Direct entry links and QR codes for a flow

Waiting for a customer to type the right keyword does not always work. When you want someone arriving from an ad, a QR code on a table or the link in your bio to land straight in the right flow, you use the Link / ad trigger and the link box beside it. This guide covers every button in that box and how to set the link up.

⚠️ Note: This box only appears when you add a Link / ad trigger, and only for channels that support this kind of link (Instagram). If the account has no active connection the box reads: "This account has no active connection; reconnect it under Settings › Connection first."

The Link / ad trigger

In the flow editor click the Start box, press Add trigger and choose Link / ad. The trigger has two fields:

• Source — Narrows where the person came from. The options are All sources, Ad, ig.me / m.me link and QR code. Leaving it as All sources covers them all.
• Link tag (ref) — A short tag attached to the link. The hint underneath says: leave it empty to run for every tag.

The tag is how you separate several entry points on the same account. Use short, plain names such as "table-qr", "summer-ad", "bio".

The link and QR box

A box headed Link and QR code opens under the trigger. Its description states its purpose: "Share this address or print the QR code: anyone who writes from here lands in this flow."

A separate row is drawn for each suitable channel on the account. Each row carries:

• The channel's name — So you know which connection the link belongs to.
• Link — The full address in a read-only box. Whatever you typed into Link tag (ref) is appended to it automatically.
• Copy — Copies the address to the clipboard; the icon turns into a tick when it lands.
• QR code — Shows or hides the QR code for the same address.
• Download QR code — The link that appears under the code; it downloads the code as an image file.

Changing the tag updates the address and the QR code instantly. So write the tag first, then copy.

Where to use the link

• Instagram bio — Put it in the link field of your profile.
• Story link — Add it as a link sticker to a story.
• Ads — Point the ad at this address; setting Source to Ad lets you separate ad traffic.
• Printed QR code — Table cards, shop windows, menus, shipping boxes, invoices. Setting Source to QR code means only people who scan the code land in this flow.
• Website — An "Message us on Instagram" button instead of only WhatsApp.

Separating entry points with tags

When people reach the same flow from three places, you want to know which one works. There are two approaches:

1. One flow, different tags. Leaving the trigger on All sources with an empty tag will not give you different links per place, because the box uses the trigger's own tag. That makes the second approach more practical.
2. A separate trigger per entry point. Add several Link / ad triggers to the same Start box and give each one its own tag ("table-qr", "window", "summer-ad"). Each trigger gets its own link box with its own address.

Which one is working is read from the Logs tab: the session row shows Link / ad as the trigger (Automation logs).

A concrete example

A coffee shop wants to tell customers who scan the QR code on the table about the coffee of the day:

1. Create a new automation and name it "Table QR — coffee of the day".
2. Flow → Start → Add trigger → Link / ad.
3. Source: QR code.
4. Link tag (ref): table-qr.
5. In the Link and QR code box underneath, press QR code, then Download QR code.
6. Add step → Message. Write the coffee of the day and two buttons: "See the menu", "Address".
7. Connect the Then exit of the Start box to that message.
8. Open the simulator on the Test tab, choose Link / ad from the Event list and press Send; watch the flow start.
9. Publish.
10. Print the downloaded QR code onto the table cards.

Limits and known behaviour

• The box only appears under a Link / ad trigger; no other trigger has it.
• Only channels that support this kind of link are listed. WhatsApp links work differently: the address carries a prefilled message, and when the person presses send that text lands on a keyword trigger. For WhatsApp you build a keyword arrangement instead of using this box.
• If the account's connection has dropped, the box produces no address and points you at the channel settings (The account connection screen).
• Leaving the tag empty produces an address without a tag, and the trigger then runs for every tag.
• A QR code is just the address turned into an image; if the address changes, already-printed codes still point at the old one.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Changing the tag after printing the QR code. The printed code points at the old address and the flow never fires. Settle the tag before printing.
• Handing out the code before publishing the automation. A draft flow does not fire; whoever scans the code gets no answer.
• Writing a tag that is long or contains spaces. Use short, plain, hyphenated names.
• Using the same tag in two automations. Which one runs becomes unclear; give every entry point its own tag.
• Looking for this box for WhatsApp. WhatsApp links are caught by keywords.
• Setting the source to "Ad" and then handing out a QR code. The source filter will not match and the flow never runs. When in doubt, leave it on All sources.

Related articles

• The flow editor
• Automation logs (run history)
• Trigger
• The account connection screen
• My automation never starts