WhatsApp Broadcast List: Complete Guide and Tips [2026]
If you use WhatsApp to communicate with customers, suppliers, or work teams, understanding the WhatsApp broadcast list in depth is essential. This feature allows sending the same message to multiple contacts simultaneously, without creating a group where everyone interacts with each other. It is, in essence, the equivalent of a private mass send within the app itself.
However, broadcast lists have important limitations that many are unaware of: a maximum of 256 contacts per list, the requirement that recipients have you saved in their contacts, and the absence of detailed open or delivery metrics. In this guide, we explain how to create a WhatsApp broadcast list step by step, the differences with groups and channels, tips to get the most out of it, and when it makes sense to upgrade to professional tools like the WhatsApp Business API.
What Is a WhatsApp Broadcast List and How It Works
A WhatsApp broadcast list is a feature that allows sending the same message to multiple contacts at once without them knowing who else received it. Unlike a group, each recipient receives the message as if it were a private individual chat. If they reply, the response goes only to you, not to the rest of the list.
The process is straightforward: you select the contacts you want to include, write the message, and send it. WhatsApp takes care of replicating it to each recipient individually. You can send text, images, videos, documents, and voice notes, just like in any normal chat.
There's a fundamental requirement that many overlook: each contact on the list must have your number saved in their contacts. If someone doesn't have you added, they simply won't receive the message. WhatsApp imposed this restriction to prevent spam, but it means you must make sure your recipients have you saved before sending any communication.
The current limit is 256 contacts per broadcast list. You can create multiple lists to cover more recipients, but manual management gets complicated quickly when you handle hundreds or thousands of contacts.
Difference Between Broadcast List, Group, and Channel
Understanding the difference between these three features is key to choosing the right tool for each situation:
| Característica | Lista de Difusión | Grupo | Canal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacidad | Cada contacto recibe el mensaje de forma individual | Todos los miembros ven todos los mensajes | Los suscriptores ven los mensajes del administrador |
| Límite de miembros | 256 contactos | 1.024 miembros | Ilimitado |
| Interacción | Solo entre remitente y destinatario | Todos pueden escribir | Solo administradores publican |
| Requisito de contacto | El destinatario debe tener tu número guardado | No es necesario | No es necesario |
| Visibilidad de miembros | Solo el creador ve la lista | Todos ven a los demás miembros | Los suscriptores son anónimos |
| Ideal para | Comunicaciones uno-a-muchos privadas | Colaboración y debate grupal | Difusión a audiencias amplias |
If you need to send information privately and personalized to a small group, the broadcast list is your best option. If you're looking for discussion and interaction, a group. If you need to reach massive audiences without limits, a channel.
For WhatsApp marketing strategies at a larger scale, broadcast lists fall short and you'll need more professional solutions.
How to Create a WhatsApp Broadcast List Step by Step
The process for creating a broadcast list varies slightly depending on the device and WhatsApp version you use. Below we detail the exact steps for each platform.
On Android
- Open WhatsApp and tap the three vertical dots icon in the upper right corner.
- Select "New broadcast" from the dropdown menu.
- Your contact list will appear. Select all the contacts you want to include (remember: maximum 256 and they must have you saved in their contacts).
- Tap the confirmation icon (green check) in the lower right corner.
- The list is created automatically and appears in your chats screen with a megaphone icon.
- Write your message and tap send. WhatsApp will distribute it to all selected contacts individually.
To edit the list later, open the broadcast conversation, tap the list name at the top, and you can add or remove contacts.
On iPhone
- Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats.
- Tap "Broadcast Lists" in the upper left corner of the screen.
- Select "New list".
- Search and select the contacts you want to include.
- Tap "Create" in the upper right corner.
- The list will appear in your chat list, ready to receive messages.
On iOS, the broadcast lists option is more visible than on Android, which makes access easier. To view or manage your existing lists, tap "Broadcast Lists" again in the upper left corner of the chats tab.
On WhatsApp Web/Desktop
This is where many of you will be surprised: WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop do not allow creating broadcast lists. This is a known limitation that Meta has not resolved as of 2026.
If you need to work from a computer and send broadcasts, you have two options:
- Create the list from mobile and then access it from WhatsApp Web to send subsequent messages (the list does appear in Web once created).
- Use the WhatsApp Business API, which does allow WhatsApp bulk messaging from any device or platform without the restrictions of native broadcast lists.
