message you, and easier to lose them if nobody answers. Most guides stop once the button is live. This one goes further: how to set it up in five minutes, how to decide whether you are ready for it, and how to turn those chats into honest Google reviews without breaking any rules.
In short
- Google is showing a WhatsApp button in local results. It appears in the business panel alongside Call, Directions and Website, but not for every business yet.
- Setup takes five minutes: build a wa.me link, then add it under Edit profile, Contact, Chat.
- Watch the gotcha: if you enter a text-message number and WhatsApp, Google only shows the text option.
- Only switch it on if someone can reply fast. A button nobody answers costs you customers.
- Close the loop with one polite review request after the visit, sent in the same chat, with a short link. Never ask for a rating, offer a reward or pick only happy customers.
What changed: Google now shows a WhatsApp button in local results
Google has been letting businesses add a WhatsApp chat link to their Business Profile for a while. What is new, spotted on October 7, 2026, is that the button now shows up in the local panel in Search, in the same row as Call, Directions, Website and Share. For a customer on their phone, messaging you is now one tap away, at the moment they are deciding where to go.
Where customers see it
The button sits in the business panel that appears when someone searches for your business or taps you in the local results. On mobile, it opens WhatsApp straight into a chat with your number. If the customer does not have WhatsApp installed, it will not get them very far, which is one reason to keep your phone number visible too.
It is not everywhere yet
Google's own help page says chat options are only available in select regions and may not appear even when your profile qualifies. Google has also added WhatsApp numbers to some listings on its own in the past. So the first job is simple: search for your own business on your phone and look at what customers see today. If there is already a WhatsApp button, make sure it goes to a number someone actually watches.
Should you switch it on? A 2-minute readiness check
A chat button is a promise. Customers who message you expect an answer in minutes or hours, not days. Before you add it, answer three questions honestly.
The three questions
- Who answers? Name one person (or two, with a clear handover). "Whoever sees it" means nobody does.
- How fast? Aim to reply within an hour during opening hours. If you are with clients all day, block two short message slots, for example 11:00 and 15:00.
- What happens after hours? Set an away message that says when you will reply and how to book in the meantime (a booking link, or "call us after 9am").
When to leave it off for now
If you are a one-person business that cannot look at your phone for hours, or your WhatsApp is already a mix of family chats and suppliers, wait. Fix the setup first (a separate WhatsApp Business number helps), then switch the button on. A slow reply on WhatsApp feels worse to a customer than a voicemail.
How to add WhatsApp to your Google Business Profile, step by step
You need a claimed and verified Business Profile. The whole job takes about five minutes.
Build your WhatsApp click-to-chat link
Google asks for a WhatsApp click-to-chat URL, not just a phone number. The format is:
https://wa.me/ followed by your full number in digits only, with country code, and no plus sign, spaces, brackets or leading zero.
- A UK mobile 07700 900123 becomes
https://wa.me/447700900123 - A US number (555) 010-1234 becomes
https://wa.me/15550101234
Want customers to start with something useful? Add a pre-filled message: https://wa.me/447700900123?text=Hi%2C%20I%20found%20you%20on%20Google. Keep it short, and remember they can edit it before sending.
Add it under Edit profile, Contact, Chat
- Go to business.google.com, or search for your business name while signed in.
- Select Edit profile, then Contact.
- Next to Chat, select Edit.
- Open the dropdown and choose WhatsApp.
- Paste your wa.me link and select Save.
Google explains the same steps on its help page, Chat with customers from your Business Profile. Changes can take a little while to show.
The gotcha: text message overrides WhatsApp
You can only show one chat option. If you add both WhatsApp and a text-message number, customers only see the text option. If you want the WhatsApp button, remove the text number. Several locations can share the same WhatsApp link, which helps if one team answers for all your branches.
Test it from a customer's phone
Use a phone that is not signed in to your business account. Search for your business, tap the WhatsApp button and send a test message. Check it arrives on the right device, that your greeting appears, and that the number shows your business name, not a staff member's personal profile.
Set up WhatsApp Business so chats do not slip
You do not need new software to start. The free WhatsApp Business app covers the basics:
- Business profile: add your opening hours, address and a booking link, so customers find answers without asking.
- Greeting message: a friendly first reply that confirms they have reached you and when to expect an answer.
- Away message: switches on outside your hours and sets expectations.
- Quick replies: saved answers for the questions you get every day (prices, parking, availability).
- Labels: tag chats as "New", "Booked" and "Done". The "Done" label is your review list, as you will see next.
From chat to Google review: the 3-message playbook
Here is the part the setup guides skip. A customer who found you on Google, messaged you, booked and had a good experience is exactly the person most likely to leave a review. They are already in a chat with you. All that is missing is a well-timed, honest ask.
