# What are Click-to-WhatsApp ads? > Click-to-WhatsApp ads are Facebook and Instagram ads whose button opens a WhatsApp chat with your business. How they work, what the chat costs, and how to measure. - **Author**: Marxx - **Published**: 2026-10-30 - **Category**: Meta - **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/click-to-whatsapp-ads --- Click-to-WhatsApp ads are Facebook and Instagram ads with a button that opens a WhatsApp chat with your business, not a website. Meta's developer guide says they send people who click directly into conversations with you in WhatsApp (checked 2026-10-20). ## How to set one up 1. Link your WhatsApp Business number to your Facebook Page. You can do this from Page settings, Ads Manager or the WhatsApp Business app. 2. In Ads Manager, pick an objective that supports WhatsApp, such as Sales, Leads, Engagement or Traffic. 3. In the Conversion section, choose **Message destinations** as the conversion location, then tick **WhatsApp**. With the Leads objective, choose **WhatsApp** directly (Meta help, checked 2026-10-20). 4. Use an image, video or carousel, and a clear button such as "Send message". Meta's setup lets you add a greeting or suggested questions that people can tap to start the chat. ## What the chat costs The WhatsApp Business app is free to download. On the WhatsApp Business Platform (the version for software and larger teams), Meta charges per delivered message. When someone messages you from a click-to-WhatsApp ad on Android or iOS and you reply within the 24-hour service window, a free window opens for up to 7 days. Inside it, marketing, utility, authentication and service messages are free (Meta pricing page, checked 2026-10-20). ## A worked example Say a dental clinic spends INR 30,000 on a click-to-WhatsApp ad and gets 150 chats. That is **INR 200 per chat**. 105 chats get a reply the same day. 24 become booked visits. The cost per booked visit is 30,000 / 24 = **INR 1,250**. If you only watched cost per chat, you would miss the number that pays the bills. Tag every chat as booked, lost or follow-up, then work out [cost per acquisition](/glossary/cpa) yourself. ## Make it work - Reply in minutes during business hours. - Share a price range early. Many chats start with price. - Compare it with a form. See [click-to-WhatsApp vs lead ads](/compare/click-to-whatsapp-vs-lead-ads). - Run through the [Meta ads launch checklist](/templates/launch-checklist-for-meta-ads) first. ## FAQ ### Do I need the WhatsApp Business API? No. Meta's help article for the WhatsApp Business app explains how to link a Page to it and run these ads. Larger teams use the platform for shared inboxes and automation. ### Is the chat itself free? Messages you send in an open free window are free. Outside it, platform messages can carry a charge, so check Meta's current pricing page. ### Can I use click-to-WhatsApp ads for sales? Yes. Sales is one of the objectives Meta's developer guide lists for these ads, next to Leads, Engagement and Traffic. --- - [More Meta articles](https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/category/meta) - [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-glossary)