Click-to-WhatsApp
Click-to-WhatsApp (CTWA) is Meta's ad format in which an ad on Facebook or Instagram opens a WhatsApp chat with the business directly, instead of a web page. The user lands in the conversation, often with a pre-filled message, and the business acquires a qualified contact it can talk to right away, within the rules of the customer service window.
CTWA campaigns are created in Meta Ads Manager with messaging objectives, linking the WhatsApp Business or API number to the ad account. When the user clicks, the chat opens with a pre-filled message; a chatbot or an agent can qualify the lead in real time. Compared to a landing page with a form, friction is minimal: the contact is born with the user's first message, complete with a verified number.
Conversations originating from CTWA ads open a free entry point: for 72 hours, the business's messages to that user are not billed by Meta as messaging, regardless of category. The advertiser pays the advertising cost of the click or of the conversation started, according to the Meta Ads auction. It is one of the fastest-growing formats in performance marketing, because it combines the measurability of advertising with the response rates of messaging.
SendApp receives CTWA leads as normal conversations: the AI agent can qualify them right away, and the contact goes into the address book, ready for segmentation and follow-ups.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
From theory to practice
Everything you read in this glossary can be done with SendApp: try it free, no credit card required.