Quick answer
To run Click-to-WhatsApp ads, link your WhatsApp Business number to your Facebook Page, create a campaign in Meta Ads Manager with WhatsApp as the conversion location, write a pre-filled message and greeting, set your audience and budget, and publish. Then reply within minutes, use automation for common questions, and track which ads produce paying customers.
Key takeaways
- Your WhatsApp number must be linked to your Facebook Page before you can run the ad.
- Choose WhatsApp as the conversion location in Ads Manager, then write a short pre-filled message.
- Prepare replies before the ad goes live: an instant greeting with buttons, saved answers and staff on duty.
- A chat that starts from the ad opens Meta's free entry point window once you reply within 24 hours, so Meta does not charge for your messages while it lasts.
- Measure cost per paying customer, not cost per chat.
Click-to-WhatsApp ads put a "Send message" button on your Facebook and Instagram ads that opens a WhatsApp chat with your business. For many Kenyan businesses they are the quickest way to turn ad spend into real conversations.
Setting up the ad takes under an hour. Making it profitable depends on what happens after the tap. This guide walks through both, step by step.
Before you start
Have these ready before you open Ads Manager.
- A Facebook Page for your business, and access to Meta Ads Manager with a payment method.
- A WhatsApp Business number, either on the free WhatsApp Business app or on the WhatsApp Business API through a provider.
- An offer worth messaging about: a product, price, booking or event that answers "why should I chat now?"
- Creative: a clear photo or short video shot on a phone is fine. Show the product and the price where possible.
- Someone to reply, or automation that greets people instantly, during the hours the ad runs.
- A budget you are willing to test for one to two weeks.
If several people will answer, use a shared inbox rather than one phone. chat.or.ke connects your number to a shared WhatsApp inbox so your whole team replies from one number.
Step 1: Link your WhatsApp number to your Facebook Page
Ads can only open WhatsApp if your number is connected to the Page running the ad. In your Page settings, find the linked accounts or WhatsApp section, enter your business number and confirm with the code WhatsApp sends.
If your number is on the WhatsApp Business API, the link is made through the same Meta business portfolio that owns the number. Your provider can confirm it is in place. Check that the Page name and WhatsApp display name match your brand, so the customer recognises who they are chatting with.
Step 2: Create a campaign with WhatsApp as the destination
In Meta Ads Manager, create a new campaign. Choose an objective that supports messaging, such as Engagement, Leads or Sales, depending on what Ads Manager offers your account. At the ad set level, set the conversion location to messaging apps and select WhatsApp, then choose your linked number.
Meta's options and names change from time to time. If you do not see WhatsApp, check the Meta Business Help Centre for the current setup and confirm the number link from Step 1.
Step 3: Choose your audience, placements and budget
Target the people who can actually buy from you. A Kisumu furniture shop that delivers only within the county should not pay for clicks from Eldoret.
- Location: your delivery or service area, by town or radius.
- Age and interests: keep them broad at first and let Meta's delivery learn.
- Placements: Facebook and Instagram feeds, Stories and Reels usually work; review results by placement after a week.
- Schedule: if you have staff only from 8am to 8pm, consider running the ad only in those hours.
- Budget: start small and steady, then raise it on ads that bring paying customers.
Step 4: Write the ad and the pre-filled message
Your ad needs one clear promise and one clear action. "Office chairs from KES 8,500, free delivery in Nairobi. Tap to see colours on WhatsApp" tells people exactly what they will get by tapping.
Then write the message that appears in the customer's WhatsApp box when they tap. Make it specific so you know what they want, for example "Hi, I'd like the office chair prices." Where Ads Manager offers a greeting or quick questions, add two or three options that match your most common enquiries.
Avoid vague messages like "Hello". You will spend your first reply finding out which ad they saw.
Step 5: Prepare instant replies and a handover to people
Reply speed decides how many chats become sales. Before publishing, set up what happens in the first minute.
With chat.or.ke automation, a flow can start from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad: greet the customer, show buttons such as "Prices", "Delivery areas" and "Talk to an agent", collect details like location or budget, then hand the chat to a person. The AI assistant, trained on your own products and policies, can answer open questions in English or Kiswahili, including late at night.
Also write saved replies for prices, delivery fees, payment details and opening hours, so staff answer consistently.
Step 6: Publish and staff the inbox
Publish the ad, then watch the first day closely. Ads Manager reviews new ads before they run, which usually takes a short while.
Assign chats so two people do not answer the same customer. On a shared inbox you can route chats to the right agent, leave internal notes and see who is handling each customer. Keep an eye on the questions coming in: if everyone asks the same thing, add the answer to the ad or the greeting.
Step 7: Follow up within the free window
Many ad leads say "let me think about it". The free entry point window, which opens when you reply within 24 hours of their first message, is your chance to follow up without Meta charging for the messages.
Send a useful follow-up: a photo in the colour they asked about, a delivery time, or a reminder that stock is limited. On chat.or.ke, messages inside this window are billed at KES 0.30 each. Read the free entry point explainer for the rules. Remember that free-form messages still need the customer to have written in the last 24 hours; after that, use an approved template, and for promotions, only with the customer's agreement to hear from you.
Step 8: Track which ads produce sales
Ads Manager reports how many conversations each ad started. It cannot see which ones paid. That part is up to you.
In chat.or.ke, leads from Click-to-WhatsApp ads are linked to the ad they came from, and each lead sits in the CRM pipeline, where you move it from enquiry to won. After a week or two, compare ads by paying customers and revenue, switch off the weak ones and put more budget behind the strong ones. For a framework on choosing between ad types, see Click-to-WhatsApp ads vs website ads.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Most failed Click-to-WhatsApp campaigns fail after the click, not in the ad.
- Slow replies. A lead answered the next day is often lost, and late replies can also miss the window that makes follow-ups free.
- Running ads with nobody on duty. Use automation or limit ad hours.
- No price in the ad. You will spend hours on chats with people outside your price range.
- Adding everyone to broadcasts. Starting a chat is not consent to marketing. Ask before you add someone to promotional lists.
- Judging by cost per chat. Cheap chats that never buy are expensive.
Published 20 October 2026 Updated 20 October 2026 Plain-text version
