---
title: "Click-to-WhatsApp ads"
description: "Click-to-WhatsApp ads are Facebook and Instagram ads whose button opens a WhatsApp chat with the business. If the business replies within 24 hours to a user who messages through one on the mobile app, a free entry point window opens that may remain open for up to 7 days, during which Meta does not charge for the business's marketing, utility, authentication or service messages."
canonical: "https://omnichannels.ai/glossary/click-to-whatsapp-ads/"
language: "en"
updated: "2026-10-10"
publisher: "BroadNet Technologies"
brand: "OmniChannels.ai"
---

# Click-to-WhatsApp ads

Canonical: https://omnichannels.ai/glossary/click-to-whatsapp-ads/
Language: en
Publisher: OmniChannels.ai by BroadNet Technologies

**Definition:** Click-to-WhatsApp ads are Facebook and Instagram ads whose button opens a WhatsApp chat with the business. If the business replies within 24 hours to a user who messages through one on the mobile app, a free entry point window opens that may remain open for up to 7 days, during which Meta does not charge for the business's marketing, utility, authentication or service messages.

Instead of sending traffic to a landing page, a Click-to-WhatsApp (CTWA) ad starts a conversation. The business can attach a welcome message sequence with greeting text, a prefilled user message and quick-reply ice breakers, and it can manage these sequences through the API.

Meta's pricing documentation describes the free entry point (FEP) window. If the business replies within 24 hours to a user who arrived via a Click-to-WhatsApp ad on the Android or iOS app, the reply is free and opens an FEP window that may remain open for up to 7 days. While it is open, Meta does not charge for marketing, utility, authentication or service messages, including templates; Meta Business Agent messages remain charged. The normal 24-hour customer service window still applies to non-template messages.

CTWA works well in the GCC, where many customers prefer to ask questions on WhatsApp before buying. Pair it with fast first responses (often a chatbot) and track the ad referral data in the incoming webhook to attribute sales to campaigns.

Common mistakes are leaving ad conversations unanswered for hours and letting the free window lapse without moving the lead forward.

## Sources

- [Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform — Meta for Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing)
- [Welcome message sequences for Click-to-WhatsApp ads — Meta for Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/ctwa/welcome-message-sequences)