Palby AI Agent
Updated 9 min read

WhatsApp broadcast vs group: what customers can see in each

A broadcast list sends your message to each person as a private chat. A group puts everyone in one conversation where they all see each other's replies. A community groups several groups under one announcement channel. Here's what each does according to WhatsApp's own help centre, the limits, what customers can see, which to use for customers, and how to get their permission first.

By Leo Tan, founder of Palby AI Agent

The short answer

For customers, use a broadcast list, not a group. A broadcast reaches each person as a private message from you, and their reply comes back only to you. A group is one shared conversation, so every customer sees every message and every reply from everyone else.

Groups and communities have their place: a team, a club, a class, a set of customers who've asked to talk to each other. For sending offers, reminders and updates to customers, the private one-to-one route is almost always right.

WhatsApp changes its limits from time to time, so check the help centre pages linked here before you plan around a number.

What each one is

Broadcast list

WhatsApp's broadcast list page describes broadcast lists as "saved lists of contacts that you can repeatedly message without having to select the contacts each time". Each person gets it "as an individual message from you in their Chats tab", and "Their reply will also appear as an individual message and won't be sent to other contacts in the broadcast list."

The catch that trips most businesses: "Only people who've added you to their phone's contacts will receive your broadcast message." If someone never saved your number, your broadcast doesn't reach them, and you won't be told.

Group

A group is a shared chat. Everyone in it can read and reply to every message. WhatsApp's group page says "You can create a WhatsApp group with up to 1024 members." It also warns that "Anyone with a group link can join your group and forward the link to other people."

Community

A community sits above groups. WhatsApp's communities page says communities "bring members together in topic-based groups", and admins "can reach members with important updates by sending announcements". Its announcements page says only community admins can send announcements, members can reply and react, and "You can add up to 2,000 members to a community and its announcement group."

Side by side

Broadcast listGroupCommunity
Who sees the messageEach person, in their own chat with youEveryone in the groupEveryone in the announcement group, plus any groups they join
Where replies goOnly to youTo the whole groupReactions and replies to the announcement; chat in the smaller groups
Do members see each other?NoYes, they're in one conversationAdmins see who the members are; everyone sees the total number
Size limit (WhatsApp help centre)Up to 256 contacts per listUp to 1024 membersUp to 2,000 members
Must they save your number?Yes, or they don't receive itNoNo
Works from a computer?Not on Windows, Mac or WebYesYes
Good forOffers, reminders, updates to customersTeams, clubs, customers who want to talk to each otherA school, a building, a members' club with several topics

The size limits and the rule on saved numbers come from the pages linked above. The broadcast page also says "Broadcast lists aren't supported on Windows, Mac, or Web", and the Business app's linked devices page lists broadcast lists among the features a linked device can't create or view, so broadcasts go out from the phone.

How to set up a broadcast list

On Android, WhatsApp's broadcast page gives these steps:

  1. Open the Chats tab, tap More options (the three dots) and choose Broadcast lists.
  2. Tap the check mark to start a new list.
  3. Search for or pick the contacts you want on it, up to 256 of them, then tap the check mark again to create it.

On iPhone the page has its own steps, under the iOS tab at the top. To rename a list or change who's on it later, open the list from Chats and go to Broadcast list info. You can make as many lists as you like, so split customers by what they asked to hear about rather than by who you happen to know.

If someone tells you they never got your broadcast, ask them to save your number. WhatsApp's own advice is the same.

How to set up a group, and keep it quiet

WhatsApp's group page puts it under Chats, then New group: pick the contacts, give the group a subject of up to 100 characters, and add an icon if you like. You can then invite more people by adding them or by sharing a group link.

Three controls matter more than the name. WhatsApp's group admin settings page says admins can choose whether all members or only admins can send messages, edit the group's details and add people. A group of more than 256 members defaults to only admins editing its settings. And in a group started with fewer than 33 members, any member can share an invite link, so switch that off if you don't want the link passed on.

For a group that's mainly announcements, switch Send new messages off for members, so only admins post. WhatsApp's responsible use page suggests the same setting to cut down unwanted messages, and asks you to get permission before you add someone to a group.

Limits worth knowing

Two newer limits change the picture.

First, a monthly cap is appearing. WhatsApp's broadcast limits page says "People in some countries might see a monthly broadcast limit" and that it's "rolling out gradually". Where it applies, "You can send up to 35 free broadcast messages per month." You can check yours under Settings, then Broadcasts. The same page says businesses can get more advanced messaging tools on the WhatsApp Business app.

Second, the Business app has its own feature called Business Broadcasts. WhatsApp's Business app features page says it lets you "Send private 1:1 messages to multiple people at once" and "Message people even if they haven't saved your number", with scheduling and insights, and notes it's "Available to eligible users in select countries".

