Click-to-Message Ads on WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
Click-to-message ads, also called messaging ads, are Facebook and Instagram ads whose button opens a chat instead of a website. The chat can open in WhatsApp, Instagram Direct or Messenger. AeroChat answers in all three from one inbox, runs the same workflow on each, and records every ad lead in your CRM, booking system or store with the ad it came from.
What happens today
A business runs messaging ads to all three apps and then answers each app separately. WhatsApp chats land on one phone, Instagram messages in the Instagram app, and Messenger in the Facebook Page inbox. Replies are slow, and the same question gets three different answers.
Each app also has its own rules about how long you can reply after an ad click. Miss them and you either lose the free WhatsApp window or can no longer message the person at all.
How it runs on WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
- Each ad opens a chat with a prefilled message, such as “Hi, I’d like the trial class offer” (example). AeroChat reads it on whichever app the person used and knows which offer they clicked.
- AeroChat replies straight away. On WhatsApp this opens Meta’s free window. On Messenger it keeps you well inside the 30-second limit for automated replies.
- It answers questions about the offer from your knowledge base and your product or service data.
- It looks the person up in your CRM by phone number or email. If the app did not pass a phone number, it asks for one or for an email address.
- It qualifies with one or two questions, then books from your calendar or booking system, or confirms the order from your store.
- It sends a payment link for a deposit or an order, and confirms when it is paid.
- It writes the result back: the contact in your CRM with the ad and the app as the source, and the booking or order in your system.
- Any request for a person goes to your team in the same inbox, on any of the three apps.
Each channel’s window after an ad click
When someone messages you from a click-to-WhatsApp ad in the WhatsApp app on Android or iOS, and you reply within 24 hours, a free entry point window opens for up to 7 days from your reply. Service replies and marketing, utility and authentication templates are free inside that window. Meta Business Agent messages are still charged. Chats started from WhatsApp on desktop or the web do not get the window. Full detail: click-to-WhatsApp ads.
Instagram Direct
After a person’s first message from a click-to-Instagram-Direct ad, you may reply for up to 7 days from that message. Otherwise the standard rule applies: you can reply within 24 hours of their last message, and promotional content is allowed inside that window. A person on your team can reply within a separate 7-day human agent window, which is not for automated replies. Messaging works with Instagram professional accounts. Full detail: click-to-Instagram ads.
Messenger
After a person’s first message from a click-to-Messenger ad, you may reply for up to 7 days from that message. The standard 24-hour window and the 7-day human agent window work as on Instagram. Automated replies must respond within 30 seconds, or Meta can limit your messaging. Outside the window, Messenger allows sponsored messages, labelled Sponsored, and one-time notifications the person asked for. Full detail: click-to-Messenger ads.
| Rule | Instagram Direct | Messenger | |
|---|---|---|---|
| After an ad click | Free window of up to 7 days from your reply, if you reply within 24 hours and the customer used the Android or iOS app | Reply for up to 7 days from the person’s first message | Reply for up to 7 days from the person’s first message |
| Standard window | 24 hours from the customer’s last message | 24 hours from the person’s last message | 24 hours from the person’s last message |
| Replies typed by your team | Inside the 24-hour window, or an approved template | Separate 7-day human agent window | Separate 7-day human agent window |
| Outside the window | Approved templates to customers who opted in, charged per message | Most messages are not allowed. The human agent window is the main exception. | Sponsored messages or a one-time notification the person asked for |
Sources: Meta for Developers, WhatsApp pricing, Messenger Platform policy and Instagram messaging API, checked 30 October 2026.
The recipe
Copy this into AeroChat
When someone messages us from a Facebook or Instagram ad on WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger, follow these steps.
- Read their first message to see which offer they clicked. “Trial class” means our S$30 trial class for Primary 5 maths (example). If it is not clear, ask which offer they saw.
- Answer their questions about the offer from our knowledge base.
- Ask for their child’s level and which days suit them. Check the class schedule in Teachworks and offer the classes with spaces left.
- Ask for their name and phone number or email. Search HubSpot for the contact. If there is none, create it with the source “Messaging ad, trial class” (example) and the app they used.
- Book the class they pick and send a payment link for the trial fee. Confirm the booking when it is paid.
- If they are not ready, add a note to the HubSpot contact with what they asked.
- If they ask for a person, hand the conversation to our team.
Keep the first reply short and about the offer in the ad. Reply in the customer’s language.
The same recipe covers all three apps. Change the offer, the booking system and the CRM to the ones you use.
Connect the systems behind it
- HubSpot. AeroChat creates the contact with the ad and the app as the source, so you can compare WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger ads.
- GoHighLevel. AeroChat books from your GoHighLevel calendar, tags the contact and opens an opportunity.
- Pipedrive. AeroChat creates the person and the lead for ads that end in a sales call.
- Teachworks. AeroChat reads class times and books the trial lesson the parent picks.
- Google Calendar. Built in by connecting a Google account. AeroChat offers free times and books into your calendar.
Shopify is built in for product ads, and Airwallex payment links are built in on Growth and up.
Using a different system? If it has a public API, it connects to AeroChat the same way: describe what you want, paste in its key, and it runs.
Can’t find your tool? Message us in the chat on this page and we’ll tell you how it connects.
What it costs on WhatsApp
On WhatsApp, a reply within 24 hours to a click-to-WhatsApp ad chat opens the free window, and every service reply and template in the next 7 days is free, except Meta Business Agent messages. After it closes, service replies are free up to 1,000 a month per business phone number and then charged per message, and templates are charged per message. Rates vary by country and are set in Meta’s rate cards. AeroChat passes Meta’s WhatsApp fees through at cost.
Also on TikTok, Telegram and web chat
The same workflow runs on TikTok (direct messages and TikTok Shop buyer chat), Telegram, web chat and email, with the same connections. Every lead lands in the same CRM with the channel recorded, so you can see which ads and which apps bring in sales.
Who uses it
- Tuition centres: trial class ads booked into a class with spaces left.
- Spas and wellness centres: first-visit offers booked with a deposit.
- Property agents: listing ads qualified before an agent calls.
- Fashion stores: collection ads closed in the chat.
Every industry: click-to-WhatsApp ads by industry.
Questions
What are click-to-message ads?
Click-to-message ads, or messaging ads, are Facebook and Instagram ads whose button opens a chat with your business on WhatsApp, Instagram Direct or Messenger. The person starts the conversation, so you can answer, qualify and sell in the chat.
How long can I reply after an Instagram or Messenger ad click?
Up to 7 days from the person’s first message from the ad. After that, the standard 24-hour window after their last message applies, and a person on your team has a separate 7-day human agent window.
Which app should my messaging ad open?
The one your customers already use to message you. WhatsApp ads add a free window of up to 7 days when you reply within 24 hours. With AeroChat you can run all three, and every chat runs the same workflow.
Are replies to WhatsApp ad chats free?
Yes, inside the free entry point window, if you reply within 24 hours and the customer used WhatsApp on Android or iOS. Outside it, service replies are free up to 1,000 a month per business phone number, then charged per message.
Answer every messaging ad on every app
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On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.
Related: click-to-WhatsApp ads and lead capture into your CRM.