Click-to-WhatsApp ads — turn ad clicks into chats
Click-to-WhatsApp ads on Facebook and Instagram open a chat with your business instead of a website. Here's how to set one up, reply before the lead goes cold, and track which ad brought each customer.
A Click-to-WhatsApp ad is a Facebook or Instagram ad whose button says Send message and opens a WhatsApp chat with your business. The customer doesn't fill a form or wait for a call — they're talking to you within seconds.
Why businesses in India use them
- No website needed. The chat is the landing page.
- You get a real WhatsApp number, not a mistyped form entry.
- The customer starts the conversation, so you can reply freely for 24 hours — no template needed.
- Messages can be free for days — see the next section.
The free messaging window
When someone messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a free entry point window that can last up to 7 days. During it, the messages you send that customer — including templates — are not charged by Meta.
That makes the first reply the most valuable message you send. Reply late and you lose both the customer's attention and the free window. More on windows: The WhatsApp 24-hour window.
Before you start
- A Facebook Page (and Instagram account, if you want Instagram placements) in the same Meta business portfolio as your WhatsApp account.
- Your WhatsApp Business API number connected — see Connect your WhatsApp number.
- A payment method on your Meta ad account.
Create the ad
- Open Meta Ads Manager and click Create.
- Choose an objective — Engagement, Leads or Sales all support WhatsApp.
- At the ad-set level, set the conversion location to Messaging apps and select WhatsApp. Pick your Page and your WhatsApp number.
- Set the audience, locations and daily budget.
- At the ad level, add your image or video and text, and choose the Send WhatsApp message button.
- Under the message settings, write the pre-filled message the customer will send — for example "Hi, I want details of the Manali package." This tells you which ad they came from.
- Publish. Meta reviews the ad, usually within a day.
Reply in seconds, not hours
Most ad leads go quiet if nobody answers within a few minutes. Set this up once:
- In Automation Rules, create a rule with the trigger Keyword Match on words from your pre-filled message (e.g.
manali). - Add the actions Send Text Message (price, dates, brochure), Add Tag (
ad-manali) and Assign to User (your sales agent). - Save. Every ad click now gets an instant, relevant answer and lands with the right person.
Details: Set up automatic replies. To ask qualifying questions — travel dates, budget, number of people — start a chatbot flow from the same rule.
See which ad brought each lead
Adwix Connect records the ad a lead clicked on the contact, so you can filter contacts by source and see which campaigns bring buyers rather than just chats.
On the Professional plan, Ad Conversions goes one step further: it tells Meta which people from your Click-to-WhatsApp ads became customers, so Meta's delivery can find more people like them. You set it up once.
Follow up inside the free window
- Day 0: instant auto-reply, then a person takes over.
- Day 1: if they went quiet, send a short follow-up template: "Hi {{1}}, shall I hold today's price for you?"
- Day 3: share something useful — an itinerary, a testimonial, a floor plan.
- Day 6: last reminder before the free window ends.
Keep a couple of follow-up templates approved; copy them from WhatsApp template examples.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Replying the next morning | Switch on an automatic first reply |
| One generic ad for everything | One ad per product, each with its own pre-filled message |
| Counting chats, not customers | Set lead stages in the inbox and track Deal Won |
| No follow-up after the first chat | Use the free window — schedule three follow-ups |
| Adding ad leads to every broadcast | Ask for a clear opt-in first |
Frequently asked questions
What are Click-to-WhatsApp ads?
They are Facebook and Instagram ads with a button that opens a WhatsApp chat with the business, instead of sending people to a website or a lead form.
Are messages free after a Click-to-WhatsApp ad?
When a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a free entry point window of up to 7 days. Messages you send that customer during the window are not charged. You still pay for the ad itself.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API to run Click-to-WhatsApp ads?
No, the ads also work with the WhatsApp Business app. The API adds what makes them pay off at volume: instant automatic replies, a shared team inbox, lead tracking by ad and follow-up templates.
How much do Click-to-WhatsApp ads cost?
You set your own daily budget in Meta Ads Manager, and Meta charges for the ad delivery. There is no separate fee for the chat; replies inside the free entry point window are not charged.
Still stuck?
Message us on WhatsApp — a real person from the Adwix team will help you finish it.