SMS CONFIRMATION IN META ADS: HOW IT WORKS AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Meta Ads has introduced a new option in Lead Form Instant Forms—a checkbox for “SMS Confirmation to Receive a Lead.”

How Did It Work Before?

Previously, if you ran ad campaigns, you might receive 40–50 leads, including:

  • 5–10 leads—generated (bots or irrelevant contacts);
  • 10 leads—random clicks (e.g., a child accidentally clicking while playing);
  • 10–20 leads—actual potential customers.

To identify high-quality leads, a manager had to call all 50 contacts manually.

Now, there’s some good news: if you enable the new SMS confirmation option, the number of non-targeted leads will significantly decrease.

Why Does This Happen?

For users with an iPhone or the latest Android version, even if they receive an SMS with a verification code, their phone will automatically suggest inserting the code. So, even if a child clicks on an ad by mistake, they still have to confirm the action.

sms confirmation in Lead Form Instant Forms

The Downsides

  • Some real potential customers may be hesitant to complete the SMS confirmation process, worrying about subscriptions or scams.
  • Fewer leads overall, but not zero.
  • Lead costs increase with this setting, so it’s important to test whether it’s worth it for your business.

Concerns

Some real customers who would normally fill out the form might feel uneasy about sending and receiving an SMS confirmation, as it might seem suspicious. While this setting should reduce low-quality leads, it won’t eliminate them completely.

Also, in theory, Facebook should only charge for actual leads, but in practice, even if users just like, comment, or interact with the post without completing the form, ad spend still occurs.

“Some customers may be skeptical about SMS confirmations, fearing scams. While this feature should reduce spam, it won’t eliminate it. And while Facebook should ideally charge per lead, in reality, even user interactions can incur costs.” — Mykola Lukashuk, CEO of Marketing Link

What to Expect?

If your campaign was affected by spam bots, they should disappear (or evolve to read SMS messages). Also, accidental leads should decrease, but not completely, since smartphones can still auto-fill confirmation codes, allowing some random clicks to go through.

Final Thoughts

This new setting helps filter out low-quality leads, but it may increase lead costs. You should test its impact in your specific industry—compare lead cost and quality with and without SMS confirmation. This could serve as an additional A/B test for ad specialists.

SMS confirmation in Meta Ads: how it works
As shown in the screenshot, this feature is not yet available for all accounts.

Julia Sotnikova
Marketer of Marketing Link

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