How to Send Broadcast Message on WhatsApp?

Sending a WhatsApp broadcast message is straightforward. Creating a list, typing a message, hitting send — that part takes two minutes. What most guides don't cover is why so many broadcasts get ignored, why some get accounts flagged, and what separates a broadcast that drives real responses from one that disappears into the noise.

This guide covers the full picture. How to send a broadcast on Android and iPhone, what the limits mean and how to work beyond them, how Shopify businesses handle broadcasts at scale, and real message templates you can use immediately. Whether you're sending your first broadcast or looking to make them work harder for your store — this is the guide that covers all of it.

Quick Answer

To send a WhatsApp broadcast message, open WhatsApp, go to the three-dot menu, select Broadcast Lists, create a new list by adding up to 256 contacts, type your message and send. Each contact receives it as a private individual message. For businesses needing to broadcast to more than 256 contacts with automation and compliance, the WhatsApp Business API is required.

Key Takeaways

• WhatsApp broadcasts send one message to multiple contacts as individual private messages — recipients don't see each other
• The standard WhatsApp Business App limits broadcasts to 256 contacts per list and requires recipients to have your number saved
• The WhatsApp Business API removes the 256-contact limit and adds automation, segmentation, and compliance tools
• Broadcasts that feel personalised and relevant get replies — broadcasts that feel like bulk spam get ignored or reported
• Shopify merchants use API-connected tools like Chatix to send targeted, compliant broadcasts tied to real store data

What Is a WhatsApp Broadcast Message and How Does It Work?

A WhatsApp broadcast message lets you send the same message to multiple contacts simultaneously — but each recipient receives it as an individual private message, not as a group conversation. Recipients don't see each other, don't know it was sent to multiple people, and reply directly to you in their own private chat. Read the full guide on how to sell products on WhatsApp using conversations, not just broadcasts.

This is what makes broadcasts different from WhatsApp groups. In a group, everyone sees every message and every reply. In a broadcast, each conversation is private — which makes broadcast messages feel personal even when they're sent to hundreds of people at once.

How is it different from a WhatsApp group — and what is a broadcast group?

The key distinction is direction. A group is a multi-way conversation — everyone talks to everyone. A broadcast is one-way — you send, each recipient receives privately, and any replies come back to you individually. If you've seen the term 'broadcast group' used elsewhere, it means the same thing as a broadcast list on WhatsApp — a saved list of contacts you send broadcasts to. They are not actual groups. You can read more about the full difference in the WhatsApp Broadcast vs Groups guide.

How to Send a Broadcast Message on WhatsApp?

For Android Users:

1. Open WhatsApp on your Android device.
2. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Select New Broadcast from the dropdown menu.
4. Search for or scroll through your contacts and select the ones you want to include. You can add up to 256 contacts per broadcast list.
5. Tap the green checkmark to create the broadcast list.
6. Type your message in the text box. You can add images, videos, documents, or links as you would in a normal chat.
7. Tap send. Each selected contact receives the message as a private individual chat.

Your broadcast list is now saved. The next time you want to message the same group, open the list from your chats and send directly — no need to select contacts again.

For iPhone Users:

1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
2. Tap the Chats tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap Broadcast Lists in the top-left corner of the screen.
4. Tap New List.
5. Search for and add the contacts you want to include — up to 256 per list.
6. Tap Create to save the broadcast list.
7. Type your message and tap send. Each contact receives it as a private message in their own chat with you.

Saved numbers only: Only contacts who have your number saved in their phone will receive your broadcast. If a contact hasn't saved your number, the message will not be delivered — no error, it just won't arrive. Before an important broadcast, remind your audience to save your number with a quick social media post or story.

Before you send your first broadcast, the WhatsApp message templates library has ready-to-use templates for product launches, sale announcements, and customer follow-ups — so you're not starting from a blank page.

WhatsApp Broadcast Limits — What They Are and Why They Exist?

1. The 256-contact limit

Each broadcast list in the WhatsApp Business App can contain a maximum of 256 contacts. You can create multiple broadcast lists — there's no limit on how many lists you have — but each individual send is capped at 256 recipients. For a very small business with a modest customer list, this is workable. For a Shopify store with thousands of customers, it quickly becomes unmanageable.

2. The saved-number requirement

Beyond the contact limit, there's a second restriction many businesses miss — messages are only delivered to contacts who have saved your number. If your customer list was built through a checkout form or website sign-up, a significant portion may not have your number saved. This can dramatically reduce your effective reach even within the 256-contact limit.

3. Why these limits exist?

WhatsApp's limits exist to protect users from spam. Accounts that send high volumes of unsolicited messages risk being flagged or restricted. The 256-contact limit is a built-in friction point designed to slow down bulk spam at scale — not punish legitimate businesses.

4. How to work beyond these limits?

The WhatsApp Business API removes the 256-contact ceiling and the saved-number requirement — but introduces a different requirement: proper customer opt-in. API broadcasts can only be sent to customers who have explicitly agreed to receive messages from your business. This is not a workaround — it's a better system. Broadcasts sent to opted-in customers have significantly higher open and response rates than broadcasts sent to cold or unsaved contacts.

For stores wanting to send to thousands of contacts at once, the How to Send 1000 Messages on WhatsApp guide covers the options in detail.

WhatsApp Broadcast for Business — When the Basic Method Stops Working?

The WhatsApp Business App broadcast feature works well as a starting point. For a small business with under 200 regular customers, manual broadcasts through the app are manageable. But there are clear signals that the basic method is no longer serving your business.

