Glossary
Broadcast meaning in WhatsApp: broadcast lists, groups and API broadcasts explained
What broadcast means on WhatsApp: broadcast lists in the app, how they differ from groups, why only people who saved your number get them, and how businesses broadcast at scale through the API.
By Broadchat teamPublished Updated 5 min read
Definition
Broadcast: Broadcast in WhatsApp means sending one message to many people at once, with each person receiving it as a private one-to-one chat from you. In the app this is a broadcast list of up to 256 contacts, and only contacts who saved your number receive it. On the WhatsApp Business API, a broadcast (campaign) uses an approved template, goes only to opted-in contacts and is capped by the messaging limit.
Also called: Bulk campaign, WhatsApp campaign, Bulk message
Broadcast in WhatsApp means sending the same message to many people in one go, where every person gets it as a normal private chat from you and nobody sees the other recipients. In the WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps you do it with a broadcast list; businesses that need to reach thousands of customers do it with a broadcast (campaign) on the WhatsApp Business API.
Broadcast list meaning, and how it differs from a group
A broadcast list is a saved list of contacts on your phone. When you send a message to the list, WhatsApp delivers a separate copy to each contact. Replies come back to you in a one-to-one chat, never to the whole list. A group is a shared conversation: every member sees every message, every reply and each other's numbers. WhatsApp's Help Center puts it simply: broadcast lists are one-to-many, so if you want people to talk to each other, create a group.
| Broadcast list | Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Recipients see each other | No | Yes |
| Replies go to | Only you, as a private chat | Everyone in the group |
| Who receives it | Only contacts who saved your number | All members |
| Size | Up to 256 contacts per list | Set by WhatsApp's group rules |
| Best for | Offers, updates, reminders to customers | Discussions among a team, family or class |
Who actually receives a broadcast list message
WhatsApp's Help Center gives two rules that explain almost every "my broadcast did not reach everyone" complaint:
- Only people who saved your number receive it. A contact who has not added your number to their phone's address book gets nothing, and the app shows you no error. Ask customers to save your number, for example on your bill or shop counter.
- Up to 256 contacts per list. You can make as many lists as you like, but each one holds at most 256 contacts.
Broadcast lists work on phones only; they are not available on WhatsApp Web, Windows or Mac. The step-by-step taps for Android and iPhone are in our broadcast list guide.
How businesses broadcast at scale: the API
You pick an approved message template, choose an audience, map each variable to a contact field (name, order number, city) and send. Each recipient gets a personal one-to-one message; nobody sees the other recipients. Replies come back to you as individual chats.
Four rules decide who actually receives it:
- Opt-in: only contacts who agreed to hear from your business. See opt-in.
- Template outside the window: anyone who has not written to you in the last 24 hours can only get a template.
- Messaging limit: your messaging limit caps how many unique people you can start conversations with in a rolling 24 hours (250, then 2,000, 10,000, 100,000, unlimited), shared across the business portfolio.
- Per-user marketing limits: WhatsApp may hold back marketing templates from people who have received many recently; those sends fail with error 131049.
Business app broadcast list vs API broadcast
| Business app broadcast list | API broadcast | |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives it | Only people who saved your number | Any opted-in contact |
| Message | Free text | Approved template outside the window |
| Personalisation | None | Variables per contact |
| Reports | Basic ticks | Sent, delivered, read, replied, failed per contact |
| Under coexistence | Disabled, existing lists read-only | Available |
Example: a Diwali offer
Rangoli Home has 6,400 opted-in customers, tagged by city, and its portfolio is on the 10,000 tier. Meera sends a marketing template with an image header: "Hi {{1}}, our Diwali collection is live. Use code DIYA15 at checkout before 30 Oct." She excludes everyone tagged "complaint-open" and schedules it for 11:00 instead of 21:00. The next morning she retargets those who read but did not reply with a shorter reminder. Some recipients are skipped because of per-user marketing limits; that is expected and not a fault in the campaign.
Prices depend on the category and the recipient's country; see WhatsApp API pricing.
Broadcasts in Broadchat
Campaigns live under CRM → Bulk Campaign. You can send to contacts, segments, tags or a CSV, send now or schedule, repeat daily, weekly, monthly or yearly, and retarget by recipient status. A Rocket campaign splits one audience across several channels or templates, and an API campaign is triggered from your own system. Sending is paced to the number's messaging limit and throughput, and reports show delivered, read and replied with CSV export. Start with the send a campaign help article, the broadcast feature page and the message templates guide.
Related terms
Sources
- How to use broadcast lists — WhatsApp Help Center, checked 4 November 2026
- About broadcast limits — WhatsApp Help Center, checked 4 November 2026
- Messaging limits — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Per-user marketing template message limits — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy — WhatsApp, checked 12 October 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of broadcast in WhatsApp?
It means sending one message to many people at once, where each person receives it as a private chat from you and cannot see the other recipients. In the app you use a broadcast list; businesses use a campaign on the WhatsApp Business API.
Why did some contacts not get my broadcast list message?
WhatsApp delivers broadcast list messages only to contacts who have saved your number in their phone's address book. Anyone who has not saved it receives nothing, and the app does not warn you.
How many people can be on one WhatsApp broadcast list?
WhatsApp's Help Center says up to 256 contacts per list. You can create several lists. For larger audiences, businesses use API broadcasts, where the number of people reached is set by the messaging limit instead.
Can I broadcast to numbers I bought or scraped?
No. WhatsApp policy requires opt-in from every person you message. Sending to unconsented lists leads to blocks and reports, a lower quality rating and possible restrictions on your number.
Why did only part of my broadcast go out?
Usually the messaging limit was reached for the rolling 24 hours, or some recipients were held back by per-user marketing limits (error 131049). Check the failed reasons in the report before resending.
Is a broadcast free if customers messaged me recently?
No. Template messages are charged per delivered message by category, and since 1 Oct 2026 utility templates are charged even inside an open window. Check the pricing page for the current rules.