How to Send a Broadcast Message on WhatsApp (Step by Step)

You have a new offer, a rate change or a festival scheme, and fifty customers who should hear about it today. Typing the same message fifty times is out of the question. A broadcast message on WhatsApp sends one message to many people at once, and each of them gets it as a normal personal chat from you.

This guide shows the exact steps on Android and iPhone, the one rule that decides who actually receives it, and ready messages you can copy.

What is a broadcast message on WhatsApp?

A broadcast is one message sent to a saved list of contacts, called a broadcast list. It is different from a group in three ways:

• Each person gets it privately. It arrives in their own chat with you, not in a group.
• Nobody sees who else got it. Your customers never see each other's numbers.
• Replies come only to you. If someone answers, the reply appears in your personal chat with them.

That privacy is why salesmen use broadcasts instead of groups. A loan customer does not want forty strangers seeing their number, and you do not want a group chat filling up with "ok" and "thanks".

How to send a broadcast message on Android

These are the steps from WhatsApp's own help page:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab.
2. Tap the three dots (⋮) at the top right, then Broadcast lists.
3. Tap the + button to make a new list.
4. Search for or tick the contacts you want to add.
5. Tap the green tick to create the list.

Your list now appears in Chats. Open it, type your message (or attach a photo, PDF or video) and press send. WhatsApp delivers it to everyone on the list as a separate chat.

How to send a broadcast message on iPhone

On iPhone the option sits in Settings, not in Chats:

1. Tap Settings (or your profile picture).
2. Tap Broadcast messages, then New List.
3. Search for or select the contacts you want to add.
4. Tap Create.

Open the list, write your message and send it. To change a list later, go back to Settings > Broadcast messages and tap the "i" next to it.

Can you send a broadcast from WhatsApp Web or a laptop?

No. WhatsApp says broadcast lists are not supported on WhatsApp Web, Windows or Mac, and you cannot create or view them on linked devices. You have to send broadcasts from the phone where your WhatsApp account is registered.

The rule that decides who receives your broadcast

This is where most salesmen lose half their message without knowing it.

Only people who have saved your number in their phone receive your broadcast. WhatsApp states this clearly: if a customer has not added you to their contacts, your broadcast simply never reaches them. You see no error. Your message shows as sent, and that customer just never gets it.

So if you collected 200 numbers from walk-ins, enquiry forms or a property expo, most of those people have probably not saved you, and a broadcast reaches only a fraction of them.

What you can do:

• Ask new customers to save your number in the first chat. A simple "Please save this number so you get our updates" works.
• Share your number as a link with our free WhatsApp link generator, so customers start the chat with you.
• Keep lists small and real. A list of 40 people who know you works better than 256 who don't.

Broadcast limits: 256 contacts per list

Each broadcast list can hold up to 256 contacts. You can create as many lists as you like, so 600 customers can go into three lists.

WhatsApp has also started showing a monthly broadcast limit to people in some countries. It is rolling out gradually, so you may not see it yet. We explain both limits, and what to do when you reach them, in WhatsApp broadcast limit: 256 contacts explained.

What about the WhatsApp Business app?

Broadcast lists work the same way in the WhatsApp Business app, with the same 256-contact and saved-number rules.

In some countries the Business app also offers paid broadcasts, called "marketing messages" or "business broadcasts". These are charged for each message delivered, priced by the customer's country, and WhatsApp lists an Indian rupee rate card. The feature is still rolling out, so it may not be on your account yet. If you use it, Meta's rules are strict: only message people who agreed to hear from you, and give them a clear way to stop. Accounts that get reported can lose the feature for three days, and longer if it happens again.

Broadcast message examples for salesmen

Short, personal and with one clear next step works best. Copy these and change the details.

Loan agent:

Namaste! Home loan rates this month start from 8.4% (depends on bank and profile). If you or someone in your family is planning a home this year, reply "DETAILS" and I will send you the documents list.

Insurance advisor:

Hello! A ₹1 crore term plan often costs less than people expect. Want me to check the exact premium for your age? Just reply with your date of birth.

Real estate agent:

Namaste! New 2 BHK flats near the ring road, possession in 2027, site visits open this Sunday. Reply "VISIT" and I will book a time for you.

After a festival or event:

Thank you for visiting our stall at the expo! As promised, here are this month's offers. Reply anytime if you have a question.

Two habits make every broadcast work better:

• Say who you are in the first line if the customer might not remember you.
• Ask for one simple reply ("DETAILS", "VISIT", a date of birth). A reply also tells you who is interested, so you know whom to call first.

How to avoid getting your number blocked

A broadcast is a normal WhatsApp feature, but people can still report you. If many customers block or report your messages, WhatsApp can restrict or ban your number. To stay safe:

• Only add people who know you and gave you their number.
• Don't broadcast every day. Once or twice a week with something useful is plenty.
• Remove anyone who says stop, "mat bhejo" or "no more messages", the same day.
• Never use unofficial "bulk sender" apps or browser tools that blast messages to unsaved numbers. That is the fastest way to lose your number. Our guide to sending bulk messages on WhatsApp safely explains why.

When a broadcast list is not enough

Broadcast lists are perfect for a few dozen regular customers. They start to fail when:

• you have hundreds of new leads who have not saved your number,
• you need more than a few lists of 256,
• or you want to see who received and read your offer, not just who replied.

That is what WhatsApp's official Business API is for. It sends an approved message (a "template") to every lead who agreed to hear from you, whether or not they saved your number, with delivery and read reports for each one. Templates need Meta's approval first, which usually takes minutes to a day; we cover the details in WhatsApp template approval time.

Agniix puts the official API into a simple app for salesmen in India: upload your leads, send an approved offer to all of them, see who read it, and answer replies from one inbox. Your first month is free, then ₹500 a month. Meta's own message charges are billed to your WhatsApp account directly, with nothing added. See pricing.

Frequently asked questions

How many people can I send a WhatsApp broadcast to?

Up to 256 contacts in each broadcast list. You can make as many lists as you want. Some countries are also getting a monthly broadcast limit.

Why did some people not receive my broadcast?

They have not saved your number in their phone. WhatsApp only delivers broadcasts to people who have you in their contacts. Ask them to save your number, or message them one by one.

Will customers know I sent the message to others?

No. Each person receives it as a normal chat from you. They cannot see the list or the other people on it.

Is a broadcast the same as a WhatsApp group?

No. In a group everyone sees everyone's messages and numbers. In a broadcast each person chats only with you.

Can I schedule a broadcast message on WhatsApp?

Not with a broadcast list. It goes out the moment you press send, so send it yourself at the time you want customers to see it.

Can I send photos or PDFs in a broadcast?

Yes. You can attach a photo, video, document or voice note to a broadcast, the same as in a normal chat.