What Is a WhatsApp Broadcast? The Complete Guide
The plain-English primer: what a broadcast is, how it differs from a group, and the rules that keep your number healthy.
A WhatsApp broadcast is a single message sent to many contacts at the same time, where every recipient receives it as a private one-to-one chat. Nobody sees who else got it, and replies come back to you individually — it feels personal even though it went out at scale.
Broadcasts are how stores announce sales, share news and re-engage past buyers on the channel their customers actually read. On WhatsApp, open rates routinely sit north of 90%, which is why a broadcast usually out-performs the same message sent by email.
Broadcast vs. group vs. broadcast list
- Group — everyone sees everyone. Wrong tool for marketing; it's a shared room.
- Broadcast list (in the normal WhatsApp app) — private 1:1 delivery, but capped at 256 contacts and only reaches people who saved your number.
- Broadcast through a business tool like ConvoFly — private 1:1 delivery to thousands, using pre-approved messages, with delivery receipts, click tracking and no "must save your number" requirement. This is what this guide means by "broadcast".
If you're weighing the two, read WhatsApp broadcast vs. broadcast list.
Why broadcasts use "templates"
A template is simply a message you write once and WhatsApp checks in advance. You need one because, unless a customer messaged you in the last 24 hours, WhatsApp only lets businesses send pre-approved messages — this is what stops spam. You submit the template, Meta approves it (usually within a few hours), and then you can send it to as many people as you like. Templates come in three types — Marketing (promotions), Utility (order updates and the like) and Authentication (one-time codes). So a broadcast is really just "send this approved message to this list of people."
What a broadcast can contain
- Personalized text with variables like the customer's first name or order number
- A header image, video or document
- Quick-reply and call-to-action buttons (visit site, call, copy code)
- Limited-time-offer countdowns
See adding media, buttons and offers for the full set.
The rules that keep your number healthy
WhatsApp protects users aggressively. Three things matter most:
- Opt-in — only message people who agreed to hear from you.
- Quality rating — too many blocks or "report spam" taps lowers your number's rating and can cap your sends.
- Messaging limits (tiers) — new numbers start at 250 business-initiated conversations/day and scale up as you send responsibly. See messaging limits & tier caps.
Ready to send one?
Follow the step-by-step walkthrough in how to send your first WhatsApp broadcast.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can I broadcast to on WhatsApp?
Through the WhatsApp Business API there's no hard list cap — you're limited by your number's daily messaging tier (starting at 250 business-initiated conversations/day and scaling to 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited as your quality stays high). The consumer app's broadcast list is capped at 256 contacts.
Do recipients see each other in a broadcast?
No. Every recipient gets the message as a private 1:1 chat. Unlike a group, they cannot see who else received it, and their replies come only to you.
Do I need customers to save my number first?
No. Unlike the consumer app's broadcast lists, API broadcasts reach any opted-in contact whether or not they saved your number.