Master click to WhatsApp ads: Setup, optimize & scale campaigns

Click to WhatsApp ads open the door straight to conversation. One tap, and your audience connects with your brand in real time on the world’s most popular messaging app. With 3B+ users and 72 hours of free messaging for templated messages, it’s a smarter, faster path to acquisition, lead generation, and sales, built for the way people actually communicate. 

In short, they make every ad instantly actionable. And for marketers, that means new ways to convert interest into real conversations.

In this guide, you’ll learn what click to WhatsApp ads are, why they work, how to set them up in both the WhatsApp Business app and Meta Ads Manager, how to target and optimize, how to automate follow-up, what to measure, and how to stay compliant with opt-in and privacy rules. You’ll also see cross-industry use cases and real results from leading brands using WhatsApp with Infobip.

What are click to WhatsApp ads?

How click to WhatsApp ads work 

Let’s walk through what happens from the moment someone taps your ad to the moment they start chatting with your brand.

From click to chat: the user journey 

• A person taps your ad on Facebook or Instagram. Instead of loading a website, it opens a WhatsApp chat with your business. You can include a pre-filled greeting or quick questions to guide the first reply. 
• These ads can run across common Meta placements like feeds, stories, and Marketplace. The user stays inside a familiar experience and can ask questions or convert directly in chat. 
• You can add more entry points to the same WhatsApp chat, such as QR codes on packaging or in-store, and wa.me links on your site, emails, and search sitelinks to boost conversation volume. 

What happens after the click 

This is where the real value begins: once the chat opens, every message builds connection, data, and intent.

• When a customer starts a chat, your team can respond within the 24-hour customer service window using text, images, quick replies, and more. 
• Templated messages sent within free-entry point lasting for 72-hours will not be charged.
• If you need to follow up later, you can use pre-approved WhatsApp templates tied to the right use case, and only send them to users who have given the proper opt-in. 
• Infobip can unify ad and messaging analytics so you can track clicks, chats, engagement, and conversions in one place and then send conversion signals back to Meta for better optimization. 

Why use click to WhatsApp ads 

The share of digital ad spending on mobile platforms is expected to reach 70% in 2026. This makes ads that click to WhatsApp an integral part of your conversational marketing journey. But it’s not devoid of benefits. 

With click-to-WhatsApp ads, your business benefits from: 

Proof and impact 

These benefits aren’t just theoretical, brands across industries are already seeing measurable impact.

Cross-industry use cases

• Retail and eCommerce: Answer product questions, claim promos, recover carts, share catalogs, and complete payments in chat. 
• Real estate: Book viewings, share listings, and pre-qualify buyers. 
• Travel and hospitality: Check availability, upgrade offers, trip support, and itinerary changes. 
• Education: Course discovery, eligibility checks, and enrollment guidance. 

Requirements and prerequisites 

Before creating your first ad, make sure you have the right accounts and access. The setup determines how much you can automate and scale later.

Accounts and access you need 

• Meta Business account and a Facebook page. 
• A WhatsApp Business presence. You can start with the WhatsApp Business app or use the WhatsApp Business Platform through Infobip for automation, analytics, and integrations.
• A verified business phone number connected to your Page and ad account. 

Set up Click to WhatsApp ads 

Click to WhatsApp ads open a direct path from Facebook and Instagram into a WhatsApp chat.

You can create Click to WhatsApp ads directly in the WhatsApp Business app or Meta Ads Manager. Here’s how each works.

Create CTWA in the WhatsApp Business app (step by step)

1. Open the WhatsApp Business app. Go to Business tools → Advertise. 
2. Choose the “Get more messages” ad. Select your connected Facebook Page and Instagram account. 
3. Add an image or video, a clear headline, primary text, and a CTA like Chat on WhatsApp. 
4. Set a daily or lifetime budget, choose duration, and confirm placements. 
5. Pick your audience: automatic or custom. Preview and publish. 

It’s important to note: 

• Ads created in the WhatsApp Business app can run across Facebook and Instagram. 
• If you add a short pre-filled greeting with a qualifying question, you can speed replies. For example: “Hi, I’m interested in [product]. What is your timeline?” with quick replies like “Buying now,” “Comparing options,” “Just browsing.” 

Create CTWA in Meta Ads Manager (step by step)

1. Log in to Ads Manager and click Create. 
2. Choose a campaign objective. 
3. Name your campaign and click Next. 
4. Under Conversions, click to select Messaging Apps. 
5. Select Click to message and choose WhatsApp as the messaging app. Connect your WhatsApp number to your Page if prompted. 
6. Define budget, schedule, and audience. Use custom and lookalike audiences to focus spend. 
7. Build creative: single image, video, or carousel. Write concise primary text and a benefit-led headline. 
8. Create the message experience: add a welcome message and optional FAQs or quick replies to pre-qualify the lead. 
9. Review tracking settings and publish. 

Additional entry points to boost volume 

Besides Click to WhatsApp ads, there are several additional entry points you can leverage to drive more chat volume and customer engagement.  

• QR codes on packaging, storefronts, receipts, and event booths to start WhatsApp chats instantly. 
• wa.me links on website banners, email signatures, and paid search sitelinks to capture high-intent traffic into WhatsApp. 
• Offline prompts like in-store signage or flyers with a clear incentive to chat, for example “Message us on WhatsApp for 10% off today.” 

