Click to WhatsApp ads: how to use the free 7-day window

WhatsApp now charges for almost every message a business sends, including replies to customers who are already chatting with you. See what changed on October 1, 2026.

There's one big exception most brands ignore. When a shopper starts a chat from a Click to WhatsApp ad, you can message them for free for up to 7 days. That covers support, order updates and even marketing.

What a Click to WhatsApp ad is

It's a regular Facebook or Instagram ad whose button opens a WhatsApp chat with your business instead of a website. The shopper taps, WhatsApp opens, and they send you a message.

That first message is the start of a sale. It's also what unlocks the free window.

How the free window works

Meta calls it a free entry point window (Meta):

1. A shopper messages you from a Click to WhatsApp ad, using the WhatsApp app on Android or iOS. The desktop and web apps don't count.
2. You reply within 24 hours. Your reply isn't charged, and it opens the window, starting from the moment you respond.
3. The window stays open for up to 7 days. Inside it, Meta doesn't charge for marketing, utility, authentication or service messages.

A few details that matter:

• Meta Business Agent messages are still charged inside the window.
• Messages in the window don't count toward volume tiers for utility and authentication pricing.
• The window belongs to the business and shopper pair, not to one phone number or account.

Miss the 24-hour reply and the window never opens. Speed is the whole game.

What you can send for free

For a week after your reply, everything below costs nothing:

• Answers to every question, as many as the shopper asks
• Product links, size guides, photos and videos
• A cart reminder if they started checkout and left
• The order confirmation and shipping updates if they buy
• A COD confirmation, if they paid cash on delivery
• A follow-up offer, if they're interested but not ready

Outside the window, a cart reminder is a marketing message and an order update is a utility message. Both are billed.

A playbook for the 7 days

Day 0: Reply in minutes, not hours

You have 24 hours to open the window, but the shopper decides much faster. They tapped your ad because they wanted something now. Answer the first message within minutes, including nights and weekends.

Day 0: Answer, then send the link

Answer the actual question first, whether it's size, price, delivery or COD. Then send a link to the exact product, ideally with the variant already picked. Don't make them search your store.

Day 1: Follow up once

If they didn't buy, send one helpful follow-up: an answer to the question they're likely stuck on, a review from someone who bought the same thing, or a back-in-stock note if it's true.

Day 2 to 6: Carts and orders

If they add to cart and leave, the reminder is free while the window is open. If they buy, confirm the order on WhatsApp and send updates in the same chat. It's all free and all in one conversation.

Measure cost per sale, not cost per click

Track how many ad chats got a reply within 24 hours, how many turned into orders, and the ad spend per order. Messages in the window are free, so your ad budget does more work per chat.

Make the ad start a better conversation

• Put one product in the ad, not a whole catalog. The chat starts focused.
• Set a greeting and suggested questions in the ad setup, like "Is this in my size?" or "How long is delivery?". The first message arrives with context.
• Match the language your shoppers use, including Hinglish or Arabic if that's how they write to you.

How Pipr fits

Click to WhatsApp ads only work if someone answers fast, every time. Pipr replies to every WhatsApp chat in seconds, day or night, from your live Shopify store. It sends the right product link, recovers carts and confirms orders in the same chat, so the window opens and gets used. You see what every chat earned. See WhatsApp campaigns in Pipr and the AI sales agent.

FAQ

Are Click to WhatsApp ad conversations free?

Yes, if you reply within 24 hours. Your reply opens a free entry point window for up to 7 days, and Meta doesn't charge for marketing, utility, authentication or service messages inside it. Meta Business Agent messages are still charged.

How long is the free entry point window?

Up to 7 days, starting from the time you reply to the shopper's first message.

Does the free window work on WhatsApp Web?

No. The shopper has to message from the WhatsApp app on Android or iOS. Desktop and web apps aren't supported.

Do I still pay for the ad?

Yes. The window makes the WhatsApp messages free. You still pay Meta for the ad itself.