Overview
When a customer arrives from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and the business replies in time, Meta opens an ad free window that can stay open for up to 7 days. While it is open, every message sent to that customer is free. ConversaLabs records that window per conversation and shows ad spend and conversations in Insights, and lets you build automations from ads.
Prerequisites
- The Ads Manager feature (for insights) and/or Ads (CTWA) enabled.
- A conversation started from a CTWA ad (the ad card appears in the conversation).
The ad's free window
- It applies to Click-to-WhatsApp ads that open the conversation from the WhatsApp app on Android or iOS.
- Meta's rule, word for word: if you respond within the customer service window using any type of message, the message is free and the free window opens starting from the time when you responded; it may remain open for up to 7 days and, while open, you can send any type of message at no charge.
- The clock starts at the business's first reply, not at the customer's message. That reply has to go out within the customer service window, that is, up to 24 hours after the customer's last message; without a reply in that time, the free window does not open.
- Only a reply sent through the Cloud API opens the window. In a hybrid inbox, a reply over WhatsApp Web does not open it: the next Cloud reply within the deadline is the one that does.
- When the ad conversation starts, on the customer's message, the platform already records the window, which stays awaiting the first reply with the 24-hour deadline to reply. When the business replies within that deadline, the free window opens.
- From that reply on, the window can stay open for up to 7 days (it used to be 72 hours). Inside it, messages of any type, templates included, are free.
- When Meta reports the window's exact end time on the message, the platform uses that time. Without it, the platform counts 7 days from the first reply.
- The 24-hour customer service window has not changed and still applies separately: it defines when you can reply with free-form text.
- States: waiting for the first response, open, expiring (less than 6h left) and expired. The "window expiring" notice and its automations only fire after the window opened.
- If Meta charges a message the platform considered inside the window, the window is closed right away, so the notice above the reply field never says "free" for something billed.
- If Meta reports the first reply as free only because of the 24-hour customer service window, and not of the entry point window, the window did not open: it is closed the same way.
- Use the window state as a condition in Automations and the Flow Builder (e.g. reply only while the window is open).
Insights
The Insights/Overview tab shows, per period:
- Spend, impressions, clicks, reach.
- Conversations started by the ads.
- Cost per conversation and ROAS (using the value of attributed conversions).
The numbers refresh periodically from Meta (daily snapshot, no double counting).
Ad automation
In the Automations builder (and the Flow Builder) you can:
- Conditions: "conversation is from an ad", "ad window state".
- Actions: tag contact as lead, send conversion to Meta (CAPI), pause campaign, adjust budget.
Step by step
- Choose the analysis window and confirm the ad account is connected before comparing indicators.
Settings & options
- Adjust period, campaign, and filters to the business question; do not compare windows using different time zones.
Use cases
- Identify a campaign with declining results and prioritize a budget or creative review.
Tips, limits & best practices
- Reply within 24 hours of the customer's message: that first reply is what opens the free window of up to 7 days.
- To see which messages went out free because of the ad window, open the WhatsApp cost center: the reason shows as Ad free window (up to 7 days).
- Use "send conversion to Meta" when a deal is won to optimize ad delivery.
Troubleshooting
- Insights are zero: wait for the next sync (hourly) or confirm the account is Connected.
- No window shown: the conversation must have come from a CTWA ad (ad card present).
- The free window did not open: the business did not reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message, the reply went out over WhatsApp Web (only the Cloud API opens the window), Meta charged the reply or Meta reported the reply as free only because of the customer service window.