Skip to main content
Question

Zap not running for new Meta campaign leads


I have an active automation set up to send a WhatsApp message whenever a lead comes in from a Meta campaign. The message arrives when I run a test, but the automation doesn't work when actual leads come in. What can I do? 

6 replies

Troy Tessalone
Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
Forum|alt.badge.img+14
  • Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
  • October 15, 2026

Hi Fabrizio, we run this exact flow (Meta lead form → WhatsApp) for home service clients. When the test works but live leads don't, first check whether Zap History shows any run at all. That tells you which side is broken.

No runs in Zap History: Meta isn't delivering the lead to Zapier.

  • In Meta Business Settings → Integrations → Leads access, open your Page. Once any CRM or app is assigned there, everything else is blocked. Make sure Zapier is on the list.
  • The Facebook account connected in Zapier needs full control of the Page, not only access through the business portfolio.
  • Submit a fresh lead with Meta's Lead Ads Testing Tool and watch History. Leads that existed before the Zap was turned on won't trigger it.

Runs show up but error or send nothing: the problem is on the WhatsApp side.

  • WhatsApp Business only lets you message a new number with an approved template. Free-text messages often work in testing because you're sending to your own number, inside the 24-hour window.
  • Lead forms usually collect phone numbers without the country code. Format the number as +[country code][number] (Formatter → Numbers → Format Phone Number) before the WhatsApp step.

If you can say which of those two cases you're seeing, it's easy to narrow down from there.


Forum|alt.badge.img

farahnas1 has covered the two likely cases well. Checking Zap History first tells you which side is broken. If no runs appear, the problem is on the Meta side, often the Page permissions or Leads access settings. If runs appear but nothing sends, it is usually WhatsApp requiring an approved template for new numbers. The country code formatting point catches a lot of people too.


Forum|alt.badge.img

If Zap History shows no runs for real leads, check in Meta’s Leads Access Manager that Zapier is allowed for that Page and form. Test leads often bypass this. If runs exist but fail, the usual cause is that WhatsApp requires an approved template for first contact, plus phone numbers missing the country code.


Quick add to the History split already here — one edge case when a *new* Meta campaign is involved:

If live History is empty but your manual tests fire: re-check that the Facebook Lead Ads trigger is subscribed to the *new campaign's form ID*. New campaigns often create a new form while the Zap still watches the old one. Meta's Lead Ads Testing Tool can look green while real leads never hit that subscription.

If History has successful runs but WhatsApp stays quiet: confirm the phone field is mapped from the live form (not a leftover test field) and that you format +country code before the WhatsApp step. First contact outside the 24h window needs an approved template.

If you can paste a redacted Zap History window covering a live-lead hour (hide emails/phones), I'll mark Meta-delivery vs WhatsApp-format in plain English for free. If you want a full remote map of where leads die (plus a heartbeat/reconciliation checklist), I package that as a fixed $197 check: https://zolt.me/product/e8fefeba-6506-4d29-a91e-48f5066eef60


Forum|alt.badge.img+1

@Fabrizio Piccinnu

I’m following up on the suggestions shared above. Please check your Zap History to see whether the Zap has triggered.

If no runs appear, the issue may be related to your Facebook permissions. Facebook’s Lead Ads Testing Tool can help us investigate:

  1. Open the Lead Ads Testing Tool and generate a test lead for the relevant form.

  2. Click Track Status. If the status shows “Pending,” click it again until a status code appears.

  3. Take a screenshot of the full page, including the Status section at the bottom, and share it with us.

The Status section can help identify any errors. If you see a 103 access error, sometimes displayed as “Failure,” Zapier may need to be granted CRM access. You can follow Facebook’s instructions for resetting CRM access.

Thanks for working through these steps. Once you share the screenshot, we can review the results and help with the next steps.