Click-to-WhatsApp Ads: How to Run Them and Convert Every Chat

Click-to-WhatsApp ads (CTWA) are Facebook and Instagram ads with a "Send WhatsApp message" button. Instead of landing on a website, the person who taps it lands in a WhatsApp chat with your business, with a message already typed for them. For businesses that sell through conversation (COD stores, clinics, real estate, education, services), that can be a shorter path from ad to sale. But the ad is only half the job. This guide covers both halves: setting the ad up in Meta Ads Manager, and handling the chats it creates so leads don't go cold.

A note on scope: ReploChat doesn't create or manage ads. You run the ad in Meta Ads Manager, and ReploChat handles the WhatsApp conversations that come from it.

Key takeaways

• CTWA ads are built in Meta Ads Manager with WhatsApp as the place where conversions happen. They run on Facebook and Instagram placements.
• Your Facebook Page must be linked to the WhatsApp Business number that will receive the chats. WhatsApp Business API numbers work.
• Reply quickly. Answering within the customer service window also opens Meta's free entry point window, during which Meta doesn't charge for your messages to that person.
• Use a distinct pre-filled message per ad so you can trigger the right chatbot or Flow and label the lead.
• Plan the follow-up before you spend: most ad leads need a second or third message.

How Click-to-WhatsApp ads work

1. Someone sees your ad on Facebook or Instagram and taps Send WhatsApp message.
2. WhatsApp opens with your business chat and a pre-filled message (Meta's default is something like "Hello! Can I get more info on this?", or your own text). The person can edit it, then sends it.
3. The message arrives in your WhatsApp Business account. On the API, it lands in your inbox software like any other chat.
4. A 24-hour customer service window opens. If you reply within it, Meta also opens a free entry point window for that person.

Nothing is sent until the person taps send, so every CTWA conversation starts with a customer who chose to message you. That's useful for opt-in, but it doesn't automatically mean they agreed to future marketing. Ask for that separately (see below).

The free entry point window

Meta's pricing rules give conversations that start from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action button a free entry point window, as long as you respond within the customer service window. While it's open, Meta doesn't charge for any messages you send to that person, including templates. Meta's documentation (checked October 2026) describes this window as lasting up to 7 days; older documentation said 72 hours. Meta changes these terms, so confirm the current rules on Meta's WhatsApp pricing page before you plan around them.

In practice: reply fast, and plan your qualification and first follow-ups to happen inside that window. For overall cost planning, see WhatsApp Business API pricing in Pakistan.

Before you launch: get your WhatsApp side ready

1. Connect your number to the WhatsApp Business API. In ReploChat, use Connect WhatsApp (Embedded Signup). See how to get the WhatsApp Business API.
2. Link that number to your Facebook Page in Meta's settings, so Ads Manager can use it as the WhatsApp destination.
3. Fill in your business profile (prices, delivery areas, hours, policies, FAQ) so the AI assistant can answer common questions at any hour.
4. Set a welcome message and an away message with your real hours.
5. Prepare a chatbot or Flow for the ad's keyword (details below).
6. Make sure someone is staffing the inbox during the hours your ads run. Auto-assignment spreads the chats across available agents.

Setting up a Click-to-WhatsApp ad in Meta Ads Manager

Ads Manager's menus change from time to time, but the core steps are:

1. Create a campaign and choose an objective that supports messaging, such as Engagement, Leads or Sales.
2. At the ad set level, set the conversion location to Messaging apps and pick WhatsApp. Choose the Page and the linked WhatsApp number.
3. Set audience, placements and budget as you would for any Facebook or Instagram campaign.
4. Build the ad creative: image or video, primary text and a headline that says what the customer gets by messaging.
5. Write the message template for the chat: the pre-filled text the customer sends, and optionally a greeting and suggested questions (icebreakers).
6. Publish, then send a test message to your own number to check that the chat arrives in your inbox.

Meta's own guidance on ads that click to WhatsApp is in the Meta Business click-to-message ads page.

The pre-filled message: your secret tracking tool

Use a short, distinct pre-filled message for each ad or offer, and match it to a trigger in ReploChat:

One detail matters here: keyword triggers in ReploChat match the whole message (ignoring capital letters and punctuation). So the pre-filled text should be exactly the keyword. If a customer edits it, the welcome message and AI assistant still answer, and your team sees the chat as usual.

The labels give you a simple count of chats per ad, which you can compare with what you spent in Ads Manager.

