WhatsApp marketing
Click-to-WhatsApp ads: how to create, measure and follow up in India
How click-to-WhatsApp ads work, what you need, how to set them up in Responseify or Ads Manager, what the 72-hour free window means and how to follow up.
- 7 min read
- Updated
- By Ashmit Arya
On this page (13)
- What are click-to-WhatsApp ads?
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads vs lead ads vs a landing page
- What you need
- How the ad works
- What is free about it?
- Set it up in Responseify
- How to create a click-to-WhatsApp ad in Meta Ads Manager
- Ad ideas by business, with the first message to pre-fill
- How to measure click-to-WhatsApp ads
- Make the ad earn its chat
- Mistakes to avoid with click-to-WhatsApp ads
- Sources
- Frequently asked questions
Most ads send people to a landing page, where many leave. A click-to-WhatsApp ad skips that step. The customer is in a chat with you after one tap, and you can answer their exact question.
What are click-to-WhatsApp ads?
Click-to-WhatsApp ads (often shortened to CTWA ads) are Facebook and Instagram ads with a button that opens a WhatsApp chat with your business. Instead of sending the person to a website or a form, the ad starts a conversation. You pay Meta for the ad as usual, and messages inside Meta's 72-hour free entry point window stay free for message delivery, as explained below.
They suit businesses where a conversation closes the sale: real estate, education, clinics, salons, travel, B2B services and high-ticket retail.
Click-to-WhatsApp ads vs lead ads vs a landing page
| Click-to-WhatsApp ad | Lead ad (form) | Landing page | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What the person does | Taps, then chats | Fills a form in the app | Visits a website, then fills a form |
| Speed to first contact | Instant, in their own chat | You call or message later | Depends on your follow-up |
| Best for | Questions, quotes, bookings | Collecting many contacts cheaply | Detailed offers, SEO traffic |
| Watch out for | Needs fast replies | Leads can go cold before you call | Many visitors leave |
You can combine them: capture leads with a form and follow up on WhatsApp. See how Lead Ads connect to WhatsApp.
What you need
- A WhatsApp Business number connected to the WhatsApp Business Platform.
- A Facebook Page and a Meta ad account you can manage.
- A reply plan: someone, or an automation, ready to answer within minutes.
How the ad works
- 1
Someone sees your adFacebook or Instagram
The ad has a button that opens WhatsApp.
- 2
They tap itone tap
A chat opens with your business, often with a message already typed in.
- 3
You replyinside the window
You can reply freely, and Meta's free entry point window applies to messages from these ads.
- 4
You qualify and follow upin your inbox
Ask a question, tag the lead and move it through your pipeline.
What is free about it?
Meta's pricing page says messages sent within the 72-hour free entry point window, from Click to WhatsApp ads or Facebook call-to-action buttons, remain free for message delivery. That window is separate from the normal 24-hour customer service window. Rules and rates can change, so check Meta's pricing page and your rate card for the current terms.
Set it up in Responseify
Responseify connects to your Facebook account so you can create and follow campaigns without leaving the CRM. Connect once under Settings, then create the campaign in the CTWA Ads section. You can create it paused to check it first, or publish it straight away.
What to notice: chats that start from your ads arrive in the shared inbox and are counted per campaign. Step-by-step: run click-to-WhatsApp ads.
How to create a click-to-WhatsApp ad in Meta Ads Manager
Meta renames menu items from time to time, so follow the idea if a label has changed.
- In Ads Manager, create a campaign and choose an objective that lets you send people to messages (look for a messaging or WhatsApp option).
- At ad set level, set the conversation location to WhatsApp and choose your connected WhatsApp number.
- Choose your audience, placements and daily budget. Start small.
- At ad level, add your image or video, a headline that names the offer and a short text.
- Set the ad's greeting or pre-filled message, so the chat opens with context.
- Publish, then watch the first chats arrive in your inbox.
If you would rather not use Ads Manager, the Responseify route above does the same from inside the CRM and counts chats per campaign.
