WhatsApp Broadcast Guide: Lists, Limits, Sample Messages

A WhatsApp broadcast sends one message to many contacts at once, and each person gets it as a private chat from you. There are three ways to do it: broadcast lists in the app (up to 256 contacts each), business broadcasts in the WhatsApp Business app (paid, reviewed by Meta), and the WhatsApp Business API with approved templates for larger, opted-in lists.

What is a WhatsApp broadcast?

A broadcast is one-to-many messaging that looks one-to-one to the recipient. In WhatsApp's words, people on a broadcast list receive your message "as an individual message from you" in their Chats tab, and "their reply will also appear as an individual message and won't be sent to other contacts in the broadcast list."

That is the key difference from a group. In a group, everyone sees everyone. In a broadcast, nobody sees the other recipients, and every reply is a private conversation with you.

The three ways to broadcast on WhatsApp

Which one you need depends on list size and whether people have saved your number.

	Broadcast list (app)	Business broadcast (Business app)	WhatsApp Business API
Where	WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps	WhatsApp Business app only	Through a platform such as SociaHive
Who it reaches	Only contacts who saved your number	Contacts from your address book or an imported list	Opted-in customers, number saved or not
Size	Up to 256 contacts per list	Your selected audience	Starts at 250 unique people a day, grows to unlimited
Cost	Free (some countries: 35 free broadcasts a month)	Paid after free messages	Per delivered template message
Extras	Text and media	Media, an action button, scheduling, Meta review	Templates, segments, scheduling, automation on replies
Sources	WhatsApp Help	WhatsApp Help	Meta for Developers

WhatsApp broadcast list limit

A broadcast list holds up to 256 contacts, and you can create as many lists as you like, according to WhatsApp Help. Two catches matter more than the number:

• Recipients must have saved your number. WhatsApp says to "make sure all contacts in the broadcast list have saved your number in their address book." Anyone who has not saved it will not get the message.
• Some countries now have a monthly cap. WhatsApp is rolling out a limit of 35 free broadcast messages per month in some countries, with a notice when you are close. You can check yours in Settings, then Broadcasts.

On the Business API the limit works differently. A messaging limit is the number of unique people your business can message outside a customer service window in a moving 24-hour period. New business portfolios start at 250 and can grow to 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited as Meta reviews your quality, per Meta's messaging limits documentation, updated May 21, 2026.

How to send a broadcast message on WhatsApp

These are the broadcast list steps from WhatsApp Help. Broadcast lists work in the phone app only, not on Windows, Mac or WhatsApp Web.

1. Open Chats. In WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business, go to the Chats tab.
2. Open Broadcast lists. Tap the menu, then Broadcast lists, then the button to create a new list.
3. Add contacts. Search for or select up to 256 people who have saved your number, then confirm.
4. Write and send. Type your message, add a photo or file if you want, and send. Each person gets it as a private chat.
5. Edit the list later. Open the list, then Broadcast list info, to rename it or add and remove people.

To send a business broadcast instead, use the WhatsApp Business app: open Tools, then Business broadcasts, choose your audience, add media and an optional button (catalog, custom reply, phone call or website), preview, then send or schedule. Meta reviews business broadcasts before they go out, and you pay for delivered messages after your free ones, with a refund for any not delivered in 5 days (WhatsApp Help). In some countries the older "marketing messages" option plays this role and can reach customers who have not saved your number (WhatsApp Help).

WhatsApp broadcast vs group: what's the difference?

	Broadcast	Group
Who sees replies	Only you	Every member
Who sees the member list	Only you	Every member
Best for	Announcements, offers, reminders	Discussion and community
Needs your number saved	Yes, for broadcast lists	No

WhatsApp puts it simply: broadcast lists are one-to-many, and "if you want your recipients to participate in a group conversation, create a group chat instead" (WhatsApp Help).

Is WhatsApp broadcast free or paid?

It depends on the method:

• Broadcast lists in the app cost nothing, though some countries now cap free broadcasts at 35 a month.
• Business broadcasts in the Business app are paid once your free messages are used. You add a payment method and are charged only for delivered messages.
• The Business API is charged per delivered message since July 1, 2025, by message category and country, according to Meta's pricing page. Broadcasts are usually marketing templates. Meta does not charge for messages users send to you.

To estimate API costs for your list, use the WhatsApp pricing calculator or read our WhatsApp Business API pricing guide.