Message 1: reply and help
Answer the question. No review talk, no sales pitch. "Hi Sam, yes, we have 11:30 on Saturday with Jess. Shall I book you in?"
Message 2: confirm the booking or job
Confirm the details, and the day before, send a short reminder. This keeps the chat alive, so your later message lands in a conversation the customer recognises rather than out of nowhere.
Message 3: one review request at the right moment
After the visit, send one short message with your review link at the end. Timing matters more than wording: for salons and treatments, later the same day works well; for trades, while you are still on site or within the hour; for restaurants, the next morning. We go into the data behind this in review request timing for follow-ups.
Keep it under about 25 words, personal, and honest about how quick it is:
- Salon or spa: "Thanks for coming in today, Sam! If you have a minute, we would love to hear how it went: [link]"
- Garage: "Your car is all set, Priya. If you have 30 seconds, a quick review helps other drivers find us: [link]"
- Plumber or electrician: "All done at yours, Tom. Would you share how the job went? It takes about a minute: [link]"
- Restaurant or B&B: "Thanks for staying with us! If you have a moment, we would love your honest thoughts: [link]"
If there is no reply after a few days, one gentle follow-up is fine. After that, leave it.
What not to do
These are the fastest ways to lose reviews, or your whole profile:
- Do not ask for a specific rating. "Please leave us 5 stars" is pressure. Ask how it went.
- Do not offer a reward. Google's prohibited and restricted content policy bans incentivised reviews outright, and the FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule bans incentives tied to positive reviews.
- Do not ask only the happy customers. Google's policy also forbids selectively asking for positive reviews. Send the same request to everyone you served.
- Do not message people who never contacted you, or keep chasing. One request and one follow-up is the limit.
Not sure where the legal lines are? Our guide on whether it is illegal to buy Google reviews covers the rules in the US, UK and EU.
WhatsApp, SMS, email or QR code: which channel when?
WhatsApp is not the answer for every customer. Match the channel to how the customer reached you:
- Customer messaged you on WhatsApp: ask in the same chat. Highest reply rate, lowest effort.
- Walk-in customer at the counter or table: a review QR code they can scan before they leave. Our Google review QR code guide shows where to put it.
- Online order or booking with an email address: an automated email a day or two after delivery or the appointment.
- Customer gave you a mobile number but never chatted: a single text, only if they gave you their number for this job.
Most businesses end up using two or three of these. The goal is simple: every customer gets one easy, well-timed chance to share how it went.
Track what the button brings in
Google shows chat activity in your Business Profile performance data, so check it monthly. Add a simple weekly tally of your own: chats from Google, bookings from those chats, and review requests sent. If you set a review target (our post on how many Google reviews you need helps you pick one), you will see quickly whether WhatsApp is pulling its weight.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't I see the Chat option in my Business Profile?
Chat is only available in select regions, and your profile must be claimed and verified. If it is still missing, Google may not offer it in your country yet. Check again in a few weeks, and meanwhile add your WhatsApp link to your website and social profiles.
Does adding WhatsApp to my Google Business Profile help my ranking?
There is no evidence that the button itself improves your ranking. It can bring more enquiries and bookings, and the reviews you collect from those customers do matter for local search.
Can I use one WhatsApp number for several locations?
Yes. Google allows the same WhatsApp link on different Business Profiles. Make sure the person answering knows which branch each customer means, for example by asking in your greeting message.
Is it allowed to ask for a Google review on WhatsApp?
Yes, as long as you ask every customer the same way, do not ask for a particular rating and do not offer anything in return. Only message customers who contacted you or gave you their number for the job.
What if a customer complains in the chat instead of leaving a review?
Reply quickly, apologise for what went wrong and try to fix it. Do not ask them to hold off on a review. Send them the same review request as everyone else; an honest account of a problem you solved often reads better than a perfect score.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API for this?
No. The free WhatsApp Business app is enough for most small businesses. The API is for high-volume, automated messaging, and it comes with its own opt-in rules for marketing messages.
Turn on the button, then close the loop
The WhatsApp button brings customers to your chat. What you do next decides whether they book, come back and tell others. Set up the link, name the person who answers, and add one honest review request to the end of every finished job.
We make that last step easy. Each Trustaroo location gets its own short review link you can paste into WhatsApp in seconds, plus ready-made WhatsApp and SMS templates and QR codes for your walk-in customers.
Optimize review request timing 2026 with data-backed send times, channels, and follow-ups that boost reviews without annoying customers.
47% of customers skip businesses with under 20 reviews, and ChatGPT rarely names firms under 25. Find your own Google review target in 10 minutes.
Buying Google reviews is banned in the US, UK and EU. See what Google and regulators do to businesses that buy them, and the legal way to get more reviews.