What Are Multi-Destination Messaging Ads on Meta?

Instead of running one campaign for Messenger, another for Instagram and a third for WhatsApp, you can tick all the apps you answer messages on in a single ad. Each person who taps still lands in just one chat app. Meta picks it for them, based on where that person is most likely to talk to you, so a heavy Messenger user goes to Messenger and a WhatsApp regular goes to WhatsApp.

Who can use multiple message destinations?

Businesses that message customers on two or more of Messenger, Instagram Direct and WhatsApp. Before you start, Meta says to:

• Link your Instagram and WhatsApp accounts to your Facebook Page. Messenger is linked automatically.
• Make sure you have the people to reply in every destination you select.
• Consider a tool that keeps all three inboxes in one place, such as the inbox in Meta Business Suite or a Meta Business Partner solution.

How does Meta decide where each person goes?

When several messaging accounts are linked to your Page, Ads Manager selects Automatic destination by default. All selected apps can receive messages from people who click, but Meta sends each person only to the destination where they are most likely to engage. Meta says this improves performance by driving more results at a lower cost per result, and allocates budget and message traffic across the apps automatically.

You can exclude an app by switching to Manual destination and unticking it, which Meta does not recommend.

Which objective should you use?

Objective	What Meta says it does
Engagement (recommended)	Delivers ads to people more likely to respond and start a conversation
Traffic	Sends more people to the message destination of your choice
Sales	Delivers ads to people more likely to purchase from your business

How do you set one up?

1. Go to Ads Manager, select + Create and choose Engagement, Traffic or Sales.
2. Name the campaign and select Next.
3. Choose Message destinations as the conversion location and select your Facebook Page.
4. Leave Automatic destination on; link any Instagram or WhatsApp accounts that are not linked yet.
5. Edit audience, budget and schedule, then select Next.
6. Choose your ad format and complete the ad.
7. Create or reuse a message template, then select Publish.

For a new template you can choose Start conversations. Meta says the Customized experience option in advanced setup is only supported for the Messenger plus Instagram Direct bundle.

How do you see results for each app?

1. Go to Ads Manager and select the campaign.
2. Click Breakdown, then Action.
3. Click Messaging outcome destination.
4. Hover over an ad’s results total for a summary, or scroll right to see each column.

FAQ

Does choosing more destinations change where my ad appears?

Yes. Meta says destinations affect placements. An ad that clicks to Messenger or WhatsApp can show on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, while an Instagram Direct destination shows on Instagram. Your budget is shared among the destinations you choose based on the likelihood of a conversation.

Can I optimise a multi-destination ad for purchases?

For the Messenger plus Instagram Direct combination, yes, if your business is eligible to optimise for purchases on Messenger. Meta says that eligibility lets you maximise purchases when launching ads that click across both Messenger and Instagram Direct in a single campaign.

How long should I run one before judging it?

Meta recommends allowing click-to-message campaigns to run for 7 or more days to achieve stable results and account for weekly fluctuations. Judge each destination with the Messaging outcome destination breakdown rather than the campaign total alone, so one app does not hide another.