Click-to-WhatsApp ads: turn ad clicks into enquiries

In India, most customers would rather send a WhatsApp message than fill a form or make a call. Click-to-WhatsApp ads use that habit: someone taps your Facebook or Instagram ad and a WhatsApp chat with your business opens, often with a message already typed.

Why they work

• Starting a chat feels easy and low-commitment
• You get the customer's number automatically, with no form to fill
• You can answer questions, share photos and prices, and close the sale in one place
• The conversation stays in their WhatsApp, so they can come back to it later

What you need

• A WhatsApp Business number (the free app is enough for most small businesses)
• That number connected to your Facebook Page, and to Instagram if you advertise there
• Someone who can reply quickly during the hours your ads run

Setting up the campaign

1. In Ads Manager, create a campaign with the Engagement objective (Leads and Sales can also send people to chats).
2. In the ad set, choose Messaging apps as the conversion location and select WhatsApp.
3. Set your location, budget and schedule. If nobody can reply at night, schedule the ads for your working hours.
4. In the ad, write a greeting and add a few pre-filled questions, such as "What are your prices?" or "Can I book for Saturday?". People tap one and the chat starts with that question.
5. Use a creative that shows what they get: the product, the result, the price range or the offer.

Reply like a sales team

The ad only starts the conversation; your replies close it.

• Reply within minutes. Interest drops quickly.
• Set up quick replies for prices, location, timings and the booking process.
• Use labels such as New lead, Quote sent, Booked and Not interested, so nobody is forgotten.
• Turn on an away message for evenings and holidays, saying when you will reply.
• Ask one question at a time to understand what they need, then suggest the next step.
• Follow up once if someone goes quiet, without spamming.

What to measure

• Cost per conversation: shown in Ads Manager
• Conversations that turned into customers: count them with your labels each week
• Cost per customer: your ad spend divided by customers won

A low cost per conversation means little if nobody buys. If chats are cheap but sales are few, look at your replies, prices and offer before blaming the ads.

Common mistakes

• Running ads when nobody is available to reply
• Vague ads that bring "Hi" messages with no context; pre-filled questions fix this
• Sending long price lists as the first reply instead of understanding what they need
• Mixing customer chats with family groups on a personal number

Want help setting this up? Our performance marketing service builds WhatsApp campaigns, quick replies and a simple way to track which chats become customers. New to Meta ads? Start with Facebook and Instagram ads for a local business.

Questions people ask