Opt-in rules for WhatsApp broadcasts

Meta requires businesses to get permission before messaging people. Under the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy update of November 2024, you may contact someone if they gave you their number and you received opt-in permission that they want messages from your business. The opt-in must clearly name your business and say the person is agreeing to receive its messages, and you must follow local law.

On the API there is a second rule. Free-form messages can only be sent inside a 24-hour customer service window, which opens when the customer messages you. Outside it, you must use an approved template (Meta pricing docs). A broadcast to customers who have not written recently is therefore a template broadcast.

Good ways to collect opt-in: a checkbox at checkout that names WhatsApp, a click-to-chat link or QR code at the counter, or a keyword people send you. Never buy or scrape numbers. WhatsApp states that its products "are not intended for bulk or automated messaging" outside its business tools, and it takes action against abuse (WhatsApp Help).

WhatsApp broadcast message samples

Short, specific and easy to answer works best. Replace the brackets.

Offers and launches

1. "Hi [Name], our autumn sale starts today: 20% off all [category] until Sunday. Reply SHOP and we'll send you the best sellers."
2. "New in: [product]. You asked for it, it's here. Want a photo of the colours? Reply YES."
3. "Early access for WhatsApp subscribers: the [collection] opens for you 24 hours before everyone else. Tap here: [link]"

Reminders

1. "Hi [Name], a reminder that your appointment is tomorrow at [time]. Reply 1 to confirm or 2 to reschedule."
2. "Last day to claim your [offer]. It ends tonight at midnight."
3. "Your [service] is due for renewal on [date]. Reply RENEW and we'll handle it."

Events

1. "You're invited: [event] on [date] at [place]. Reply IN to save a spot."
2. "We're live on Instagram at 7 p.m. tonight with a Q&A on [topic]. Bring your questions."

Updates and thanks

1. "We've changed our hours: open [days] from [time] to [time]. See you soon."
2. "Thank you for ordering from us this year, [Name]. Here's a 10% code for next time: [code]."

Feedback and holidays

1. "Quick question: how was your last visit, 1 to 5? Your answer goes straight to the owner."
2. "Happy holidays from all of us at [Business]. We're closed on [dates] and back on [date]."

Add a way out to marketing messages, for example "Reply STOP to stop these messages," and honour it. For more message ideas, see our WhatsApp auto reply message examples.

How to send WhatsApp broadcasts to more than 256 people

Past 256 contacts, or to reach people who have not saved your number, use the WhatsApp Business API through a platform. SociaHive sends WhatsApp broadcasts through the official API:

• Audience: everyone, a saved segment, or contacts with chosen tags.
• Templates: send an approved template to people outside the 24-hour window; contacts who opted out are skipped automatically.
• Scheduling: pick a send time or send now.
• Replies: answers land in one inbox, and an automation can reply with AI or route the chat to a person.

WhatsApp automation is on the Studio plan and up, and the number of broadcasts per month depends on the plan (pricing). For volume rules and quality ratings, read WhatsApp bulk messages, and for the bigger picture, the WhatsApp automation guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does broadcast work on WhatsApp?

You pick contacts and send one message. Each person receives it as a separate chat from you, and their replies come back to you only. With broadcast lists in the app, only people who saved your number receive it.

Do people know they are in a broadcast list on WhatsApp?

The message arrives as an ordinary individual chat from you, and recipients cannot see who else got it or read other people's replies, according to WhatsApp Help. They only see what you send them.

How many contacts can be in a WhatsApp broadcast list?

Up to 256 contacts per list, with no limit on how many lists you create. In some countries WhatsApp also caps free broadcasts at 35 a month. For larger lists, the Business API starts at 250 unique people a day and can scale to unlimited.

Why are my broadcast messages not delivered?

Most often the recipient has not saved your number, which broadcast lists require. Also check whether you have hit a monthly broadcast cap. On the API, a free-form message outside the 24-hour window will fail; use an approved template.

What's the difference between a WhatsApp group and a broadcast?

A group is a shared conversation where all members see each other and every reply. A broadcast is one-to-many: members never see each other, and each reply is a private chat with you.

Sources

1. WhatsApp Help Center, How to use broadcast lists
2. WhatsApp Help Center, About broadcast limits
3. WhatsApp Help Center, How to create and send a business broadcast
4. WhatsApp Help Center, How to turn broadcast lists into marketing messages
5. WhatsApp Help Center, Unauthorized use of automated or bulk messaging on WhatsApp
6. Meta for Developers, Messaging limits, updated May 21, 2026
7. Meta for Developers, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform, 2026
8. Meta for Developers, Get opt-in for WhatsApp, updated June 16, 2026