WhatsApp Business broadcast lists let you send the same message individually to multiple selected contacts without creating a group among them. They can handle simple communications for a small operation, but differ in eligibility, management, segmentation and measurement compared with campaigns run via the WhatsApp Business Platform or an integrated tool.
Want to go straight to the step-by-step? See below how to create the list on Android or iPhone. If the list already exists, also check the section on how to find it and the difference between the mobile app and WhatsApp Web.
What is a broadcast list in WhatsApp Business?
A broadcast list gathers recipients to receive the same message in separate conversations. Contacts are not placed in a collective space, do not see other participants and receive the communication as an individual message. If someone replies, the response goes only to the company in the private conversation.
This differs from a group, where participants share the same environment and can view messages and information from other members according to applicable settings.
It is also important to distinguish two products. The WhatsApp Business app is installed on the phone and provides features aimed at small businesses. The WhatsApp Business Platform enables companies and systems to work programmatically with messages, templates, webhooks, support and integrations. Campaigns executed via the Platform, including by an integrated tool, are not simply a copy of the app’s native list.
WhatsApp has also begun offering business broadcasts as a more advanced, paid mode in the app for businesses. Availability, interface and terms may vary by country, account and version. For that reason, this article avoids treating every broadcast experience as a single, immutable feature.
How does a broadcast list work?
The basic flow can be understood in five steps:
- Contact selection: the company chooses people who are authorized and eligible for that communication.
- List creation or selection: recipients are organized in the feature available in the app.
- Sending a common message: the content is prepared once and sent individually to the selected contacts.
- Individual receipt: each eligible recipient receives the message in their private conversation when applicable conditions are met.
- Handling responses: questions, opt-out requests and other replies are handled separately.
Broadcasting does not guarantee delivery. User preferences, contact eligibility, product limits, message quality and technical conditions can interfere. Meta itself has been changing business messaging features to reduce unwanted communications and let people control what they receive.
Older materials often repeat fixed recipient numbers and scheduling requirements. Because the experience is in transition and can differ between the classic list and the new business broadcasts, check the information shown in the app itself before planning a send. Do not use a remembered limit from another version as an operational basis.
How to create a broadcast list in WhatsApp Business
Steps verified on August 20, 2026. Official guidance from WhatsApp provides different paths for Android and iPhone. However, menu names and availability may change by version, market and rollout of business broadcasts. Update the app and note the options shown in your account.
On Android
- Open the WhatsApp Business Chats area.
- Tap the more options menu, represented by three dots.
- Look for New broadcast or for the business broadcast option available on the account.
- Select only the contacts appropriate for the communication.
- Confirm the creation, review the audience, and prepare the message.
On iPhone
- Open WhatsApp Business and go to Settings.
- Look for Broadcast lists or the business mode shown in your installed version.
- Tap New list, when that option is available.
- Select the authorized contacts and confirm.
- Review recipients before composing and sending the message.
If names or paths don’t appear, check the in-app help. Do not try to bypass an unavailability with unauthorized tools. Before a larger communication, run a test with a few contacts who have consented to receive messages. Confirm how the message appears, how replies are returned, and how an opt-out request will be handled.
How to find a broadcast list you already created?
For a classic broadcast list, use the app on the primary phone. On Android, open the Chats tab and select the broadcast list you created. On iPhone, open Settings (or your profile photo) and look for Broadcast messages; there you can choose the list. Displayed names may vary depending on the app version.
Do not confuse this list with filters or lists used only to organize chats: they serve a different purpose. If the path does not appear, check the help available in your WhatsApp Business version before assuming the list was deleted.
Can I create or open the list via WhatsApp Web?
Classic broadcast lists cannot be created or accessed on WhatsApp Web or other connected devices, according to the WhatsApp Business help on connected devices. To view or edit a list of this type, use the app on the primary phone.
This does not mean that every business broadcast mode is absent from the Web. WhatsApp documents specific business broadcasts functions in the Web version for eligible accounts, with limited availability. This is a different experience from the classic list; confirm which options exist for your account before planning the operation. If you need to combine audiences, scheduling, and tracking with store data, see the WPP Marketing segmented campaigns.
Broadcast list, group or campaign: what’s the difference?
| Mode | Who sees participants | How replies arrive | Segmentation and management | Measurement available | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App broadcast list | Recipients don’t see the list or each other | Like individual chats | Selection and organization within the app’s features | Information available in the app itself, depending on mode and version | Occasional communication for a small, manageable base |
| WhatsApp group | Participants share a collective space and can see group information | Within the group, depending on permissions and settings | Member management and rules for collective conversation | Group-specific indicators, not equivalent to an integrated campaign | Community, coordination, or conversation where member interaction makes sense |
| Campaign via the Platform or integrated tool | Each recipient receives the message individually | May arrive to an inbox or connected system | Segments, exclusions, templates, scheduling and governance according to the solution | Status, replies, clicks or attribution depending on connection and integration | Recurring operation that requires segmentation, team, integration or monitoring |
No mode is universally superior. A group is suitable when collective conversation is part of the goal. An in-app broadcast can solve an occasional contact. A structured campaign makes sense when a company needs to coordinate data, audiences, teams and metrics.
Is the WhatsApp Business broadcast list free?
It’s not correct to say that all business broadcasts over WhatsApp are always free. You need to separate the components:
- App: The classic list experience was offered inside the app, but Meta announced business broadcasts as a paid, more advanced feature. Availability and billing must be checked in the account and the company's marketplace.
- Operation: Even when there is no specific fee in the app, there are still costs for internet, device, staff, content creation, and handling responses.