Track and optimize entry points to improve lead quality and engagement over time. 

Targeting, segmentation, and retargeting strategies 

Effective targeting ensures your Click to WhatsApp ads reach the right audience at the right time. Here’s how to segment users across different funnel stages.

High-intent segments 

• Prioritize users who signal purchase intent: cart abandoners, repeat buyers, and product viewers. 
• Retarget engaged social audiences and website visitors who spent time on key product pages. 

Funnel-aligned targeting 

• Awareness: Broad plus interest stacks to seed algorithm learning. 
• Consideration: Website or video viewers who engaged but did not convert. 
• Purchase: Add-to-cart users and product viewers with fresh, benefit-led CTAs. 

Lookalikes and exclusions 

• Build lookalikes from purchasers, high LTV customers, and WhatsApp chat initiators to scale reach without diluting quality. 
• Exclude recent converters to control costs and avoid fatigue. 

Retarget non-converters 

• Re-approach with a timely incentive or useful content, not the same pitch. 
• Rotate creatives, offers, and CTAs every 2 to 3 weeks to maintain performance. 

Data-driven segmentation 

• Sync CRM or Shopify data to create personas and segment by lifecycle stage, AOV, category affinity, and recency. 
• Use these segments to tailor entry messages and chatbot flows. 

Crafting effective ads: Copy, creatives, and CTAs 

Once your targeting is in place, focus on how your ads look and feel. Copy, visuals, and CTAs all influence whether users choose to start a chat.

Copy principles 

Lead with one benefit and remove friction. 

Examples:

• Chat now to claim 10% off. 
• Ask product experts in WhatsApp. 
• Check size and stock in 60 seconds. 

Visuals that signal chat 

• Make the chat action obvious. Show a phone-in-hand, WhatsApp UI elements, and agent or expert faces for trust. 
• Favor mobile-first formats and user generated content to boost credibility. 

CTA testing 

A/B test tight, action-oriented CTAs, such as: Chat now, Message us on WhatsApp, Get help instantly, or Check availability.

Pre-filled messages 

Add a short greeting and 1 to 3 quick-reply questions to qualify intent fast:

• Hi, how can we help today? 
• Quick replies: Buy now, Compare options, Check stock 

Automation and follow-up 

Starting conversations is just the first step. To keep them going, and turn them into conversions, you’ll need automation and smart follow-up.

Instant response with chatbots 

• Set instant replies for FAQs, product recommendations, and lead qualification to minimize drop-off. 
• Offer short guided flows to collect intent, preferences, and contact details. 

Agent handoff

• Route high-value or complex chats to live agents when signals indicate buying intent or VIP status. 
• Provide agents with full context so customers never repeat themselves. 

CRM integration 

• Push chat leads into your CRM and trigger follow-ups based on behavior and outcomes. 
• Use templates for timely reminders, promotions, and updates after consent. 

Measuring success and analytics 

Measurement is what turns a good campaign into a great one. Here’s how to track performance and optimize over time.

Core metrics 

Key metrics include CTR, chat initiation rate, conversion rate, and cost per WhatsApp conversation, along with revenue per chat and ROAS for a full-funnel view.

Full-funnel visibility 

Combine Meta ad metrics with Infobip analytics for delivery, seen, click, and conversion tracking in real time. Get one view of ads, conversations, and outcomes to optimize budget and CX.

Signal quality back to ads 

Send conversion signals to Meta to improve targeting and algorithm learning. Close the loop between ads and WhatsApp performance to scale winners faster. 

Compliance and opt-in framework 

Even the best campaigns can falter without proper consent management. Compliance ensures you build trust while staying within global regulations. For WhatsApp, collecting general opt-in is enough.

Consent rules in practice 

Only continue messaging users who provide explicit opt-in tied to their phone number. Provide a clear opt-out where required and honor preferences across systems.

24-hour vs template messaging 

Only utility messages are free for 24 hours after user-initiated message. So, use approved templates that match the message category and consent. Once the user starts interacting with you via click to WhatsApp ads, a special entry point rules apply, meaning all templated messages sent within 72-hour time window are free of charge.

Regional privacy considerations 

Align with GDPR, CCPA, LGPD and store consent records. Honor data rights requests and ensure data minimization.

Infobip’s compliance engine and global presence help you meet local regulations at scale, with verified business sending, encryption, and policy guidance.

Best practices and optimization tips 

To get the most from your Click to WhatsApp campaigns, focus on clarity, speed, and relevance. Show value early, tailor targeting by funnel stage, and combine chatbots with agent handoffs. Keep creatives fresh, update every 2–3 weeks, and track what resonates.

In short: test, learn, and refine continuously. Conversational advertising rewards experimentation.

Get started with Infobip

Click to WhatsApp ads turn every tap into a real conversation, connecting intent and action instantly. As a Meta partner and WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, Infobip helps you build, automate, and scale these experiences with global reach, chatbots, payments, CRM integrations, and advanced analytics. Manage ads and messaging from one dashboard, send conversion signals to Meta, and measure ROI in real time. To move forward, explore WhatsApp Business Platform features and WhatsApp pricing, start building with our API or cloud tools, and get expert guidance on messaging automation and compliance. 

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