diff --git a/web/src/components/chat.tsx b/web/src/components/chat.tsx
index 4944f1c..df5db56 100644
--- a/web/src/components/chat.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/chat.tsx
@@ -104,14 +104,21 @@ const makeHistory = (query: string, entries: Entry[]): HistoryEntry[] => {
 type ChatParams = {
   sessionId: string;
   settings: LLMSettings;
+  initialQuery?: string;
   onQuery?: (q: string) => any;
   onNewEntry?: (history: Entry[]) => any;
 };
 
-const Chat = ({ sessionId, settings, onQuery, onNewEntry }: ChatParams) => {
+const Chat = ({
+  initialQuery,
+  sessionId,
+  settings,
+  onQuery,
+  onNewEntry,
+}: ChatParams) => {
   const [entries, setEntries] = useState<Entry[]>([]);
 
-  const [query, setQuery] = useState(() => randomQuestion());
+  const [query, setQuery] = useState(() => initialQuery || randomQuestion());
   const [current, setCurrent] = useState<CurrentSearch>();
   const [followups, setFollowups] = useState<Followup[]>([]);
   const [controller, setController] = useState(() => new AbortController());
diff --git a/web/src/pages/index.tsx b/web/src/pages/index.tsx
index 17865f0..65c4a22 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/index.tsx
+++ b/web/src/pages/index.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import { type NextPage } from "next";
 import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
+import { type NextPage } from "next";
+import { useRouter } from "next/router";
 import Link from "next/link";
 
 import useSettings from "../hooks/useSettings";
@@ -12,11 +13,15 @@ const MAX_FOLLOWUPS = 4;
 const Home: NextPage = () => {
   const [sessionId, setSessionId] = useState("");
   const { settings, setMode } = useSettings();
+  const router = useRouter();
 
   // initial load
   useEffect(() => {
     setSessionId(crypto.randomUUID());
   }, []);
+  const initialQuery = Array.isArray(router?.query?.question)
+    ? router?.query?.question[0]
+    : router?.query?.question;
 
   return (
     <Page page="index">
@@ -30,7 +35,13 @@ const Home: NextPage = () => {
         welcomed.
       </h2>
 
-      <Chat sessionId={sessionId} settings={{ mode: settings.mode }} />
+      {router.isReady && (
+        <Chat
+          sessionId={sessionId}
+          settings={{ mode: settings.mode }}
+          initialQuery={initialQuery}
+        />
+      )}
     </Page>
   );
 };