- WhatsApp Business Platform: has its own charging rules. Meta publishes prices per delivered message, market and category, with conditions that may change.
- Integrated tool: a platform like WPP Marketing may charge a subscription according to plan and features. Platform costs should be separate from any amounts charged by Meta or third parties.
Before sending, check the official pricing page of the WhatsApp Business Platform and the conditions presented in the app. Do not project costs using figures from old articles.
When can the native list be sufficient?
Broadcasts in the app can serve a company when the audience is small and manageable, communication is occasional, and recipient selection can be done with simple criteria. It is also necessary that replies can be handled by one person or a small team without losing context.
Another sign is the absence of more advanced dependencies: the company does not need to schedule multiple campaigns, synchronize the database with a store or CRM, apply automatic exclusions or assign orders to messages. Still, consent, relevance, frequency and response handling remain necessary.
If the team begins to keep parallel lists, copy contacts between systems or manually check who purchased to avoid sending a new offer, the difficulty is no longer only in sending. It is in the governance of the database.
When to evaluate segmented campaigns on a platform?
A WhatsApp platform can be evaluated when the operation has multiple segments, recurring campaigns or data scattered between store, ERP and CRM. At this stage, features like scheduling, exclusions, history and permissions help reduce manual tasks.
The need also appears when several people handle replies. An inbox for team support allows forwarding conversations and preserving context according to available features. Segments tied to purchase, interest or inactivity can be organized with more consistent criteria than manually maintained lists; see how base segmentation.
In e-commerce, events like cart, order and repurchase can feed automations different from a scheduled campaign. The article on how WhatsApp Marketing works explains the distinction between campaign, event-driven automation and support.
To specifically evaluate scheduling, audiences and tracking, consult the segmented campaigns page on WhatsApp. The feature does not replace or recreate the native list: it is another operational structure.
How to send campaigns responsibly
Responsible communication starts before creating the message. The company should obtain and record appropriate consent, inform what type of content it intends to send and set a reasonable expectation of frequency.
- segment by interest, purchase or verifiable context;
- do not buy, scrape or use lists that have no legitimate relationship with the company;
- clearly identify the sender and the reason for the contact;
- offer an easy way to stop promotional messages;
- record and respect opt-out requests in future sends;
- prepare the team for questions and replies;
- monitor failures, blocks and signs of low quality when available;
- review applicable policies before each campaign.
On the WhatsApp Business Platform, conversations initiated by the company may require approved templates and must follow the corresponding purpose. The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy also provides user control and measures for violations. Platform connections and policies are detailed in the content about Official API and CoEx.
Checklist before the first send
- Defined objective: does the team know why the message will be sent and what action is expected?
- Authorized and eligible contacts: has the source of consent and the product conditions been verified?
- Coherent segment: does the content make sense for everyone selected?
- Identifiable and useful message: does the contact recognize the company and understand the reason for the communication?
- Planned frequency: does the sending consider previous contacts and avoid overload?
- Prepared team: is there an owner for questions, exceptions and complaints?
- Opt-out mechanism: can the recipient request to stop and will that preference be recorded?
- Possible follow-up: has the company defined which indicators are actually available?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a broadcast list and a group?
In a broadcast, recipients do not see each other and replies are individual. In a group, participants share the same conversation and interact according to the defined permissions.
Do contacts know they are in a broadcast list?
The recipient receives the message in an individual chat and does not see the other members. This does not remove the company's obligation to identify itself and send only expected communications.
Why might a broadcast message not be delivered?
Contact eligibility, preferences, limits, communication quality and technical conditions can interfere. WhatsApp does not guarantee that every broadcast reaches all selected contacts.
Is there a limit of contacts per list?
WhatsApp applies limits that may vary by mode, account, market and version. As the experience is evolving with business broadcasts, check the number shown in the app when creating the list.
Is it possible to schedule a broadcast list?
The app's classic feature should not be confused with a campaign scheduled by a platform. Check the options available in the current version; if scheduling and recurrence are requirements, consider a compatible solution.
Is the broadcast list free?
Not in all scenarios. Meta announced paid business broadcasts in the app, and the Platform may charge separately when applicable. There may also be tool subscriptions and operational costs.
When to use a platform for campaigns?
When the company needs to integrate data, maintain multiple segments, schedule campaigns, apply exclusions, handle team-based support or track results beyond what the app provides.
Official sources consulted
- WhatsApp: how to use broadcast lists — instructions and functionality; consulted on 08/20/2026.
- WhatsApp Business: business broadcasts — enterprise mode in the app; consulted on 08/20/2026.
- Meta: controls and business messages on WhatsApp — opt-in, feedback and paid feature; consulted on 08/20/2026.
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy — templates, support and compliance; consulted on 08/20/2026.
- WhatsApp Business Platform Pricing — pricing model and variables; consulted on 08/20/2026.
- WhatsApp Help: broadcast lists on Android — locating and editing the classic list; consulted on 09/23/2026.
- WhatsApp Help: broadcast lists on iPhone — access via Broadcast Messages; consulted on 09/23/2026.
- WhatsApp Business Help: connected devices — classic list unavailable on these devices; consulted on 09/23/2026.
- WhatsApp Help: business broadcasts — distinct mode with Web features and limited availability; consulted on 09/23/2026.
Conclusion
The choice between broadcast, group, and structured campaign depends on audience size, frequency, need for segmentation, capacity to handle replies, and available metrics. For occasional, manageable communication, the app may be sufficient. When manual lists no longer provide control, the company can consider an integrated operation.
If you need to organize audiences, schedule communications, and track replies with more governance, learn about the segmented campaigns of WPP Marketing and check whether the features meet your scenario.