Ad creative that leads to good conversations

The ad decides what kind of chat you get. A few principles:

• Say why they should message. "Message us for today's price and delivery time" sets up a specific first question that your bot or AI can answer.
• Show the price or a price range if you can. Ads with no price often bring a lot of "price?" messages from people who were never going to buy.
• Match the ad to the first reply. If the ad shows the grey sofa, the first reply should mention the grey sofa, not your whole catalogue.

Handling CTWA chats so they turn into sales

1. First reply within seconds

People who tap an ad are often still scrolling. A fast first reply keeps them. Options, from most to least structured:

• A chatbot menu (Growth and Enterprise plans), built in the chatbot builder.
• A WhatsApp Flow sent by keyword. Good when you need several details at once. See WhatsApp Flows examples.
• The welcome message plus the AI assistant, on every plan.

Sample first reply for the lawn sale ad:

Hi! 🌸 Thanks for your interest in our Lawn Collection. All 3-piece suits are Rs 4,990 this week, with free delivery over Rs 5,000 and cash on delivery available.
What would you like to do?
[See designs] [Check my size] [Talk to us]

2. Qualify in two or three questions

Ask only what you need to route the lead:

• Real estate: budget, area, buying or renting, timeline.
• Education: course, campus, start month.
• Clinic: service, preferred day, new or returning patient.

Save the answers to the contact (question nodes or Flow fields do this), and add a label such as Hot, Warm or Info only.

3. Hand off to a human with context

For high-value leads, end the bot with a hand-off. The agent sees the saved answers in the contact side panel and the full chat, so they never start with "how can I help?". Auto-assignment by round robin or least busy shares ad leads fairly.

4. Ask for marketing opt-in

Would you like us to send you new arrivals and offers on WhatsApp? You can stop any time by replying STOP.
[Yes, keep me posted] [No thanks]

Label the people who say yes, and use that label for future campaigns. See WhatsApp opt-in rules and examples.

5. Follow up before the lead goes cold

Start a follow-up sequence when the Ad: Lawn label is added, and set it to stop when the customer replies:

1. +1 hour: "Hi {name}, did you find your size? Reply with your height and usual size and we'll suggest the right fit."
2. +1 day: "Hi {name}, the lawn prices end Sunday. Shall we reserve the design you liked?" [Reserve it] [Not now]
3. +3 days: "Last reminder, {name}: free delivery over Rs 5,000 ends tonight. Reply ORDER and we'll confirm it here."

Follow-up steps are template messages, so get them approved first. More wording is in WhatsApp follow-up message templates.

Measuring CTWA results

Ads Manager reports spend and messaging conversations started. ReploChat shows what happened next. Combine them:

• Cost per conversation = ad spend ÷ conversations started (from Ads Manager).
• Qualified rate = chats labelled Hot or Warm ÷ chats with the ad label.
• Cost per sale = ad spend ÷ orders or bookings from those chats.
• First response time from ReploChat reports. If it's slow, fix staffing before you raise budget.

Common mistakes

• Running ads at night with no away message, AI or bot. The lead messages, gets silence, and moves on.
• Using the same pre-filled message for every ad, so you can't tell which one produced sales.
• Asking ten questions before giving a price.
• Treating everyone who messaged as opted in to marketing, then blasting them later.
• Pointing the ad at a number nobody watches.

FAQ

Do Click-to-WhatsApp ads work with the WhatsApp Business API?

Yes. Link the API number to your Facebook Page and choose it as the WhatsApp destination in Ads Manager. Chats then arrive in your API inbox, such as ReploChat.

Can I run Click-to-WhatsApp ads from ReploChat?

No. You create and pay for ads in Meta Ads Manager. ReploChat handles the conversations: inbox, AI replies, chatbots, Flows, labels and follow-ups.

Are messages from Click-to-WhatsApp ads free?

If you reply within the customer service window, Meta opens a free entry point window during which it doesn't charge for your messages to that person. You still pay Meta for the ads. Check Meta's pricing page for the current length and conditions.

Do Click-to-WhatsApp ads run on Instagram?

Yes. Ads that click to WhatsApp can use Facebook and Instagram placements, depending on the options Ads Manager offers for your objective.

What should the pre-filled message say?

Something short and specific to the ad, such as "LAWN SALE" or "BOOK CHECKUP". This lets you trigger the right bot or Flow and count leads per ad.

Make sure every ad click gets an instant answer and a proper follow-up. Start a free ReploChat trial and connect your number before your next campaign goes live.