Guide · Ads · For the owner asked about advertising inside WhatsApp

Ads in WhatsApp Status: where they show, where the tap goes, and what Meta does not allow

WhatsApp now carries ads, but not in chats. They appear in Status, the stories-style updates people swipe through in the Updates tab, and Meta sells them from the same ad account as Facebook and Instagram. Meta's own pages set out where these ads show, where a tap can lead, which businesses cannot use them and who sees them.

Published 5 October 2026 · Updated 15 October 2026

Status ads, and promoted channels

A Status on WhatsApp is a vertical photo or video that disappears after 24 hours. Meta's pages say ads appear only between Status updates and in Channels, both in the Updates tab, which Meta keeps separate from chats and calls. A business can also pay to promote its WhatsApp channel, which Meta says boosts it in the channel directory, and a channel can offer subscriptions that give followers exclusive updates for a monthly fee. This guide is about the ads in Status, which are the ones that start conversations.

A business on the WhatsApp Business app does not make these in the app. WhatsApp's Help Center says Status ads are created in Meta Ads Manager by choosing the WhatsApp Status placement, and that Ads Manager then reports their impressions, clicks and the conversations they started. Problems with the ad or its payment go to Meta's business support, not to WhatsApp.

Meta's Business Help Center article on making these ads adds that Meta is introducing them gradually, so the placement may not be available to every ad account yet. Ads Manager offers four routes, by objective: awareness, traffic or engagement, leads, and sales. An ad appears in Status once it has been approved.

Where the tap goes, and whose name is on it

Into a chat: A tap can open a WhatsApp chat with the business, the same way an ad that clicks to WhatsApp does on Facebook or Instagram.
Or to a website: A tap can open a page on the business's website instead. Meta says a WhatsApp Business Account is not needed for an ad that sends people to a website.
What each one needs: Meta's Business Help Center says an ad that sends people to a website needs the business's Facebook Page. An ad that opens a chat needs both a Facebook Page and a WhatsApp Business account, made either in the WhatsApp Business app or through the WhatsApp Business Platform.
The name on the ad: The ad carries a WhatsApp identity. If none is chosen, Meta uses the business's Facebook Page. The business can instead attach its WhatsApp number, whether linked to the Page or connected through the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Choosing it once: Meta's page warns that without a WhatsApp identity some ads may not be delivered to Status, and that the identity cannot be changed on an existing ad: a new one has to be made.

What Meta does not allow

Status on its own: An ad can only run in WhatsApp Status if Instagram Stories is selected as well. Meta does not support campaigns that run in Status alone.
Some kinds of business: Ads in Meta's special ad categories (finance, employment, housing, and social issues, elections or politics) cannot run in Status. Meta also keeps pharmaceutical and healthcare ads out of Status.
Some formats and tools: A single image, a single video or a carousel of up to 10 cards can run. Collection and flexible formats cannot, and A/B tests, dynamic creative, reach and frequency buying and Advantage+ creative tools do not work in Status.
Some countries: Meta lists Status ads as available worldwide except in the EU, the UK, Iran, Cuba, Syria, Russia and North Korea. The UAE and the rest of the Gulf are not on that list.

Ads that show a public figure

One rule covers every Meta ad, Status included. Meta does not allow ads that use a public figure's name, image or voice with misleading tactics to bait people into a scam, though endorsements the person has really authorised are allowed. If such an ad is rejected and the business has permission, Meta's appeal asks for proof: from the rejection notice choose Appeal or Request review, select that the person featured approved this, paste a public link showing the endorsement, and submit. Meta says strong proof is public, current and specific to the product, such as a post from the person's official account, a page on a site or brand they own, or coverage by an established news outlet. It does not accept the business's own website, shop or ad, accounts it cannot confirm, forums or personal blogs, private or broken links, links behind a login, look-alike or "inspired by" content, or coverage of a relationship that has ended. Our reading: before a WhatsApp ad shows a local celebrity or influencer, make sure they have posted about the deal publicly.

Who sees them, and what Meta does not use

WhatsApp's terms require users to be at least 13, but Meta says it does not know the age of everyone on WhatsApp. Since July 2026, an ad running in Status reaches people whose age is unknown unless the advertiser opts out, so Meta requires such ads to be suitable for all ages. Meta warns that opting out may substantially reduce how many people on WhatsApp see the ad.

On targeting, Meta's page says it does not use the content of personal messages, calls or statuses, locations shared in chats, phone contacts or membership of groups with friends and family to show ads, and that it does not sell or share phone numbers with advertisers. What it does use, the Help Center lists: the country code and age where it applies, the device's language, a general location such as the city or country, and what the person does in Status and Channels, such as the channels they follow and the ads they tap. Someone who has added WhatsApp to their Meta account, which is optional and off by default, also has their ad settings from Meta's other apps applied. Each ad carries a "Why you're seeing this ad" option, and people can hide or report it.

One difference matters to the advertiser. Statuses are end-to-end encrypted, so Meta's Business Help Center says WhatsApp cannot see what appears before or after an ad. The ad itself is not encrypted: like every active Meta ad, it is public, searchable and stored in the Meta Ad Library. What happens once a customer taps into a chat is covered in the ads guide.

What a customer can do with your Status ad

WhatsApp's Help Center says people who only use WhatsApp for personal messaging won't see ads, and that ads in Status and Channels are rolling out gradually, so not everyone has them yet. In Status, each ad is labelled "Ad" and shows the advertiser's name. WhatsApp says it doesn't use personal status content to show ads.

