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Boost an existing reel/post directly into a click-to-WhatsApp ad

Right now I can create a click-to-WhatsApp (CTWA) ad in Zernio, but only by building a brand new creative from scratch. I can't take an already-published Instagram/Facebook reel or post and turn it into a click-to-WhatsApp ad. Boost has no WhatsApp CTA option, and the CTWA/messaging ad endpoint doesn't accept an existing post/reel ID.

What I'd like: the ability to reuse an existing post/reel as the creative for a click-to-WhatsApp ad, either as a WhatsApp CTA option on Boost, or by passing an existing post/reel ID (object_story_id) into the CTWA/messaging ad flow.

Why it matters: reusing a reel that already has organic engagement keeps that social proof (likes/comments/views) instead of starting a fresh creative from zero, which usually performs better and saves setup time.

Status: Completed1 comment

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Comments1

  • Miquel Palet López

    Team•

    Sep 10

    Shipped and live. You can now put budget behind an existing reel or post with a WhatsApp button, keeping the likes and comments it already earned.

    Through boost, which is the simplest route:

    POST /v1/ads/boost
    {
      "accountId": "…",
      "adAccountId": "act_…",
      "platformPostId": "…",          // the reel or post you already published
      "goal": "engagement",
      "callToAction": "WHATSAPP_MESSAGE",
      "budget": { "amount": 5, "type": "daily" },
      "status": "PAUSED"
    }

    No linkUrl is needed, and we build the ad set with the right destination, the conversations optimisation and the Page on the promoted object. MESSAGE_PAGE and INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE work the same way if you want Messenger or Instagram Direct instead. If the Page has more than one WhatsApp number you can pick one with whatsappPhoneNumber.

    Or through the messaging ad flow, if you prefer that shape: POST /v1/ads/messaging with destination: "whatsapp" now accepts creatives[].existingPostId (or a raw objectStoryId) instead of fresh media. The post's own media and copy are used, so you omit the image, headline and body for that creative.

    Since the ad points at your existing post, the social proof stays on it. That was the whole point of the request.

    One requirement that comes from Meta, not from us: the Page has to be linked to a WhatsApp Business account. If it is not, the call fails with a clear message rather than silently doing something else:

    "Your Page is not linked to a WhatsApp account. Connect a WhatsApp Business account to drive traffic to WhatsApp."

    That is exactly what our own test Page returns, because we have not paired a number to it. Everything up to that point is verified end to end in production. If you hit that error, link the number in Page settings under WhatsApp and the same request goes through.