1. You're hitting the 256-contact ceiling regularly

If you're creating multiple lists and sending the same message across all of them manually, you've outgrown the basic method — not just in effort, but in risk. Sending identical broadcasts across dozens of manually-managed lists is exactly the pattern WhatsApp's spam detection flags.

2. You have no way to segment who receives what

A Shopify store has customers at different stages — first-time buyers, repeat customers, customers who abandoned a cart last week, customers who haven't ordered in three months. Sending the same broadcast to all of them is not just ineffective — it's the fastest way to get unsubscribes and blocks. Meaningful segmentation is impossible in the basic app.

3. You're broadcasting without any performance data

The WhatsApp Business App shows delivery ticks and read receipts — nothing more. No click rates, no reply rates, no conversion data. Without visibility into what's working, every broadcast is a guess. At any meaningful scale, guessing is not a strategy.

These patterns also show up in the broader list of common WhatsApp marketing mistakes Shopify merchants make — worth reading before you scale up your broadcast strategy.

How to Send WhatsApp Broadcasts at Scale with WhatsApp Business API?

The WhatsApp Business API is how Shopify stores move from manual, limited broadcasting to automated, scalable, compliant campaigns. Here's what the API unlocks that the basic app cannot do.

What the API adds?

• Send broadcasts to unlimited opted-in contacts in a single campaign
• Segment your audience based on purchase history, behaviour, or custom tags
• Schedule broadcasts to go out at a specific date and time automatically
• Use personalised message templates with dynamic variables — customer name, order number, product name
• Track delivery rates, open rates, and click-through rates per campaign
• Handle opt-outs automatically — contacts who reply stop are removed from future sends

How Shopify merchants use it with Chatix?

CTX-WhatsApp Chat app connects the WhatsApp Business API directly to your Shopify store — no separate Meta application, no developer setup required. Your Shopify customer data is available for segmentation inside Chatix. You build a broadcast audience based on purchase history, location, or order value, schedule the campaign, and send — with full performance tracking afterwards.

Common broadcasts Shopify merchants run through Chatix:

• Sale announcements: Sent to all opted-in customers 24 hours before and again on the day of a sale
• New product launches: Targeted to customers who previously bought from the same category
• Restock alerts: Sent automatically when a previously out-of-stock product becomes available
• Win-back campaigns: Targeted at customers who haven't purchased in 60 or 90 days
• Seasonal promotions: BFCM, Diwali, Eid, Christmas — scheduled in advance, sent automatically

For a deeper look at the full automation setup alongside broadcasts, the WhatsApp Automation for Shopify guide covers each type in detail.

WhatsApp Broadcast Message Templates — Real Examples for Shopify Stores

These templates are designed for Shopify stores. Replace all variables in brackets before sending. Templates sent via the WhatsApp Business API require Meta approval before use — allow time for this before your planned send date.

1. New product launch

2. Sale announcement

For more sale and promotional message variations, browse the offer message templates library.

3. Abandoned cart recovery

For more abandoned cart variations you can adapt for your store, see the full abandoned cart message templates collection

4. Restock alert

5. Win-back campaign

6. Post-purchase feedback

7. Seasonal promotion

Why WhatsApp Broadcasts Fail — And How to Avoid It?

Most WhatsApp broadcast failures come down to a small number of avoidable mistakes. Knowing them before you start is significantly better than learning them the hard way.

1. Sending to contacts who haven't opted in

This is the most common and most damaging mistake. Broadcasts to contacts who didn't ask to receive them lead to high block rates, spam reports, and — if repeated — account restrictions. Always build your broadcast list from opted-in customers only.

2. Over-messaging

WhatsApp is a personal channel. Customers tolerate one to two relevant messages per week before they start feeling spammed. A broadcast sent once a week that's genuinely useful performs better than five sent in a day that feel like noise.

3. Generic messages with no personalisation

A broadcast that starts with 'Dear Customer' feels like a bulk email — which is exactly what WhatsApp is supposed to replace. Even a single personalisation variable like the customer's first name changes how the message feels to the recipient.

4. No clear call to action

Every broadcast should have one clear thing it's asking the reader to do — visit a link, reply with a question, use a code. Broadcasts without a clear next step get read and forgotten. One CTA per broadcast, no exceptions.

5. Sending at the wrong time

WhatsApp messages land on a personal device. Sending broadcasts at 6am or late at night generates negative reactions regardless of message quality. Mid-morning and early evening on weekdays consistently outperform other time slots for ecommerce broadcasts.

For a full framework on planning and executing broadcast campaigns that avoid these mistakes, the WhatsApp marketing campaigns guide for ecommerce covers campaign structure, timing, and compliance in detail.

Conclusion

WhatsApp broadcasts are one of the most effective ways to reach customers directly — but only when used thoughtfully. The steps are simple. The discipline around who you send to, how often, and what you say is what determines whether your broadcasts build customer relationships or damage them.

For small lists the WhatsApp Business App is enough to get started. For Shopify stores that want to send targeted, automated, compliant broadcasts tied to real store data — the WhatsApp Business API is the right tool. Chatix is the fastest way to connect it to your Shopify store — no technical setup required, with full broadcast scheduling, segmentation, and performance tracking built in from day one.

Merchants who want to go beyond broadcasts and manage all customer conversations, order data, and campaigns in one place can explore WhatsApp CRM for Shopify — the full picture of what's possible when WhatsApp is properly connected to your store