Test Sends & Previewing WhatsApp Broadcasts Before Launch
Sixty seconds that save you from a typo — or a broken variable — going out to your entire list.
The cheapest insurance in broadcasting is the test send. Before a campaign goes to thousands, send it to your own number and see exactly what they'll see.
What a test send checks
- Copy & formatting — typos, awkward line breaks, missing spaces.
- Media — the right image or video, rendering correctly.
- Buttons — correct labels, and links that go where you intend.
- Personalization — your variables resolve against the test number's real attributes, so you see actual values, not
{{1}}.
A pre-launch checklist
- Test-send to your own WhatsApp.
- Read it on a phone, not just the builder — that's where your customers read it.
- Tap every button; confirm each link lands correctly.
- Check a personalized value looks right, and that your fallback reads naturally.
- Confirm the audience count matches roughly what you expect.
- Only then schedule or send.
Why the builder preview isn't enough
A preview shows the layout, but a real test send exercises the whole pipeline — template rendering, media delivery, button behaviour and variable resolution — on an actual device. Things that look fine in a preview occasionally behave differently in the app; the test send is what catches them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I preview a WhatsApp broadcast before sending?
Use a test send: send the broadcast to your own number first. It renders the template exactly as recipients will see it — media, buttons and personalized values resolved — so you can catch issues before the real send.
Do personalized variables show real values in a test send?
Yes. A test send resolves variables against the test number's own contact attributes, so you see actual values and can confirm your fallbacks read naturally, rather than raw placeholders.