# What are click-to-message ads?

> Click-to-message ads open a chat with your business on Messenger, Instagram or WhatsApp when someone taps. How they work, what to measure and an example.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-15
- **Category**: Meta
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/click-to-message-ads

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Click-to-message ads are Meta ads that send people straight into a chat with your business. The chat opens on Messenger, Instagram or WhatsApp when someone taps the ad ([Meta for Business](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/click-to-message-ads), checked 2026-10-20).

## How they work

- You pick Messenger, Instagram or WhatsApp as the place where people act. The button reads something like "Send message".
- If you message customers on two or more apps, you can pick several destinations. Meta then sends each person to the app where they are most likely to engage.
- Meta says you can qualify leads inside the chat and continue the talk there.
- You can set a greeting or an automatic reply, so people get an answer at once.

Meta reports three experiments with 734,000 businesses in the second half of 2024. Those using several destinations saw 9% lower cost per message and an 11% higher conversion rate than those using one ([Meta for Business](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/click-to-message-ads), checked 2026-10-22). Meta gives the lowest median result of the three. The figures are Meta's own, and Meta says performance is not guaranteed.

## A worked example

Say you sell sarees and run a click-to-message ad for INR 20,000.

- 400 people start a chat.
- Cost per chat = 20,000 / 400 = **INR 50**
- 60 of those chats become orders worth INR 1,500 each.
- Sales = 60 x 1,500 = INR 90,000
- Cost per order = 20,000 / 60 = **INR 333**
- ROAS = 90,000 / 20,000 = **4.5**

Meta can optimise these ads for conversations, leads, purchases or value. If you optimise for conversations, a result is a chat. The order happens inside the chat, so log your orders and share purchase data back with Meta. Otherwise you judge a INR 50 chat and miss the INR 333 order.

## Tips from Meta

- Make it clear that tapping opens a chat. Use calls to action like "Send message" or "Chat now".
- Use square or vertical images and videos.
- Run for at least 7 days with a competitive budget.

For one app only, see [Click-to-WhatsApp ads](/glossary/click-to-whatsapp-ads) and [how to advertise on WhatsApp in India](/guides/how-to-advertise-on-whatsapp-in-india). Until you track sales, your [cost per result](/glossary/cost-per-result) is a cost per chat.

## FAQ

### Are click-to-message ads the same as lead ads?

No. Lead ads open a form. These open a live chat. See [Click-to-WhatsApp vs lead ads](/compare/click-to-whatsapp-vs-lead-ads).

### Which chat app should I pick?

Pick where your customers already talk to you. If you use more than one, let Meta choose per person.

### What do these ads cost?

Cost per chat depends on your audience, offer and country. Test with a small budget and read your own number.

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