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Why did they remove Ref URLs and Growth Tools?

  • January 16, 2025
  • 12 replies
  • 152 views

Youngrichrooted

Does anyone know why URLs and QR codes as a trigger went away. I can see just 4 months ago people were able to use them and this app is useless to me as only a social media tool.  I want to be able to get people on my list at networking events and speaking engagements and I don’t want them to find some random post and leave a comment just to do a quiz I spent time creating.  As we can see with TikTok all social media platforms are not promised to us and if one of them goes down our entire funnel can be broken. It feels like because they can collaborated with Meta they have changed the features to force you to only be on social media tool use them. I want the option to do both. I want to be able to text a link, include it in an email, create a QR code. Not everyone is on FG/IG and certainly not the other platforms. I focus on YouTube and putting a link in the description would be helpful since they don’t have DM options.  This is frustrating!

Best answer by rodrigo_silvano

Hey, ​@Youngrichrooted 

They are available.

When you’re creating a new automation, you have these options:

Be aware that QR code option is only available in Facebook Messenger.

 

Let me know if that helped 🫡

12 replies

rodrigo_silvano
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  • Manychat Community Moderator
  • Answer
  • January 16, 2025

Hey, ​@Youngrichrooted 

They are available.

When you’re creating a new automation, you have these options:

Be aware that QR code option is only available in Facebook Messenger.

 

Let me know if that helped 🫡


latorrewl
  • Up-and-Comer
  • May 12, 2025

Yes they are available. But are they functioning? That is the big question.


rodrigo_silvano
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  • Manychat Community Moderator
  • May 12, 2025

Hey, ​@latorrewl
Yes, they are. 

Are you managing some errors?


andytul
  • Up-and-Comer
  • May 15, 2025

mine doesnt trigger the automation after pressing start


Fam Villalobos Chavarría

I saw it working, however, it is only a link that opens up the messenger website. Is there a way to really integrate the chatbot into a chat within the website?


rodrigo_silvano
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  • Manychat Community Moderator
  • May 15, 2025

Hey, ​@andytul. Can you share with us how you've built your automation?

 

@Fam Villalobos Chavarría The website widget was discontinued by Meta and there is no longer available. However, you can vote for it here: 

 


Wilmor
  • Up-and-Comer
  • September 28, 2025

@rodrigo_silvano , I have been using ref url with facebook messenger for many years already, so, when it didn't function anymore my work flows was affected much.
You said it is still functioning. Can you please tell me how is it working?


rodrigo_silvano
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  • Manychat Community Moderator
  • September 29, 2025

Hey, ​@Wilmor 

When you start a new automation from scratch, you can choose you trigger.

 

And then choose the one that says “User clicks a referral link”

 


BoostX
  • Up-and-Comer
  • November 4, 2025

I would like my leads to click a referral link, then the lead gets sent to my whatsapp chat bot with a referral link auto inserted in the text box ready to send, then they click send, then i need to capture that referral link into a manychat custom field and then create an action to insert row in a google sheet and add the Name, Number, Date and Referral Code into the relevant sheet columns. It seems like this was possible in the past, but all help files, documents, tutorials and chat gpt info explains how to do this step by step, but none of the options and steps match up to the current manychat User Interfaces. It’s like all the help files are now redundant. ChatGpt assures me that this functionality still exists in manychat but after 24 hours of searching i’ve just about given up. Can anybody help with this. I’m still waiting for a support team member to reply via email but i need a solution urgently.


rodrigo_silvano
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  • Manychat Community Moderator
  • November 4, 2025

Hey ​@BoostX 

It definitely exists! 😄

I recorded a video showing how to do it:

 
Let me know if you have further questions! 🙂


BoostX
  • Up-and-Comer
  • November 5, 2025

@rodrigo_silvano This is amazing, thanks so much, you've made my day. I think this will open up massive opportunities!!!🙌👍


rodrigo_silvano
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  • Manychat Community Moderator
  • November 5, 2025

I’m glad it helped ​@BoostX ! 🙌🏼