# Know which WhatsApp group every member came from

> Milvao's WhatsApp group join link tracking gives each of your groups its own tap-to-message link. A member taps it in the group, presses send on the JOIN code already typed, and joins that group in Milvao with a private profile link. Each link counts its joins, can expire after 7, 30 or 90 days or never, and can be revoked. Milvao never joins the group itself.

Source: https://milvao.com/features/join-links · Updated 2026-11-06

## Key takeaways

- One record in Milvao per WhatsApp group, and as many links per group as you like.
- The link is shown once, because Milvao keeps only a fingerprint of the code.
- A person in three groups is still one member, listed in all three.
- Forwarded links are expected: members start as Joined by link until your team verifies them.

## How WhatsApp group join link tracking works

1. In Groups and links, click Add group and give it the same name as the WhatsApp group.
2. On the group's card, click New link and choose an expiry: never, 7, 30 or 90 days.
3. Copy the link, or the ready-made line with it, before closing the dialog.
4. Pin it in the WhatsApp group.
5. A member taps it, presses send, and Milvao adds them to that group and replies with a profile link that works once, for 60 minutes.
6. The link's Joins column counts everyone who joined with it, and the group card shows verified, joined-by-link and removed members.

![Groups and links: each WhatsApp group with its join links, how many members joined from each, and expiry](https://milvao.com/screenshots/groups-light.webp)

## What a join link is made of

It's a standard WhatsApp click-to-chat link to your community's business number, with the message JOIN and a code already typed in, so the member only has to press send. Codes are 8 characters and avoid look-alike characters such as O and 0. Capital letters, spaces and dashes don't matter if someone types the code by hand. Milvao stores only a one-way fingerprint of each code, so nobody, Milvao included, can display a link again after the dialog closes.

Want a plain click-to-chat link for something else? The free [WhatsApp link generator](https://milvao.com/tools/whatsapp-link-generator) builds one.

## What each person is told

| Situation | Result |
| --- | --- |
| New member | Added as Joined by link and sent a welcome with a profile link |
| Existing member joining another group | Added to that group too, still one member |
| Already in this group | Nothing changes. A verified member stays verified |
| Removed from this group earlier | Not added back. They're told to ask an organiser |
| Link revoked or group archived | Nothing is created. They're told the link was turned off |
| Link expired | Nothing is created. They're told to ask for a new one |
| Wrong code or another community's code | Nothing is created. They're told the code wasn't recognised |

## Forwarded links and verifying members

Anyone holding a link can use it, including people it was forwarded to outside the group. So a join only proves which link was used. Operators can mark members they know as Verified, or Remove someone from a group, which also stops that link from adding them back. Removing in Milvao doesn't remove anyone from the WhatsApp group, and members aren't told when they're verified.

## Limits and housekeeping

- Up to 20 JOIN messages per phone number per hour, to stop people guessing codes.
- Revoking a link is immediate and can't be undone. Members who already joined stay.
- Archiving a group turns off all its links. Restoring it keeps old links off, so create a new one.
- Nobody can join without a valid code. A message without one gets a reply asking for the organiser's link.
- To see how many people from a group have joined so far, [import your member list](https://milvao.com/integrations/csv-and-excel-import): Who has joined shows it per group.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Milvao add itself to my WhatsApp group?

No. Milvao never joins, reads or posts in groups. The link opens a one-to-one chat with your community's business number.

### I closed the dialog without copying the link. What now?

Create a new link and revoke the unused one. Codes can't be shown again because Milvao only keeps a fingerprint of them.

### How many links can one group have?

As many as you like. Some communities make one per event or per month, so the Joins column shows which one worked.

### Can I share links before our number is connected?

You can create them, but members can only join once the number receives messages. Until then the dialog shows only the JOIN text.

## Sources

- [WhatsApp Help Center: How to use click to chat](https://faq.whatsapp.com/5913398998672934) (checked 2026-11-05)
- [Milvao Help Center: Groups and join links](https://milvao.com/help/community/groups-and-join-links) (checked 2026-11-05)
- [Milvao Help Center: Verifying and removing members](https://milvao.com/help/community/verifying-members) (checked 2026-11-05)

## Related pages

- [WhatsApp link generator](https://milvao.com/tools/whatsapp-link-generator)
- [Community member directory](https://milvao.com/features/member-directory)
- [Groups and join links (Help Center)](https://milvao.com/help/community/groups-and-join-links)
- [CSV and Excel import](https://milvao.com/integrations/csv-and-excel-import)