Social ads can drive real leads, but it's not always obvious which campaigns are actually generating phone calls. A Trackable Phone Number connects your Facebook and Instagram ads directly to the calls you receive, so you can see what's actually working instead of guessing from clicks and views alone.

This article covers how to create a Trackable Phone Number for use with Facebook and Instagram ads and read the call data it generates. This article does not cover adding the number inside Meta Ads Manager, such as setting up a call destination on an ad. For those steps, see Meta's help article on creating a call ad. This article also does not cover creating a Trackable Phone Number step by step — see Trackable Phone Numbers for that — or tracking calls from your website, email campaigns, or Google Ads, covered in their own articles.

Benefits of Tracking Calls from Facebook and Instagram Ads

Social platforms show you clicks, likes, and views, but those numbers don't always translate into customers. A high-engagement ad can still fail to generate a single phone call, while a quieter ad might be driving your best leads.

Using a dedicated Trackable Phone Number for your social ads lets you measure actual calls, not just engagement. It also lets you compare your Facebook and Instagram performance against other channels like your website or Google Ads, so you can keep or adjust campaigns based on real lead results instead of surface-level metrics.

When to Use a Trackable Phone Number for Social Ads

Use a Trackable Phone Number on any Facebook or Instagram ad with a call-to-action that encourages a customer to call, including ads using a call button or a phone number in the ad copy itself.

How to Set Up a Trackable Phone Number for Facebook and Instagram Ads

Click Trackable Phone Number in the left-hand navigation, then click Track New to create a number. For step-by-step instructions on creating a Trackable Phone Number and choosing a destination number, see Trackable Phone Numbers.

When naming the campaign in the Create a Trackable Phone Number window, use a name that identifies it as a social ads number, for example, "Facebook/Instagram – Spring Promo." This makes it easy to find later in your Trackable Phone Numbers list, alongside numbers you're using for your website, email, or Google Ads.

Once the number is created, add it inside Meta Ads Manager wherever you want it to appear, such as in your ad copy or as the call destination on a call-to-action button. See Meta's help article on creating a call ad for instructions on setting this up. Use this number only for social ads, and avoid publishing it anywhere else, so your call data reflects Facebook and Instagram activity specifically.

Best Practices for Social Ads Call Tracking Numbers

Use one Trackable Phone Number for your social ads overall, or one per major campaign if you're running several at once and want to compare their performance individually. Keep this number separate from the numbers used for your website and Google Ads, since mixing channels together makes it impossible to tell which one actually drove a call. Label the number clearly when you create it, for example, "Facebook/Instagram – Spring Promo," so it's easy to identify later in your reporting.

What You Can Track from Social Ads Call Activity

To view call data for a specific number, click the campaign name for that number on the Trackable Phone Numbers page. This opens a detail page showing four metrics: Calls (the total number of calls received), Unique Calls (calls from distinct phone numbers), Avg. Calls Weekly (average call volume per week), and Avg. Call Duration (average length of calls received).

Below the metrics, the Received Calls section lists every call made to that number. You can search by phone number or sort the list, and each call can be opened to listen to its recording.

Call data updates once every 24 hours, so calls received today won't appear in your reporting until the next sync.

FAQ

Does Thryv walk me through adding the number inside Meta Ads Manager?
No. This article covers creating and tracking the number on the Thryv side. For instructions on adding it to a call-to-action button or your ad copy inside Meta Ads Manager, see Meta's help article on creating a call ad.

Can I use the same Trackable Phone Number for Facebook and Instagram?
Yes. Since both platforms are managed through the same Meta Ads Manager account, you can use one number across both, or separate numbers per campaign if you want more granular comparison.

Can I use the same Trackable Phone Number for social ads and my website or Google Ads?
You can, but it's not recommended. Using a separate number for each channel keeps your reporting accurate, since combining channels under one number makes it impossible to tell which one drove a given call.

Is there a limit to how many Trackable Phone Numbers I can create?
Yes. You can have up to 5 Trackable Phone Numbers at a time, shared across all your campaigns, including any you use for social ads. See Trackable Phone Numbers for details on managing your numbers.

Does a Trackable Phone Number cost anything?
No. Trackable Phone Numbers are included with your Thryv account at no additional cost.

How often does my call data update?
Call data syncs every 24 hours. If you don't see a recent call reflected yet, check back the next day.