Can You Still Run Messenger Sponsored Messages?

No. Meta’s Messenger documentation says Sponsored Messages was deprecated on 31 July 2024. It describes the format as an ephemeral ad format that appeared in the inbox. The same FAQ then contrasts it with a different product, marketing messages, which has its own subscriber and partner requirements covered below.

What were Sponsored Messages?

Meta’s FAQ calls Sponsored Messages an ephemeral ad format that appeared in the inbox. The page gives no further detail on how the format worked. If an old playbook or a saved campaign template mentions the format, treat it as a record of what advertisers once did, not as something to rebuild.

When did they stop?

The same FAQ says Sponsored Messages was deprecated on 31 July 2024. It also says the Marketing Message API for Messenger launched to all tech providers on 1 July 2025.

If a vendor still advertises Sponsored Messages, ask what the product does today and which Meta product it uses.

What are marketing messages?

Meta’s FAQ defines marketing messages as a paid messaging solution that lets businesses start Messenger chats to re-engage and retain interested customers. The FAQ sets out these features:

• Marketing messages are persistent and appear within the chat thread.
• They can be sent outside the standard messaging window.
• If a customer replies, a new 24-hour window opens in which the business can respond, and Meta says businesses are not charged for replies within that window.
• Meta lists new metrics such as cost per delivered message and cost per message link click.

On pricing, Meta’s FAQ says businesses only pay per message for messages that are delivered to the user’s device. It also says an individual Page can send up to one marketing message to a unique user per day. Check the rates your partner platform shows before you plan a send.

How do businesses get subscribers?

Businesses must first get subscribers to their marketing messages. Meta’s FAQ lists three ways:

1. Ads that Click to Messenger. A user who clicks and responds is immediately subscribed to marketing messages from the business’s Facebook Page.
2. A CRM list upload. Users on a list with a phone number or email who match existing Facebook profiles are subscribed.
3. Opt-in messages. Marketing message opt-in templates sent from a Meta Business Partner’s platform or in Messenger chat.

Businesses then use their Meta Business Partner’s platform to set up, edit and send the messages. Metrics appear on the partner’s platform or in Ads Manager.

How do ads fit in?

Meta says ads provide a full funnel solution to find, convert and re-engage users, and can also be used to get subscribers. Marketing messages, in its words, retain users through messages that remain in the chat. If you have not run Click-to-Messenger ads before, start with the pages on Messenger ads and creating a Click-to-Messenger ad.

What should you check before you plan a send?

Meta’s FAQ says marketing messages are subject to Messenger integrity policies, which are enforced at Page level, and it lists the locations that businesses served by tech providers can be in. Read both sections for your own country and category before you build a program around the format, and confirm your partner platform supports it.

FAQ

Is this the same as Click-to-Messenger ads?

No. Meta’s FAQ separates them: ads help find, convert and re-engage users, while marketing messages are paid messages that stay in the chat. Ads that Click to Messenger can also be a way to get subscribers to marketing messages.

Where do you set up marketing messages?

Meta’s FAQ says businesses use their Meta Business Partner’s platform to set up, edit and send marketing messages, and can view metrics there or in Ads Manager. Partners integrate through the Marketing Message API for Messenger, which launched to all tech providers on 1 July 2025.

Are marketing messages free?

No. Meta’s FAQ describes marketing messages as a paid messaging solution where businesses only pay per message delivered to the user’s device. It adds that businesses are not charged for replies within the 24-hour window that a customer reply opens. Check your partner platform for rates.