How to start a Skype chat – not a call – with a link

Asked 15/5, 2010 at 20:42 Answered 11/3, 2019 at 8:37

You can put skype:username into the href attribute of a link and it works, but it begins a call, but I want to create a link to begin a chat (a text conversation). I know that skype: is a type of protocol, but don’t know how to create this link.

Natala answered 15/5, 2010 at 20:42 Comment(1)

On OS X firefox you will need to do skype:<skype-username>?call just as @Yager suggests how to start a chat – Genni 9/12, 2010 at 16:50

151

Have you tried <a href="skype:-skype-name-?chat">Start chat</a> ?

Allowed query parameters:

chat - start a chat
call - start a call
add - add person to the contacts
userinfo - view user's profile
voicemail - leave a voice message
sendfile - send a file

Yager answered 15/5, 2010 at 20:53 Comment(5)

Is there a list of available queries i.e. chat, call, etc? – Bar 21/12, 2012 at 21:44

I am not sure if anyone of you still need it but here is my list: ?call - Make a call ?add - Add person to Skype ?chat - Start chat ?userinfo - View user profile ?voicemail - Leave a voice message ?sendfile - Send a file through Skype – Immaculate 26/12, 2012 at 10:23

Salvador Dali’s answer includes a link to official documentation. – Talaria 30/8, 2016 at 14:9

the MSDN documentation only mentioins call (also with video option) and chat – Talaria 30/8, 2016 at 14:16

Is -skype-name- mandatory? Is there a way to share a link/text without specifying in href the skype name? – Madelenemadelin 3/10, 2017 at 10:23

I have been fighting with the following link all day.

<a href="skype:-skype-name-?chat">Start chat</a>

The problem that I had was with the -skype-name- part

Finally, I just solved it.

My name on Skype web page was name but the real name was name lastname. The link in my web page did make Skype to load in my Android phone but, Skype failed to find the account to wich I wanted to call (name lastname).

I tryed, and failed:

<a href="skype:name lastname?call">...
<a href="skype:name+lastname?call">...
<a href="skype:name%20lastname?call">...
<a href="skype:name-lastname?call">...
<a href="skype:name_lastname?call">...
<a href="skype:phonenumber?call">...

Then, the solution:

<a href="skype:live:emailnamewithoutdomain?call">...

I just hope u find it usefull.

And, do not forget that u have a plenty of commands to add after the ? in the url (add,call,chat,and so on).

Cordiacordial answered 9/4, 2015 at 1:31 Comment(2)

<a href="skype:live:skype.user.name?chat"> – Nonesuch 13/4, 2015 at 10:2

Yes, the 'live:' was needed. – Cordiacordial 17/4, 2015 at 23:50

Skype official website has it nicely documented.

Basically in the ends it gives you a nice code for a button.

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.dev.skype.com/uri/skype-uri.js"></script>
<div id="SkypeButton_Chat_xxxx">
  <script type="text/javascript">
    Skype.ui({
      "name": "chat",
      "element": "SkypeButton_Chat_xxxx",
      "participants": ["xxxx"],
      "imageSize": 24
    });
  </script>
</div>

Davila answered 5/8, 2013 at 15:30 Comment(4)

Does this still work? All their developer docs have disappeared since Microsoft took over. – Nolly 20/2, 2015 at 14:37

@Nolly yes, it works, the docs are available, they just moved to another domain (yeah, they should have done a redirect). – Davila 5/4, 2015 at 20:9

Latest docs available in msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/dn745883.aspx – Cindy 10/5, 2016 at 6:41

Thanks for answer. But the question was about solution with a link. Meaning I don't want to use original Skype button. – Natala 4/3, 2017 at 17:57

The solution: You just use this format,hope its working fine

 <a href="sip:-skype-name-">Chat</a>

<a href="tel:****Skype number***">Call</a>

Triboluminescence answered 21/2, 2017 at 7:0 Comment(2)

The part with "sip:" worked for me, but it only works properly on Windows clients, I'm still having trouble on MacOS on different versions. On MacOS it doesn't open the chat but just Skype itself. I tried all the other mentioned options but none works. PS: The button doesn't recognize SKype being installed on both OSes. We're using Skype for business. – Highpitched 9/3, 2017 at 13:26

since the SIP protocol is a more generic one in may conflict with another SIP app already installed on any OS including windows. It's best to use Skype's own schema skype: – Cigar 24/9, 2020 at 14:37

Use the below code. It's simple and working in all major browsers.

<a href="im:<sip:[email protected]>"><button>Skype</button></a>

Experimentalize answered 11/3, 2019 at 8:37 Comment(1)

maybe you can add a description to why this is working? Or maybe a link? Cheers! – Involved 11/3, 2019 at 8:42

Its very simple. Use the below format.

<a href="im:<sip:[email protected]>" >Click to chat</a>

Orel answered 23/3, 2018 at 7:36 Comment(0)

Recommended topics

Hot tags