WhatsApp Broadcast
Sending one message to many WhatsApp contacts at once — capped at 256 recipients on the Business App, and effectively unlimited (tier-permitting) via approved templates on the Business API.
Last updated: 2026-06-10
Definition
A WhatsApp broadcast is a one-to-many send: the same message delivered individually to a list of contacts, arriving as a normal one-to-one chat with no visible group. On the free WhatsApp Business App, broadcast lists cap at 256 contacts and only reach users who have saved the sender's number — both hard limits for any real campaign. On the WhatsApp Business API, broadcasts are template-based campaign sends to opted-in audiences, bounded only by the number's messaging tier (up to unlimited), with per-recipient delivery, read, and click tracking. API broadcasts using Marketing templates bill per delivered message and are subject to opt-in requirements, per-user marketing caps, and template pacing — the modern broadcast is a managed campaign, not a blast.
How it applies in India
Broadcast is the workhorse of Indian WhatsApp marketing — festival offers, restock alerts, payment-reminder runs — and the 256-contact App limit is the most common trigger for SMBs to move to the API via a BSP. The compliance side is unforgiving in India: DPDPA requires recorded consent for marketing sends, and Meta's quality system punishes scraped-list blasts within days. WatEase runs broadcasts as segmented campaigns with opt-in enforcement, tier-aware throttling, and per-message delivery analytics.
Frequently asked questions
How many contacts can I broadcast to on WhatsApp?
On the WhatsApp Business App: 256 per broadcast list, and only contacts who saved your number receive it. On the Business API: up to your number's messaging tier of unique customers per 24 hours (1,000 / 10,000 / 100,000 / unlimited), using approved templates sent to opted-in contacts.
Do broadcast recipients see each other?
No. A broadcast delivers as an ordinary one-to-one message in each recipient's chat with you. It is not a group; replies come back privately to your inbox.
Why did my broadcast get my number banned?
Almost always: sending marketing to contacts without genuine opt-in. High block/report rates turn quality rating Yellow then Red, shrink your messaging tier, and can end in a ban. Broadcast only to recorded opt-ins, segment for relevance, and watch quality after every campaign.
Related terms
- WhatsApp Business AppThe free mobile app from Meta for small businesses to manage customer conversations, with built-in catalog, labels, and quick replies — but no API or broadcast scale.
- WhatsApp Business APIA programmatic interface from Meta that lets businesses send and receive WhatsApp messages at scale through a third-party platform.
- Marketing ConversationA WhatsApp message category covering promotional content — offers, product launches, re-engagement — billed at the highest rate of Meta's template categories.
- Messaging Limits & TieringMeta's cap on how many unique customers a WhatsApp Business number can initiate conversations with in 24 hours — tiered at 250, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, and unlimited.
- Per-User Marketing Message LimitsMeta's frequency cap on how many marketing template messages a single WhatsApp user can receive from all businesses combined within a set period.
- Opt-inExplicit, recorded permission from a customer to receive WhatsApp messages from a business — required by Meta's Commerce Policy before any business-initiated conversation.
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