Not interested: From the ad, the viewer taps the menu, then Not interested, and picks a reason. WhatsApp describes this as feedback that makes the ads they see more relevant.
Hide ads from this advertiser: In their recent ad activity, the viewer taps the ad or the advertiser, then Hide ads from this advertiser. That hides every ad from that business, not just the one they saw.
Report ad: From the ad, the menu has Report ad, then Report. View Report shows the viewer's active and completed reports, which are also under Settings, Help and feedback, Reports.
Report website: A website opened from a Status ad can be reported separately, with Report website. The reasons WhatsApp lists are Misleading content or scam, Sexually inappropriate or adult content, Excessive or disruptive ads, and Other.
Why you're seeing this ad: From the ad's menu, this shows a list of criteria that may have been used to show it, for example that the advertiser wanted to reach people in the viewer's country. WhatsApp says it doesn't show ads based on personal messaging.
30 days of ad history: Ad preferences, from the menu in the Updates tab or under Settings, Account, Ad preferences for Status & Channels, shows Recent ad activity and Advertisers you've seen for the past 30 days. From there the viewer can open an advertiser's profile and website and say they would like fewer ads from it. For now, WhatsApp says these settings can't be managed on WhatsApp Web or other platforms, only on the main phone. Someone who has added WhatsApp to their Meta Account (Accounts Center is being renamed Meta Account) manages them under Settings, Meta Account, Ad preferences instead.
An ads report: Under Account, Request account info, Request an ads report, a viewer can ask for a record of the ads they have seen. WhatsApp says it is ready in about three days (the Ready by date shows when), sends a notification when it is, and keeps it only for a limited time before deleting it from its servers. It downloads as a ZIP file and doesn't include account details, messages or channel information. Deleting the report doesn't delete the ad-activity information itself.

For the standards behind these reports, WhatsApp points to Meta's Advertising Standards and the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy.

Our reading

A viewer can hide every ad from your business from their recent ad activity, and can report both the ad and the website it opens. An ad that repeats too often or doesn't fit the people seeing it can stop reaching that viewer, and the website it opens can be reported too. Put a clear business name on the ad, and make sure the website it opens matches what the ad promised.

BitByteCore is a verified Meta Tech Provider (since 9 September 2026). This section repeats WhatsApp's own Help Center articles, and is not legal advice.

Questions

Our ad features an influencer who agreed to it, and Meta rejected it. What proof works?

Meta asks for a public, current link specific to the product, such as a post on the person's official account, a page on a site or brand they own, or coverage by an established news outlet. Your own website, shop or ad, private links and links behind a login are not accepted.

Can we advertise only in WhatsApp Status?

No. Meta's page says Status ads run only when Instagram Stories is selected too, and campaigns that run in Status alone are not supported.

Are WhatsApp Status ads available in the UAE?

Meta lists them as available worldwide except in the EU, the UK, Iran, Cuba, Syria, Russia and North Korea, so the UAE is not excluded. WhatsApp's Help Center adds that ads in Status are rolling out gradually, so they may not reach every viewer yet. Ads in Meta's special categories, such as finance, employment and housing, cannot run in Status anywhere.

Do we need the WhatsApp Business Platform to run Status ads?

No. An ad that sends people to a website needs only your Facebook Page. Meta's Business Help Center says an ad that opens a chat needs a Facebook Page and a WhatsApp Business account, which can come from the WhatsApp Business app or the Platform. Attach the WhatsApp number that will answer, because Meta warns that without a WhatsApp identity some ads may not be delivered to Status.

Can we make a WhatsApp Status ad from the WhatsApp Business app?

WhatsApp's Help Center says Status ads are made in Meta Ads Manager by choosing the WhatsApp Status placement. Ads Manager then reports impressions, clicks and conversations started.

Is a WhatsApp Status ad private like a status update?

No. Meta's Business Help Center says ads in Status are not end-to-end encrypted. Like every active Meta ad, they are public, searchable and kept in the Meta Ad Library.

Can people stop seeing our WhatsApp Status ads?

Yes. WhatsApp's Help Center says a viewer can tap Not interested on one ad, or Hide ads from this advertiser in their recent ad activity to hide every ad from your business. They can also report the ad, report the website it opens, and see Why you're seeing this ad from the ad's menu.

Does Meta read people's chats to target these ads?

Meta says no: it does not use personal messages, calls, statuses, locations shared in chats, phone contacts or group membership with friends and family to show ads, and it does not sell or share phone numbers with advertisers.

Sources

Meta's developer documentation: Ads in WhatsApp Status (Marketing API), read 5 October 2026.
Meta's developer documentation: WhatsApp identity for ads in Status, read 5 October 2026.
Meta's developer documentation: People on WhatsApp whose age is unknown, read 5 October 2026.
Meta's WhatsApp Business site: Ads in Status and Channels, read 5 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to create ads in Status on the WhatsApp Business app, read 7 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: About ads in WhatsApp Status and Channels, read 7 October 2026.
Meta Business Help Center: About end-to-end encryption for advertisers using WhatsApp Status, read 7 October 2026.
Meta Business Help Center: create ads in WhatsApp Status in Meta Ads Manager, read 8 October 2026.
Meta Business Help Center: Appealing content or ads that feature a public figure, read 8 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: About seeing ads on WhatsApp Status, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to hide or report an ad or website in WhatsApp Status or Channels, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to view and adjust your ad preferences in WhatsApp Status or Channels, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to request an ads report, read 15 October 2026.

More plain-language notes like this one are on the guides page.

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