Business Broadcasts cost money. WhatsApp's page on their pricing says you pay for each message delivered within five days of sending, priced by the country code of each person you send to, and undelivered ones are credited back. Meta reviews each business broadcast before it goes out, and its how-to page reminds businesses that they need opt-in to message customers and must honour every request to stop. In return, you see how many people read and replied.

For sending at a much larger scale through software, there's the paid WhatsApp Business Platform. Its limits work differently, and WhatsApp messaging limits explains them.

Which to use for customers

Use a broadcast list (or Business Broadcasts) when:

  • You're sending the same update to many customers: a new product, opening hours, a reminder, a festive greeting. The festive greetings for clients are written to send this way.
  • Customers don't know each other and wouldn't want to.
  • You want replies to come to you privately, so you can answer each one.

Use a group when:

  • The people in it want to talk to each other, such as a running club, a class cohort or a customer community they chose to join.
  • You have someone to moderate it and answer questions in public.

Use a community when:

  • You run something with several topics under one roof, like a building's residents, a school's parents or a members' club, and you need one place for announcements.

Don't use a group to send offers to customers. They didn't agree to share their details with strangers, the replies turn into noise, and the moment one person complains, everyone reads it. Keep your team's group for team talk and send customer messages privately; ActivityTracker vs WhatsApp group sets out what belongs where.

For one deal, one price question or one follow-up after a call, use neither. Write to that person on their own.

For clients who asked to hear from you, ActivityTracker sends a broadcast with each client's name in it, one message at a time in the hours you choose, leaves out anyone who asked not to be contacted, and shows you who wrote back.

See WhatsApp broadcasts

Get permission first

WhatsApp is personal. A message someone didn't ask for feels far more intrusive there than in an inbox, and people can block or report a business.

WhatsApp's responsible use page sets the rule for every account: send messages only to people who contacted you first or asked you to contact them on WhatsApp. It lists bulk messaging and auto-messaging among the things that get accounts banned, and says frequent broadcasts lead people to report you, and that it bans accounts reported multiple times.

Meta's opt-in guide for the Business Platform sets out what permission should look like, and it's good manners for the app too. It says businesses may contact people if they "have given their mobile phone number" and the business has "received opt-in permission from the recipient". It also says businesses "must clearly state that a person is opting in to receive communication from the business" and must name the business.

In practice:

Can I add you to our WhatsApp updates? It's about [what you'll send], roughly [how often], from [business name]. Reply STOP any time and I'll take you off.

  • Ask before you add anyone, and keep a note of who said yes and when.
  • Send only what they agreed to.
  • Ask them to save your number if you're using a classic broadcast list, or they won't get it.
  • Take people off the same day they ask.

How to write a broadcast people reply to

A broadcast that gets replies reads like a note to one person. Five habits get it there:

  1. Put their name in the first line. Business Broadcasts and some tools fill it in for you; on a classic list, keep the opening general rather than fake a name.
  2. Say one thing per message, because an offer and a survey sent together means neither gets an answer.
  3. Ask one question they can answer in a word: "Want me to hold one for you?"
  4. Send it when they read messages, not when you finish writing it.
  5. Reply to every answer the same day, one to one. The broadcast starts the conversation; the reply is where the sale happens.

Made-up example: a florist with 300 regular customers on her Business app.

Before: she keeps a group called "Blooms VIP" with 140 customers. When she posts the Mother's Day offer, 12 people reply in the group, three ask to leave, and one complains about a late delivery in front of all 140.

Week 1: she messages each customer privately to ask if they'd like occasional offers by WhatsApp, and asks them to save her number. 190 say yes.

Week 2: she splits the 190 into broadcast lists of up to 256 contacts: "Weddings and events" and "Regular bunches". She closes the group with a thank-you message explaining the change.

Week 3: the next offer goes to each list. 23 people reply, each privately. She answers every one from her phone, and two ask about wedding flowers.

The complaint about the late delivery now arrives privately too, where she can sort it out without an audience.

What to do first

  1. Decide whether you're sending updates (broadcast) or hosting a conversation (group or community).
  2. Move any customer offers out of groups.
  3. Ask each customer for permission, and ask the ones on a classic list to save your number.
  4. Check Settings for a broadcast limit, and look for Business Broadcasts in your app.
  5. Write your first message with their name in it and send it from your phone.

If typing names into each message gets old, ActivityTracker's broadcasts put each client's name in, send one message at a time in the hours you choose, and leave out anyone who asked not to be contacted. They're for the clients who said yes, never a way to reach people who haven't written to you. ActivityTracker links your number as a device and isn't one of WhatsApp's own apps, so WhatsApp's linked devices page applies: it warns that "linking your device through unofficial apps or websites may put your account at risk". ActivityTracker spaces out the messages your number starts on its own, and stops them if WhatsApp warns the number. For the rest of selling on WhatsApp, from the first reply to follow-ups, see WhatsApp for sales.

Keep reading

Questions people ask

Sources

One message, each in their own chat.

And only to people who said yes.

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