What Are Click-to-Message Ads on Meta?

A click-to-message ad looks like an ordinary ad, but tapping it opens a chat instead of a website. The person lands in a conversation thread with your business, where the message template you set up greets them, so you can answer questions, collect details or take an order in the chat. Meta supports three destinations for these chats: Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Where do click-to-message ads appear?

Meta says the destinations you choose decide where your ad can be shown:

Destination the ad opens	Placements where the ad can be shown
Messenger	Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp
Instagram Direct	Instagram
WhatsApp	Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp

If you message customers on two or more of these apps, you can select several destinations in one ad. Meta then shares the budget among them based on the likelihood of a conversation, and you receive messages in each destination’s inbox. Meta suggests setting up the inbox in Meta Business Suite to manage Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp in one place.

Which objectives can you use?

Meta lists Traffic, Engagement, Leads and Sales for ads that click to Messenger, and the same four for ads that click to Instagram Direct. For WhatsApp, Meta’s guide also covers Awareness. In Meta’s Messenger article, Traffic sends people to a conversation, Engagement targets people likely to reply, Leads collects leads in the chat and Sales targets people likely to buy.

How do you create one in Ads Manager?

1. Go to Ads Manager, click Create and choose Traffic, Engagement, Leads or Sales.
2. Select Message destinations as the conversion location; for Leads, choose the messaging app directly.
3. Tick the destinations you want, such as Messenger, Instagram or WhatsApp.
4. Set the performance goal, budget, schedule, audience and placements.
5. Choose the ad format and complete the creative.
6. Under Message template, create a new template or use an existing one.
7. Publish and wait for review.

What rules should you know?

• Ads that click to Instagram Direct cannot target people under 18, and Meta says they show in Instagram Feed or Stories.
• For WhatsApp, you need a WhatsApp Business account connected to your Facebook Page or business portfolio.
• Meta says certain messaging metrics, campaigns and features are unavailable for ads delivered to and from Europe and Japan, and for WhatsApp also South Korea.
• To lower block rates, Meta advises that your call to action says clearly that clicking opens a Messenger conversation.

FAQ

Is there a free window to reply after someone messages from an ad?

Yes, for businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform, Messenger Platform or Instagram Messaging API. Meta says that when someone starts a conversation from your click-to-message ad, you get a free messaging period that may extend up to 7 days to reply. Meta notes this feature may not be available to you yet.

Can I make a click-to-message ad from a Page post?

Yes. Meta says you can boost an existing post from your Facebook Page and set the goal to Get more messages, choose a button label and edit the welcome message, then set audience, schedule, budget and payment. For more setup options, Meta points you to Ads Manager instead.

Can I message someone who never contacted my business?

No. Meta says a customer must interact with your business first, for example by commenting on your Page’s post, clicking an ad that opens Messenger, or opting in to receive your messages on or off Meta technologies, before you can start a conversation with them in Messenger.