Create Click to WhatsApp Ad
Learn the simple steps to set up your first Click-to-WhatsApp(CTWA) ad campaign.
Learn how to set up your first Click-to-WhatsApp ad campaign.
After following this guide, users can click a Facebook or Instagram ad and directly enter WhatsApp to start a conversation with your business.
Step 1: Create a WhatsApp Business API Account through YCloud
You cannot use a personal WhatsApp number to receive ad traffic. Before creating a Click-to-WhatsApp ad in Ads Manager, please first create a WhatsApp Business API account through YCloud.
👇 Learn how to create a WhatsApp Business API account
Step 2: Connect the WhatsApp Business API Number to a Facebook Page
Meta requires a Facebook Page to be connected to a WhatsApp API account before you can create a Click-to-WhatsApp ad.
Make sure you have admin access to this Facebook Page.
Go to the Facebook Page and click the left-side menu > Settings > Linked accounts > WhatsApp
Link a WhatsApp number - select the country or region code, enter the WhatsApp Business API number you want to connect, and click Continue
If your WhatsApp account and ad account belong to the same BM, you can complete the connection directly
If your WhatsApp account and ad account do not belong to the same BM, log in again to the BM account that owns the WhatsApp account, visit the Request page, and approve the connection request.
In addition, if you want to run ad campaigns on Instagram, you should also connect your Instagram account to the Facebook Page.
After completing the steps above, you can start setting up your first Click-to-WhatsApp ad.
Step 3: Set Up a Click-to-WhatsApp Ad in Facebook Ads Manager
1. Open Facebook Ads Manager
Go to your Facebook Ads Manager and click Create to start creating the ad.
2. Select the campaign objective
Please select Engagement.
Then select Manual sales campaign.
Click Continue
3. Fill in the basic campaign information
Name your campaign
Declare whether you have a special ad category, such as employment
Define whether you want to A/B test the ad
Note: In this step, you need to turn off Advantage+ catalog ads
4. Fill in the ad set information
Configure the ad set as follows:
Conversion location: select Messaging destinations.
Only after completing Step 2, connecting the WhatsApp Business API account to your Facebook Page, will you see the WhatsApp number.
Facebook Page: select the Facebook Page where you want to run the ad. Select Manual Destination
Messaging Apps: select WhatsApp and the WhatsApp number, and do not select other messaging apps such as Messenger.
Performance goal: select Maximize number of conversations.
Placements: click show more settings, and select feeds
5. Select audience, placements, budget, and schedule
Based on your campaign objective, continue setting the audience, placements, budget, and schedule.
6. Set up the ad creative
When setting up ad creatives, you can refer to the following checklist:
Adjust image sizes for different placements on Facebook and Instagram.
If needed, convert a group of images into a video slideshow to improve click-through rate.
Add primary text and headlines for the Click-to-WhatsApp ad. You can add multiple versions of primary text and headlines.
Add an ad description to provide more context.
Select a CTA button for the WhatsApp ad.
Use advanced preview to check how the ad performs across different placements.
7. Create and preview message templates
In the ad creative settings, click New to create a message template. Message templates are used to define how users can start the first message more quickly after clicking the ad and entering WhatsApp.
There are 2 common options:
Frequently asked questions: show several questions that users can click to send.
Pre-filled message: pre-fill a piece of text in the WhatsApp input box. Users can send it directly, or they can edit it before sending.
Before publishing, it is recommended to use the preview feature to check the WhatsApp opening experience users will see after clicking the ad.
8. Publish the ad
After completing the setup, submit the ad for review. After Facebook approves it, the ad will start delivering according to the audience, budget, and schedule you set.
FAQ
Q: Things to pay attention to when creating the ad
✅ Correct settings
For delivery devices, only select: app (iOS devices or Android devices).
Ad placements: deliver to feed, Facebook, and IG placements.
❌ Do not do this
For delivery devices, do not select web or PC. Ad parameters will be lost. CTWA ads are designed for app users.
Ad placements: do not deliver to Reels and Stories placements. Ad attribution failure may occur. Meta is currently fixing this.
Q: What are message templates in CTWA ads (Message templates)?
Message templates in CTWA ads are the opening-message setup used to guide users to start the first message after they click a Facebook or Instagram ad and are redirected to WhatsApp.
When creating the ad, you can usually choose between two options:
Frequently asked questions: show several questions that users can click to send.
Pre-filled message: pre-fill a piece of text in the WhatsApp input box. Users can send it directly, or they can edit it before sending.