Ad ideas by business, with the first message to pre-fill
| Business | Headline idea | Pre-filled first message |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate | "3BHK price list and floor plan on WhatsApp" | "Hi, please send the 3BHK price list for [project]." |
| Coaching or school | "Get the fee structure and next batch dates" | "Hi, I want the fee structure for [course]." |
| Clinic or dental | "Book a check-up on WhatsApp" | "Hi, I want to book an appointment." |
| Salon or spa | "Book your slot without calling" | "Hi, I want to book a [service] on [day]." |
| Travel | "Get a trip quote in minutes" | "Hi, I want a quote for [destination]." |
| Ecommerce | "Ask about size, stock or delivery" | "Hi, I want to know about [product]." |
| B2B or SaaS | "See a 15-minute demo" | "Hi, I would like a demo of [product]." |
How to measure click-to-WhatsApp ads
A click or a chat is not a customer, so measure the whole chain and fix the weakest link first:
| Step | What to measure | How to calculate |
|---|---|---|
| Ad to chat | Cost per chat | Ad spend ÷ chats started |
| Reply speed | Median time to first reply | Check your inbox report |
| Chat to qualified lead | Qualified rate | Qualified leads ÷ chats |
| Qualified to customer | Close rate | Deals won ÷ qualified leads |
| Overall | Cost per customer | Ad spend ÷ deals won |
Tag every chat with its campaign so you can compare campaigns on cost per customer, not cost per chat. A cheap chat that never replies is worse than a costlier one that closes.
Make the ad earn its chat
- Promise something specific. "Get the 3BHK price list on WhatsApp" beats "Contact us".
- Pre-fill the first message so the chat starts with context.
- Reply in minutes. Greet automatically, then hand over to a person. See auto-reply examples.
- Tag every lead by campaign so you can compare cost per real customer, not per click.
Mistakes to avoid with click-to-WhatsApp ads
- Sending the chat to nobody. If no one replies for hours, the lead goes elsewhere. Set an instant greeting and assign the chat. See auto-reply examples.
- A vague offer. "Message us" does not tell people what they get. Name the thing: a price list, a free demo, a quote.
- Judging by cost per chat. Chats are not customers. Track how many chats turn into deals in your pipeline.
- Forgetting consent. A customer who taps your ad has started the chat, but that is not permission for unlimited promotions later. See how to collect consent.
For a wider view of getting leads onto WhatsApp, read WhatsApp lead generation for small businesses.
Sources
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing: messages in the 72-hour free entry point window from Click to WhatsApp ads remain free for message delivery.
- Responseify Help Center, Run click-to-WhatsApp ads.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay Meta for the ads?
Yes. Your ad budget is charged by Meta to your ad account. Responseify adds nothing to it.
Are the chats from ads free?
Meta says messages in the 72-hour free entry point window from these ads remain free for message delivery. Check Meta's current pricing page for the exact rules.
Do I need a Facebook Page?
Yes, a Facebook Page and a Meta ad account you can manage.
How do I know which ad a customer came from?
In Responseify, the conversation shows the ad it started from and the ads page counts chats per campaign.
What are click-to-WhatsApp ads?
Facebook and Instagram ads with a button that opens a WhatsApp chat with your business, so the customer starts a conversation instead of visiting a website or filling a form.
How much do click-to-WhatsApp ads cost in India?
You set the budget. Meta charges your ad spend, and the cost per chat depends on your audience, offer and competition, so we do not quote a single figure. Messages inside Meta's 72-hour free entry point window remain free for message delivery; check Meta's pricing page for current terms.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API for click-to-WhatsApp ads?
Meta's ads can connect to a WhatsApp number, but to run a shared team inbox, automatic replies and campaign reports you need your number on the WhatsApp Business Platform, which is what a CRM like Responseify connects to.
What should the first reply to a click-to-WhatsApp ad say?
Greet the person, say who you are, answer or acknowledge what the ad promised and ask one question to qualify them. See our welcome message examples.
About the author
Ashmit Arya · Founder, Responseify
Builds Responseify, a WhatsApp CRM for Indian businesses, and tests what these guides describe in the product himself. Every number here is sourced and dated, and posts are updated when the rules change.
Connect on LinkedIn- Last reviewed .
- Where we give figures about our own examples, we say so and show how we counted.
- Found a mistake or an out-of-date rule? Email us and we will correct it. More about us on the About page.