Click-to-WhatsApp ads are Meta ads on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp Status that open a WhatsApp chat with your business when someone taps them. The person sends the first message, so the conversation starts on your number. If you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a free entry point window that may last up to 7 days.
Click-to-WhatsApp ads (often called CTWA ads) are Facebook and Instagram ads whose button opens a WhatsApp chat with your business instead of a website or a form. The person taps, WhatsApp opens with a message ready to send, and the conversation starts on your business number. Meta describes them as ads that send people who click directly into conversations with your business in WhatsApp.
They suit businesses that sell through conversation: clinics, real estate, coaching, travel, car dealers and service companies, where a buyer wants to ask a question before booking.
How Click-to-WhatsApp ads work
- The ad. You build it in Meta Ads Manager with an Engagement, Leads, Sales or Traffic objective and WhatsApp as the destination. Image, video, carousel and slideshow formats are supported.
- The tap. WhatsApp opens with your greeting and either a pre-filled message or a few tappable questions.
- The first message. When the person sends it, your number receives the chat along with a referral: the ad ID, the ad headline and text, a link to the ad and a click ID called
ctwa_clid. Meta leaves out the click ID for chats from WhatsApp Status ads. - The conversation. Because the customer wrote first, a 24-hour customer service window opens, and you can reply with normal free-form messages.
The free entry point window
Chats from these ads can be the cheapest WhatsApp conversations you have. According to Meta's pricing page, when someone messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad on the WhatsApp Android or iOS app and you reply within the 24-hour window, a free entry point window opens. It may stay open for up to 7 days. During it, marketing, utility, authentication and service messages are not charged. Meta Business Agent messages are still charged, and chats started on WhatsApp desktop or web do not qualify.
The catch is speed. If you reply after 24 hours, the free window never opens, and the lead has usually moved on.
Click-to-WhatsApp ads vs lead form ads
| Click-to-WhatsApp ad | Lead form (Instant Form) ad | |
|---|---|---|
| What the person does | Sends you a WhatsApp message | Submits name and phone in a form |
| Who speaks first | The customer | You must reach out |
| Your first WhatsApp reply | Free-form, inside the 24-hour window | Must be an approved template |
| Ad tracking | Ad ID and click ID on the first message | Ad ID and form ID on the lead |
Many teams run both. Forms bring volume; chats bring people who have already started talking.
How to judge them
Ads Manager reports cost per messaging conversation. That number rewards ads that attract chatty people, not buyers. Store the ad on every chat, record which chats become customers, and compare ads on cost per customer and ROAS. Meta's Conversions API for Business Messaging also lets you send events such as LeadSubmitted, QualifiedLead and Purchase back to Meta, tied to the click ID, and Meta says this unlocks purchase optimisation for these ads.
How salestrack helps
salestrack CRM by Dentobees brings Click-to-WhatsApp chats into a shared WhatsApp team inbox on the official API, with each chat saved as a lead tagged with its campaign, ad set and ad. Assignment rules send each chat to the right person, and every chat shows its 24-hour window timer. When deals are won, Meta ads ROI shows cost per customer and ROAS by ad. salestrack starts free; see pricing.
Related questions
What does CTWA mean in Meta ads?
CTWA stands for Click to WhatsApp. It is an ad whose destination is a WhatsApp chat with your business rather than a website, a form or a phone call.
How much do Click-to-WhatsApp ads cost?
You pay Meta for the ad itself, like any other ad, based on your budget and bid. Replies to the chats it starts can be free: if you answer within the 24-hour customer service window, Meta opens a free entry point window in which most messages are not charged.
How do I create Click-to-WhatsApp ads in Ads Manager?
Link your WhatsApp Business number to the Facebook Page you advertise from, create a campaign with an Engagement, Leads, Sales or Traffic objective, and choose WhatsApp as the destination at the ad set level. Then add your creative and the greeting or pre-filled message people will see.
Can I run Click-to-WhatsApp ads on Instagram?
Yes. Meta publishes these ads on Facebook and Instagram, and a WhatsApp Status placement can also be turned on in the ad set's placement settings.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API for Click-to-WhatsApp ads?
You need a WhatsApp Business number linked to your Facebook Page. The WhatsApp Business app can work for small volumes, but tracking each chat to its ad, routing chats to a team and sending results back to Meta need the API.
Sources
Checked on 1 November 2026. WhatsApp and Meta change their rules and prices often, so check the source before you rely on a detail.