Broadcast List in WhatsApp Business: Extra Features
The WhatsApp Business version (the free app for businesses) offers the same broadcast lists as personal WhatsApp, but with additional features that make them more useful in a commercial context.
Labels and Segmentation
WhatsApp Business allows assigning color labels to your contacts and conversations. You can create labels like "New customers", "Pending orders", "VIP", "Hot leads", or any category relevant to your business.
The direct advantage for broadcast lists is that you can create lists based on labels. For example: an exclusive broadcast list for VIP customers with special offers, another for leads who haven't purchased yet with educational content, and another for customers with recurring orders with replenishment reminders.
This manual segmentation is a first step, but has obvious limitations: it requires labeling each contact manually, labels don't sync with any CRM, and there's no way to automate the assignment process.
Broadcast Lists with WhatsApp Business API
When native broadcast lists fall short, the WhatsApp Business API offers a massive qualitative leap. With the API:
- No 256-contact limit: you can send messages to thousands or even millions of recipients.
- No need for recipients to save your number: messages arrive even if the recipient doesn't have your number saved (always with prior opt-in).
- Meta-approved templates: professional message templates with interactive buttons, images, and personalized variables.
- Detailed metrics: you know exactly who received, read, and responded to each message.
- Complete automation: CRM integration for dynamic segmentation and scheduled sends.
- AI agents: if a recipient responds, an AI agent can manage the conversation automatically.
The difference between a native broadcast list and an API bulk send is like the difference between sending emails one by one from Gmail and using an email marketing platform. Both "send messages", but the scale, professionalism, and metrics are incomparable.
If you need to schedule WhatsApp messages or manage sends to more than 256 contacts on a recurring basis, the API is the way to go.
Best Practices and Tips for Broadcast Lists
Whether you use native broadcast lists or are considering more advanced solutions, these tips will help you maximize results.
How to Overcome the 256-Contact Limit
The 256-contact limit per list is the most common restriction. These are the strategies to manage it:
- Create multiple segmented lists: instead of a giant list, create lists by criteria (geographic region, customer type, product purchased). This not only solves the limit but improves message relevance.
- Use a management tool: apps like WhatsApp Business combined with spreadsheets allow you to keep track of which contacts are in which list.
- Migrate to the WhatsApp Business API: if you exceed 500-1,000 recurring contacts, manual management of multiple lists becomes unsustainable. The API eliminates this problem at its root.
Segmentation Strategies
Segmentation is the difference between a relevant message and spam. Classify your contacts by:
- Customer stage: leads, new customers, recurring customers, inactive customers.
- Product or service: product A customers in one list, product B customers in another.
- Geographic location: especially useful if you have regional offers or local events.
- Engagement level: separate contacts who interact frequently from those who rarely respond.
A generic message sent to your entire base has a much higher risk of being marked as spam than a segmented and relevant message for each group.
Optimal Sending Frequency
There's no universal frequency, but these guidelines will serve as a reference:
- Maximum 2-3 messages per week for commercial lists. More than that generates fatigue and increases blocks.
- Once a month for newsletters or general updates.
- As needed for transactional notifications (confirmations, reminders), which users expect and value.
- Never at inappropriate hours: send between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM in your recipients' time zone.
- Test and measure: if you notice responses dropping or blocks increasing, reduce frequency immediately.
Common Errors with WhatsApp Broadcast Lists
Many users encounter problems when using broadcast lists. Most have a simple explanation and a clear solution.
Broadcast List Not Appearing
This is one of the most searched problems. If the broadcast list option doesn't appear in your WhatsApp, the most common causes are:
- You're on WhatsApp Web or Desktop: as we've explained, these versions don't allow creating broadcast lists. You must do it from mobile.
- Outdated WhatsApp version: make sure you have the latest version installed from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Device restrictions: some older models or those with very outdated operating systems may not support this feature.
- You're looking in the wrong place: on Android, the option is in the three-dots menu. On iPhone, in the upper left corner of the Chats tab.
To find a broadcast list you've already created, look for a megaphone icon in your chats. You can also use the WhatsApp search by typing the name you gave the list.
Messages Not Arriving
If you send a message to a broadcast list and it doesn't reach all recipients, check the following:
- The contact doesn't have you saved: this is the number one cause. If the recipient doesn't have your number in their contacts, they won't receive the message. Ask your contacts to save you and verify before sending important communications.
