Click-to-WhatsApp ads: turn ad clicks into conversations
How Facebook and Instagram ads that open WhatsApp work, Meta's official video, and how to give each ad its own bot in WA.Expert.
What is Click-to-WhatsApp ads?
Ads that click to WhatsApp are Facebook and Instagram ads that open a WhatsApp chat with the business when someone taps them.
- If the business replies within 24 hours, a free entry point window opens that Meta says may remain open for up to 7 days, during which messages are free. It applies when the customer messages from the WhatsApp mobile app. source
- The ads run on Facebook and Instagram, including Feed and Stories. source
- They need a Facebook Page with a linked WhatsApp number. source
Watch
Official video from WhatsApp
WA.Expert tutorial
Videos load from YouTube only when you press play.
What businesses do with it on WhatsApp
- Start a chat instead of sending people to a landing page
- Give each ad its own welcome bot
- Qualify leads and book calls inside WhatsApp
- Track which ad brought which conversation
How to connect Click-to-WhatsApp ads with WA.Expert
- In Meta Ads Manager, open the ad and copy its Ad ID from the three-dot menu.
- In WA.Expert, create a bot flow and set the trigger type to Click-to-WhatsApp Ad.
- Select the WhatsApp channel the ad runs on and paste the Ad ID.
- Build the flow for that ad, then save. Repeat for each ad.
Full walkthrough with screenshots: Trigger bots for Click-to-WhatsApp ads.
Questions
Are messages after an ad click free?
If you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a free entry point window that it says may remain open for up to 7 days. Messages in that window are free. It applies when the customer messages from the WhatsApp mobile app; see Meta's pricing page for the exact conditions.
Can I measure sales from these ads?
Yes. Send conversion events from your bot to Meta with the Conversions API so Ads Manager can optimise for leads or purchases.