Grow qualified conversations on autopilot by sending Instagram users straight into Spur-powered chat flows and feeding conversion signals back to Meta so your ads get smarter over time.
Why Run Click-to-DM?
Frictionless conversations: One tap opens Instagram Direct, where Spur greets prospects instantly.
Higher-quality leads: Conversions API (CAPI) events tell Meta which chats turn into real leads or purchases, so the algorithm finds more of them.
Full-funnel analytics: Track cost per conversation, lead, and order in Spur’s Automation Analytics dashboard.
Meta needs about 50 CAPI events before it can optimise for a new objective. Make sure you let the campaign learn before judging performance.
Prerequisites
What | Where to set it up |
Meta Business Account & Instagram Account | Settings → Meta Business Accounts |
Meta Ad Account | Settings → Ad Accounts |
Dataset in Meta Events Manager | Events Manager → Datasets |
Click-to-Message Ad draft | Meta Ads Manager (Engagement ➜ Messaging apps) |
Regional note: Pages registered in the EU or Japan may face CAPI restrictions due to the ePrivacy Directive. If you see Messaging Event Within Messaging Restrictive Region errors, this is expected.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Connect Your Meta Assets in Spur
Open Settings → Meta Business Accounts and click Add new account.
Follow the OAuth flow; make sure you grant access to the Business Account, Instagram account, and Ad account you’ll use for the campaign.
Back in Spur, go to Settings → Ad Accounts and confirm the ad account appears.
2. Create the Click-to-Instagram DM Ad
In Meta Ads Manager, start a new campaign with the Engagement objective.
At the Ad Set level, choose Messaging apps as the conversion location and select Instagram.
Build your ad creative. Keep the campaign in Draft until your Spur automation is ready.
Pro tip: Grab a Preview Link from Ads Manager so you can test the chat flow before going live.
3. Build the Automation Workflow in Spur
Navigate to Automations → New Workflow (or edit an existing one).
Starting Trigger:
Select Instagram → Click To DM Ad.
Choose the relevant Meta Business Account & Ad Account.
Pick Specific Ads or leave as All Ads.
Send Message #0: Craft a warm welcome. Use quick replies (e.g., “Yes, I’m interested”) to qualify users.
(Optional) Delay / Conditions: Branch the flow based on user replies.
Action: Send Meta Conversion API Event
Event Type: LeadSubmitted (or Purchase if you collect orders inline).
Map customer fields like Email and Phone to maximize match quality.
Save and switch Workflow Enabled on.
4. Test the CAPI Event
In Meta Events Manager, open your dataset and copy a Test ID (Test Events tab).
Back in Spur, open the Workflow Test modal, paste the Test ID, and trigger a test message.
Return to Events Manager. The test event should appear within a minute.
5. Publish & Monitor
Turn your ad campaign Live in Ads Manager.
Track funnel metrics in Automations → Analytics:
Conversations started
Messages sent / delivered / opened
Flow status (In-Progress, Complete)
Use Meta Ads reporting for spend, CTR, and cost-per-message.
Best Practices
Personalise: Use
{{contact.username}}to greet users.Guide the chat: Offer 2–3 quick replies; avoid open-ended questions.
Use media: A carousel or product image lifts reply rates ~20%.
Retarget: Build Spur segments of users who chatted but didn’t convert and run follow-up ads or WhatsApp/Instagram broadcasts.
Respect the 24-hour window: After 24 h of last user message, send only approved message templates.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Fix |
LeadSubmitted events missing | Check that your dataset is linked to the Instagram account and at least one customer info field is mapped in the CAPI step. |
Page/ad account not showing in dropdown | Ensure the asset is part of the connected Meta Business Account and has the required permissions. Refresh the account list in Settings → Meta Business Accounts. |
Error: Messaging Event Within Restricted Region | CAPI calls are limited for EU/Japan pages; conversions will not be accepted for those regions. |
Need a hand? Reach out via Contact Us inside Spur, and we’ll walk you through your first campaign.