What is a Click-to-WhatsApp ad?

How a Click-to-WhatsApp ad works

You create the ad in Meta Ads Manager and choose WhatsApp as the message destination, linked to your business number. A person who taps the ad lands in a WhatsApp chat with you, usually with a suggested first message such as "Hi, I'd like to know more". When they send it:

• a customer service window opens, so you can reply freely;
• if you reply within 24 hours, the chat becomes a free entry point, free for up to 7 days;
• the message carries a referral from the ad, so your system can tell which ad the lead came from.

You pay Meta for the ad itself as with any other ad. The free window only covers WhatsApp messaging charges, and messages from Meta Business Agent are still charged.

Worked example

A coaching institute in Kota runs a Click-to-WhatsApp ad for its JEE crash course, with the pre-filled message "Send me the batch details". Arjun's father taps it at 10:40 pm. An automatic reply arrives at once:

A counsellor picks the chat up at 9 am. Because the reply went out within 24 hours, the next few days of back-and-forth, including the fee PDF and the admission confirmation, carry no WhatsApp messaging charges.

Things to get right

• Answer fast. A lead who waits overnight may go cold, and missing the 24-hour reply loses the free window.
• Ask before you add to promotions. An ad chat is not the same as consent to marketing broadcasts. Ask for opt-in in the chat before you add the person to offer campaigns.
• Measure by ad. Use the ad referral to see which creatives bring paying customers, not just chats.

Click-to-WhatsApp ads in Broadchat

In Chatbots → Chatbots, choose the Click-to-WhatsApp ad trigger so ad leads get an instant reply and qualifying questions, then hand off to an agent in CRM → Live Chat. The chatbot builder can also send a conversion event back to Meta when a lead converts. See the WhatsApp chatbot page and the chatbot help article, and the ecommerce playbook for ad-to-order flows.