Meta is giving advertisers more ways to reach WhatsApp users by combining click-to-message ads with Status placements, offering a new path to spark conversations with potential customers.

  • Ads will now appear in WhatsApp’s Updates tab (home to Status and Channels) and, when tapped, send users directly into a business chat.
  • The expansion builds on Meta’s June launch of Status ads, which run between full-screen updates from friends.
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Why we care. Meta is turning WhatsApp into a stronger ad channel, blending full-screen Status placements with click-to-message ads that drive users directly into chats. With 100 million U.S. users and early global expansion, the platform offers brands an effective way to boost engagement as direct interactions outperform traditional ads.

The details. The new format allows brands to place ads on Facebook or Instagram that click through to WhatsApp Status, creating a larger, full-screen promo with a chat CTA.

  • Availability is limited to certain regions for now.

Between the lines. WhatsApp is increasingly central to Meta’s messaging ecosystem, and blending Status ads with direct chat options could help advertisers connect more personally while capitalizing on WhatsApp’s growing role as a hub for conversations.

What’s next. As Meta expands access, advertisers in eligible regions will have more ways to test whether WhatsApp’s conversational ad formats fit into their broader customer engagement strategy.

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Anu AdegbolaAnu Adegbola

Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more. In 2008, Anu’s career started with delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side. Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event – PPC Live and host of weekly podcast PPC Live The Podcast.
She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US, UK, Munich, Berlin), Friends of Search (Amsterdam, NL), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna, IT) and more.