- The contact has blocked you: if someone blocks you, they'll still appear on the list but won't receive your messages. You won't receive notification that you've been blocked.
- Recipient connection issues: if the contact doesn't have an internet connection, the message will be delivered when they reconnect. You'll see a single tick (sent) instead of a double tick (delivered).
- List limit reached: if you've tried to add more than 256 contacts, those exceeding the limit won't receive anything.
- Account suspended or restricted: if Meta detects spam behavior on your account, it may temporarily limit the broadcast list feature.
If problems persist, consider migrating to the WhatsApp Business API where you have detailed delivery, read, and error metrics for each individual message.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a broadcast list and a group in WhatsApp?
The main difference is privacy. In a broadcast list, each contact receives the message as an individual chat and doesn't know who else received it. In a group, all members see everyone's messages and can interact with each other. Broadcast lists support 256 contacts and require recipients to have you saved; groups support up to 1,024 members without this requirement.
Who can see my WhatsApp broadcast list?
No one but you. The broadcast list is only visible to the creator. Recipients don't know they're part of a list, they don't see the other contacts included, and they receive the message as if it were a normal private chat. There's no way for a third party to access your broadcast list.
Do people know when you create a WhatsApp broadcast list?
No, contacts don't notice. When you send a message to a broadcast list, each recipient receives it as an individual message in their private chat with you. There's no indication, label, or notification revealing that the same message was sent to other people. It's completely transparent to the receiver.
Where are my WhatsApp broadcast lists?
Broadcast lists appear directly in the Chats tab, mixed with your normal conversations. They're identified by a megaphone icon next to the name. On iPhone, you can access all your lists by tapping "Broadcast Lists" in the upper left corner of the Chats tab. On Android, you must search for them manually among your chats or create a new one from the three-dots menu.
How to fix a WhatsApp broadcast list not appearing?
If the broadcast list option doesn't appear, update WhatsApp to the latest available version. On Android, verify you're accessing from the three-dots menu on the main chats screen. On iPhone, look for the "Broadcast Lists" option in the upper left corner. If you're using WhatsApp Web or Desktop, remember that list creation is only available from mobile.
How to create a broadcast list in WhatsApp Business?
The process is identical to personal WhatsApp. On Android, tap the three dots and select "New broadcast". On iPhone, tap "Broadcast Lists" and then "New list". The advantage of WhatsApp Business is that you can use labels to organize contacts before adding them to lists, making segmentation easier by customer type, order status, or any business criteria.
How to make a broadcast list in WhatsApp on iPhone?
On iPhone, open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab. Tap "Broadcast Lists" in the upper left corner. Select "New list", choose the contacts you want to include and tap "Create". The list will appear immediately in your chats, ready to send messages.
How GuruSup Enhances Your WhatsApp Broadcast List
Native WhatsApp broadcast lists are useful for basic communications, but when your business grows, their limitations become a real bottleneck: 256 contacts maximum, no metrics, no automation, no CRM integration, and no automated response capability.
GuruSup connects your company with the WhatsApp Business API and eliminates all these barriers at once.
GuruSup Key Features
- Unlimited bulk messaging: forget about creating and managing multiple lists of 256 contacts. With GuruSup you can send messages to your entire customer base from a single panel, with Meta-approved templates and personalized variables.
- AI agents that respond automatically: when a recipient responds to your send, an AI agent manages the conversation in real time. Resolves questions, qualifies leads, schedules appointments, and escalates to a human only when necessary.
- Detailed metrics for each send: you know exactly how many messages were delivered, read, and generated a response. Real data to optimize your WhatsApp marketing.
- Dynamic segmentation from CRM: instead of manually segmenting with labels, GuruSup syncs your contacts with HubSpot, Salesforce or your CRM and creates automatic audiences based on behavior, purchase history, or any available data.
- Send scheduling: schedule WhatsApp messages for the optimal time without depending on being in front of your phone.
How to Get Started with GuruSup
The process is simple and requires no technical knowledge:
- Sign up at app.gurusup.com and connect your WhatsApp Business number.
- Import your contacts from your CRM, spreadsheet, or directly from WhatsApp.
- Create your first template message and submit it for Meta approval (usually in minutes).
- Launch your first bulk send and let the AI agents handle the responses.
If you're managing broadcast lists manually and feel you're falling short, it's time to professionalize your WhatsApp communications.
Try GuruSup for free and discover how to scale your WhatsApp communication without broadcast list limitations.
