How to connect your lead generation ads to google sheets
Learn how to send leads from Meta Instant Forms straight into a Google Sheet automatically, and how to use those leads for WhatsApp follow-ups in DoubleTick.
Meta now lets you send leads from your Instant Forms straight into a Google Sheet, automatically. Earlier, teams had to download CSV files by hand or use third-party tools just to see their leads. With this built-in option, every new lead shows up in your sheet in near real time, ready for your marketing and sales teams. This article walks you through the full setup.
What's covered
The video shows the full workflow, from creating the campaign to setting up the Instant Form and checking the Google Sheet. If you prefer reading, follow the steps below.
How the flow works
Here is what you are setting up: Lead form → Meta → Google Sheet → DoubleTick or CRM Once it is set up:
Every new form submission appears in your sheet automatically.
Your team can start outreach or automation right away.
You never have to download CSV files by hand.
With this setup, leads are captured instantly, delivered in real time, available to both marketing and sales, and ready to sync with tools like DoubleTick, CRMs, sales platforms, or dashboards.
What you need
Access to Meta Ads Manager.
Access to a Facebook Page.
Permission to create Instant Forms.
A Google account for Google Sheets.
A DoubleTick account, if you want WhatsApp-based automations.
How to connect your lead ads to Google Sheets
Create a lead generation campaign: In Meta Ads Manager, create a new campaign with the Leads objective. This tells Meta to show your ad to people who are more likely to share their contact details. Choose Auction as the buying type and continue to the ad set.
Set the ad set to Instant Forms: At the ad set level, Meta asks how you want to collect leads. Choose Website and Instant Forms. Instant Forms let people share their details right inside Facebook or Instagram, so fewer of them drop off.
Select your Facebook Page: At the ad level, select the Facebook Page for this campaign. Instant Forms are tied to Pages, so you need one before you can build a form.
Create the Instant Form: Scroll to the Destination section and click Create Form. Give the form a clear name your team can recognize later, for example "Real Estate Pune Leads". Choose a form type. We used Higher Intent, which adds a quick confirmation screen to cut down accidental submissions.
Choose the form fields: Pick the details you want to collect. In our example, we added Full Name, Email, Phone Number, City, and State, and kept all of them mandatory so sales has full context. You can make some fields optional to get more submissions. On the next screen, add compliance links such as your Privacy Policy, if your business needs them.
Set what happens after submission: Choose what people see after they submit the form, such as visiting a website, calling your business, downloading a file, or chatting on WhatsApp. For WhatsApp follow-ups, select Chat on WhatsApp. If your WhatsApp Business number is connected, Meta detects it automatically. Click Create Form to finish.
Turn on lead delivery to Google Sheets: Scroll down to Automate Lead Delivery and click Setup. Connect an existing sheet or create a new one. We selected Create a new Spreadsheet and named it "DoubleTick Test 3". Meta creates the sheet and connects it to your Google account.
Validate the connection: Select the worksheet (for example, Sheet 1), send a test lead, add the category and dataset labels Meta asks for, and send a final validation test. Once the test lead appears in your sheet, the automation is active.
What to expect after setup
From now on, every new lead from your Instant Forms appears in the connected sheet in near real time. This means:
No CSV downloads.
No sharing leads by hand.
Faster qualification and outreach.
A cleaner handoff between marketing and sales.
Easier automation later on.
If your team relies on fast WhatsApp follow-ups, which is common in education, real estate, beauty, auto, and B2B services, this can make a big difference to your conversions.
Using DoubleTick with Google Sheets
Once your leads are in Google Sheets, DoubleTick can help you:
Trigger WhatsApp workflows.
Route leads to sales agents.
Track engagement and funnel progress.
Send bulk or automated outreach.
Qualify leads with structured logic.
This gives you a full cycle, from getting the lead to activating and converting it, without manual work. If you would like help setting this up with WhatsApp automation or your CRM, the DoubleTick team can guide you through the best setup.
Troubleshooting
If leads do not appear in your sheet, try these:
Send another test lead.
Check that the campaign and form are active.
Check the access permissions on your Google account.
Make sure the correct sheet and tab are selected.
Most issues are fixed by validating again or adjusting permissions, without changing the campaign.
Key takeaways
Meta can now send Instant Form leads straight into a Google Sheet.
Use the Leads objective and Website and Instant Forms to collect leads.
Turn on Automate Lead Delivery and validate the connection with a test lead.
Select Chat on WhatsApp after submission for WhatsApp follow-ups.
With DoubleTick, you can trigger WhatsApp workflows and route leads from your sheet.
Frequently asked questions
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