Click-to-WhatsApp ads: a practical guide
A Click-to-WhatsApp ad is a Facebook or Instagram ad whose button opens WhatsApp instead of a website. For service businesses and D2C brands whose customers prefer to chat before buying, it often converts better than a landing page.
This guide covers how the ads work, the free window, and what to do with the conversations they start.
How the free window works
When someone messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, a free entry point window opens for up to 7 days, during which Meta does not charge for messages. The window applies on Android and iOS. Use it: everything you send in that period, replies, offers and follow-ups, costs nothing in Meta's message charges.
What happens when someone taps the ad
- WhatsApp opens with a pre-filled message to your business.
- The person sends it, starting the conversation.
- Your inbox receives the chat like any other.
- The free entry point window opens.
A first reply that works
Ad chat first reply
Hi! Thanks for your interest in {{offer}}. {{one_line_answer}}
What would you like to do next: book, see prices, or ask a question?
Qualify, then hand off
- Ask one question that sorts leads: service, location or budget.
- Route serious enquiries to a person within business hours.
- Send a booking or payment link when they are ready.
Follow up within the window
Because messages are free during the window, a short follow-up a day or two later costs nothing in Meta charges. Send it by hand or as a small broadcast to that day's ad chats. Reminders and follow-up sequences run from the business's own booking or CRM system; we did not find scheduled reminders or sequences in Tadlo's published plans.
Collect opt-in for later
After the window, marketing messages cost the normal rate and need opt-in. Ask during the conversation whether they would like offers on WhatsApp, and record the answer. Meta requires businesses to collect opt-in that clearly states the person is agreeing to receive messages from the business, and names the business.
Measure ad performance
| Measure | Source |
|---|---|
| Cost per conversation | Meta Ads Manager |
| Replies and qualified leads | Your WhatsApp inbox |
| Bookings or sales | Your booking system or store |
We did not find ad attribution in Tadlo's published plans, so match conversations to ads using Ads Manager and your own tagging.
Instagram ad chats
Click-to-Direct ads open an Instagram DM instead. Instagram lets a business message someone freely for 24 hours after their last message (up to 7 days after a click-to-Direct ad), and a person on your team can reply within a separate 7-day human agent window. The same rules apply: reply fast and qualify early.
Our pick: Tadlo AI
Tadlo AI
Our top pick
Best for: Handling ad conversations
Tadlo AI gives your team a shared inbox from the Starter plan with automated replies, payment links in chat on Pro, and Meta's charges at cost with no markup. We did not find ad-specific features, such as ad attribution, in its published plans.
Price: Free forever plan with up to 10 messages a day. Starter ₹999, Growth ₹2,499, Pro ₹5,999 and Scale ₹11,999 a month, priced on unique contacts engaged per month. Meta's message charges are billed by Meta directly to your own account, and Tadlo adds no markup. Prices exclude GST.
Strengths
- No markup on Meta's message charges: Meta bills your own WhatsApp Business Account directly, and Tadlo only charges a flat plan
- Built for D2C: abandoned cart recovery, COD to prepaid nudges and order updates from Shopify and WooCommerce (Growth plan and above)
- Instagram comments to WhatsApp chats, which most WhatsApp-only tools cannot do
- Priced on unique people reached, not on every message, so you can follow up without counting sends
- Number health checks every 15 minutes, gradual ramp-up for new numbers and automatic opt-out handling
- Your WhatsApp Business Account is created inside your own Meta business account, so it stays yours
Limitations
- Newer than AiSensy, WATI or Interakt, with a shorter track record
- Commerce automations start on the Growth plan (₹2,499 a month)
- Tadlo AI is onboarding brands in stages, and you request access on its WhatsApp page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Click-to-WhatsApp ad?
A Facebook or Instagram ad with a button that opens a WhatsApp chat with your business.
Are messages from Click-to-WhatsApp ads free?
When someone messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, a free entry point window opens for up to 7 days, during which Meta does not charge for messages.
What should I reply to an ad chat?
Answer the ad's offer in one line and ask one question, within seconds.
Should the first reply be automated?
Yes for the first few seconds, so the person gets an answer while WhatsApp is still open; a person should take over for anything detailed.
Should the first reply include prices?
If the ad mentions a price or offer, repeat it so the person knows they are in the right place; otherwise ask one question first and share prices once you know what they need.
Can I message ad leads after 7 days?
Only within normal WhatsApp rules: service replies when they message you, or marketing templates if they opted in, at normal rates.
Sources
- tadlo.ai: Tadlo AI WhatsApp automation. Plans, features, Meta rates and onboarding checked 16 October 2026.
- Meta WhatsApp Business Platform pricing,
developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing. Rates effective 1 October 2026; page updated 30 September 2026. - Meta WhatsApp opt-in requirements,
developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/getting-opt-in. Updated 16 June 2026. - Meta WhatsApp messaging limits,
developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/messaging-limits. Updated 21 May 2026. - Instagram Messaging API (Meta),
developers.facebook.com/documentation/instagram-platform/instagram-api-with-instagram-login/messaging-api. Messaging window and requests folder; updated 28 September 2026.