# Click-to-WhatsApp ads

Click-to-WhatsApp ads are Facebook and Instagram ads whose button opens a WhatsApp chat with the business instead of a website. The shopper sends the first message, which lets the business reply freely and, under Meta's pricing, for free during a limited window.

Source: https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-marketing-glossary/click-to-whatsapp-ads  
Last updated: 2026-10-08

Meta calls them ads that click to WhatsApp (CTWA). They are created in Meta's ad tools like any other ad, with WhatsApp as the destination: a tap on the call to action opens a conversation with the advertiser.

Because the customer writes first, a 24-hour customer service window opens. If the business replies within that window, the reply is not charged and opens a free entry point window, which may stay open for up to 7 days: during it, Meta does not charge for marketing, utility, authentication or service messages to that person. This applies when the person clicked from the WhatsApp app on Android or iOS, not from the desktop or web apps.

The ad itself is paid for like any Meta ad, and the conversation does not replace an opt-in: the business still needs the person's permission to send them templates later.

For e-commerce, these ads turn ad spend into conversations: capturing the contact, answering questions and guiding the shopper to a purchase. The [Click-to-WhatsApp ads guide](https://getkanal.com/blog/click-to-whatsapp-ads-benchmarks-2026) covers setup and measurement.

## Go deeper: articles

- [Click-to-WhatsApp Ads Benchmarks 2026: How to Build Your Own](https://getkanal.com/blog/click-to-whatsapp-ads-benchmarks-2026): How to benchmark Click-to-WhatsApp Ads in 2026: the 4 metrics that matter, how to compute them, what changes by region and placement, and the cost stack.
- [WhatsApp Marketing for E-Commerce: The 2026 Playbook](https://getkanal.com/blog/whatsapp-marketing-ecommerce-guide): WhatsApp marketing for Shopify stores: cart recovery, broadcasts, AI chatbots, the metrics to track, and 12 plays that work in 2026.

## Related terms

- [Customer service window (24-hour window)](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-marketing-glossary/customer-service-window)
- [Conversation-based pricing](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-marketing-glossary/conversation-based-pricing)
- [Opt-in](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-marketing-glossary/opt-in)
- [wa.me link (click-to-chat)](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-marketing-glossary/wa-me-link)