Click to WhatsApp Ads
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Signals reads conversations started from a WhatsApp ad, so campaigns driving people into WhatsApp can be measured against what those conversations led to.
A WhatsApp conversation is not a form, so there is nothing to read a lead status from. What Signals reads instead is the words people send. You define the keywords or phrases that mean something happened, and each one becomes an event.
That makes the mapping step the whole substance of this connector. Get the keywords wrong and the connection works perfectly while reporting nothing useful.
Supported destinations
Section titled “Supported destinations”Destinations supported by Click to WhatsApp Ads
| Category | Supported |
|---|---|
| Messaging Conversions |
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”Before connecting Click to WhatsApp Ads, make sure you have:
- A Facebook Business account with access to the Page running the ads.
- A WhatsApp Business number connected to that Page.
- A list of the keywords or phrases that indicate a conversion, agreed with whoever handles the conversations.
Authentication
Section titled “Authentication”In Studio, open Sources, find the Messaging Ads category, and click the Click to WhatsApp Ads tile. This connector uses single sign-on.
- Click Login with Facebook for Business.
- Grant the requested permissions.
Sign in with an account that already administers the Page. Datahash reads as that account, so a Page it cannot manage will not appear in the next step.
Configuration
Section titled “Configuration”Instance details
Section titled “Instance details”- Give the instance a name.
- Select the Facebook Page whose conversations you want to read.
- Click Next.
Field mapping
Section titled “Field mapping”Define the WhatsApp keywords, phrases or text that represent specific events, and map each one to the event value it should report.
For example, a message containing a phrase you have agreed means a lead was generated, or that an enquiry started, becomes that event.
Test connection and response preview
Section titled “Test connection and response preview”Click Test Connection, review the preview, then click Finish.
Manage instance
Section titled “Manage instance”To add another, open Manage Connections and click Add Instance. To change one, open it from Manage Connections, click the edit option in the menu to the top right, update the fields and click Finish. Cancel discards the changes and leaves the previous configuration running.
Data & identifiers
Section titled “Data & identifiers”Personal identifiers are normalized and SHA-256 hashed before they are sent to any destination.
Message content is used to decide whether an event occurred. Only the event and the identifiers the platform provides are sent onward; the conversation itself is not.
The identifier that matters most here is ctwa_clid, the click ID Meta attaches to the first inbound message when someone reaches you by tapping a Click to WhatsApp ad. It ties the conversation to the click that produced it, so it is what Meta WhatsApp Conversions API matches on. It passes through unhashed, because a hashed click ID matches nothing. See Identifier normalization & hashing.
Only the first message of an ad-initiated conversation carries it. Someone who messages your number directly, or who returns to an older thread without clicking the ad again, arrives without a ctwa_clid, and that conversation is matched on hashed phone, email and name instead.
Best practices
Section titled “Best practices”- Read a sample of real conversations before choosing keywords. People rarely use the words a campaign brief expects.
- Prefer phrases tied to an action, such as booking or ordering, over general interest. Generic words over-report.
- Start with a small set of high-confidence keywords and widen once you can see what is being counted.
- Review the keyword list when campaign creative changes, since the phrases people reply with follow the creative.
- Keep whoever handles the conversations involved. They know the vocabulary better than anyone in the ads team.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Section titled “Troubleshooting & FAQ”The Page is listed but no conversations are read. Check the WhatsApp Business number is still connected to that Page. The connection is to the Page, and the number is what carries the conversations.
Conversions are being over-reported. A keyword is appearing in ordinary conversation. Narrow it to a phrase tied to the action.
Conversations are happening but nothing is reported. The keywords do not match what people are actually sending. Read recent conversations and adjust.
Conversations are reported but not attributed to the campaign. The conversation did not start from an ad click, so there is no ctwa_clid to tie it to one. Only the first message after a Click to WhatsApp tap carries it.
Nothing is arriving at the destination. Confirm the destination is connected in the same project and that the setup was finished rather than left at the mapping step.
Delivery stopped. The sign-in grant may have been revoked, or the account may have lost admin access to the Page. Reconnect.