The message templates here refer to the opening conversation setup in the CTWA ad creation flow, not the WhatsApp message templates in YCloud used for proactive notifications, marketing, or verification code messages.
What is the difference between the two options?
Frequently asked questions
Users see multiple clickable question options
You want users to actively choose the direction of their inquiry, such as price, product, delivery, or contacting sales
Set 3-5 of the most common and most valuable questions
Pre-filled message
A message is automatically filled into the WhatsApp input box
You want users to directly send a fixed intent, such as asking about a campaign, product, or service
Keep the copy short and directly state the user’s intent
When is Frequently asked questions suitable?
If you want to first identify what users want to ask about, you can use Frequently asked questions.
For example:
I want to know the price
Show me the product catalog
Do you ship to my country?
I want to talk to sales
This method is suitable for:
There are many types of products or services
You need to distinguish between price inquiries, pre-sales, after-sales, or sales inquiries
A Chatbot has already been configured, and you want users to enter different reply flows based on the question they click
Customer service needs to identify user intent more quickly
When setting it up, it is recommended to keep only the most important 3-5 questions. The more questions there are, the harder it is for users to choose.
When is Pre-filled message suitable?
If you want users to directly send a fixed piece of content after clicking the ad, you can use Pre-filled message.
For example:
Hi, I’m interested in this product. Can you tell me more?
Hi, I want to know more about the promotion.
Hello, I’d like to get a quote.
This method is suitable for:
The ad promotes only one specific product, campaign, or service
You do not need users to choose a question first, and only want to start the conversation as quickly as possible
You want to use fixed copy as a Chatbot trigger phrase
You want to reduce user input effort so users can click and send directly
When setting it up, it is recommended to keep the pre-filled text consistent with the ad content. If users click a discount ad, the pre-filled text should focus on the discount. If users click a quotation ad, the pre-filled text should focus on the inquiry.
Which one should you choose?
If you are just getting started with CTWA ads, you can choose based on the ad objective:
Get more general inquiries
Pre-filled message
Users only need to click Send, so the cost of starting the conversation is the lowest
Distinguish user needs
Frequently asked questions
You can identify in advance whether users want to ask about price, product, delivery, or sales
Promote a single product or campaign
Pre-filled message
The conversation intent is more focused and suitable for receiving a single ad message
Route traffic with Chatbot
Frequently asked questions
Each question can correspond to a different automated reply or flow
Trigger automation with keywords
Pre-filled message
Fixed text is easier to use as a trigger condition
Best practices
Keep the template content consistent with the ad copy. If the ad mainly promotes discounts, the questions or pre-filled text should focus on offers, price, or purchase.
Do not make users think about how to start the conversation after reading it. No matter which option you choose, the first message should feel natural enough.
Do not set too many Frequently asked questions. 3-5 is recommended.
Do not make the Pre-filled message too long. Users should be able to understand it at a glance and be willing to send it.
If you use Chatbot, it is recommended to keep the question options or pre-filled text consistent with the auto-reply trigger conditions.
Before publishing the ad, use the preview feature to check the WhatsApp opening experience after users click the ad.
Q: Why can’t a Facebook Page receive the verification code when binding a WhatsApp Business API number?
If you are using a WhatsApp Business API number
Usually, the verification code cannot be received through a phone or the WhatsApp Business App (a Meta limitation).
You can only complete the asset authorization process for the WhatsApp Business number through BM.
Depending on the BM ownership of the asset, the process is different:
If the number and the Facebook Page belong to the same BM, the binding will succeed directly.
If the number and the Facebook Page belong to different BMs:
The page will display Connection request pending, which means the binding request has been submitted.
Approval is required from the BM that owns the Facebook Page.
Go to the Requests menu in Meta Business Settings and approve the request.
If you are using a WhatsApp Business App number
You can click Send WhatsApp code as prompted on the page, check the verification code in the WhatsApp Business App on your phone, and complete the verification and binding.
Q: When creating the ad, why is “Maximize number of purchases” not available in the Ad Set - Performance goal options?
When creating the ad, there are generally 3 optimization goals:
Maximize clicks
Maximize number of conversations
Maximize number of purchases
If you find that Maximize number of purchases is not available, it means:
You have not uploaded Converted data yet.
Solution: First select Maximize number of conversations as the goal. After the returned conversion data exceeds 10 per week, Meta will gradually make the Max conversion - purchase option available to you. Then create the ad again or modify the ad goal.
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