wassenderHow a WhatsApp broadcast list works
A broadcast list sends one message to many contacts at once, and each person receives it as a normal one-to-one chat. Replies come back to you privately, not to a group.
WhatsApp's help pages state that only people who have saved your number in their address book receive broadcast messages, and a list has a maximum number of recipients (256 at the time of writing). WhatsApp can change these rules, so check its help center for the current limit.
Broadcast lists are created on the phone app, and each one is a saved group of recipients you can reuse. Recipients cannot see who else is on the list, which is the main reason businesses prefer them to groups.
The common search questions are simple: why did some people not receive my broadcast, how many contacts can a broadcast list hold, and can I send to more people. The short answers are the saved-number rule, the per-list cap, and a separate tool for anything beyond that.
The limits that matter for a business
Saved contacts only: new leads and customers who never saved your number get nothing, and you cannot see who was left out.
Same text for everyone: there are no names, order numbers or dates per person, so the message reads like an announcement.
No list import, no schedule, no report: you build the list by tapping contacts, and you cannot export who replied.
What a bulk sender does differently
A bulk sender on WhatsApp Web opens a separate chat with each number and sends the message as if you typed it. Because it is a direct message, it reaches people whether or not they saved your number.
With Wassender each message can carry the person's own details from a spreadsheet, such as [name] and [order], with attachments, scheduling, delivery reports and an opt-out list.
The trade-offs to be honest about
Broadcast lists are free and fully inside WhatsApp. A bulk sender is a separate tool: Wassender gives 1 hour of Unlimited free, then needs a paid plan, and WhatsApp Web must stay open on desktop Chrome while it sends.
Sending many direct messages also needs more care. Pace, daily limits and, above all, messaging people who expect you are what keep your number in good standing.
Side by side: what each one can do
Reach: a broadcast list reaches only recipients who saved your number; a bulk sender reaches any number that has WhatsApp. Size: a broadcast list is capped per list (256 at the time of writing); Wassender has no list cap, and the real limit is the daily volume you choose. Content: a broadcast list sends identical text; Wassender fills names, orders and conditions per row and varies the wording.
Files: both can send images and documents. Scheduling: broadcast lists cannot be scheduled; Wassender can schedule a campaign on Unlimited while WhatsApp Web is open. Reporting: broadcast lists show read status per message on the phone; Wassender shows delivered, failed, skipped and replied per recipient and exports it to Excel. Opt-outs: with a broadcast list you remove people by hand; Wassender adds STOP replies to an opt-out list automatically.
Where it runs: a broadcast list works on your phone anywhere. Wassender runs in desktop Chrome on WhatsApp Web, which must stay open while sending.
A realistic example
A clothing shop has 600 customers in an Excel export, about half of whom have saved the shop's number. With broadcast lists, the owner would build three lists by tapping contacts one by one, send the same text to each, and the roughly 300 who never saved the number would get nothing, with no way to know who they are.
With a bulk sender the owner imports the export, writes "Hi [name], the new [category] collection is in. Your size [size] is in stock this week", sets a daily limit and Careful pace, and lets the campaign run over a few days. Every row gets a message that fits that customer, and the report shows who replied so staff can follow up.
The broadcast list still has a place in that shop: a short list of VIP regulars who all saved the number and like a quick heads-up before a sale.
How to set up a broadcast list properly (if you choose it)
On the WhatsApp phone app, open the chats menu and look for the option to create a new broadcast or new list (the menu name varies by version), pick the contacts, and save the list with a clear name such as "VIP customers". Messages you send there arrive in each person's private chat with you. Remember that anyone who has not saved your number will not receive it, and you will not be told who missed out.
Ask customers to save your number. A line on your receipt or in your first chat, such as "Save this number as Rose Bakery to get our weekly specials", increases how many people a broadcast list actually reaches. Keep lists small and focused, and remove people who ask you to stop.
Some businesses use both tools: a broadcast list for quick updates to regulars from the phone, and a WhatsApp Web bulk sender for bigger, personalized campaigns from a spreadsheet, with reports and an opt-out list. Whichever you use, the same rule decides how it goes: send relevant messages to people who expect them, at a sensible time, and make stopping easy.
Which one to choose
Use a broadcast list for a small group of regulars who all saved your number and the same short update fits everyone.
Use a bulk sender when the list comes from a spreadsheet, includes people who have not saved you, or when each message needs personal details, a file or a report.
Step by step
- Export your customer list to Excel or CSV, or paste the numbers.
- Open WhatsApp Web with Wassender and start a new campaign.
- Import the list and select the phone column.
- Write the message with variables such as [name], and attach a file if needed.
- Pick a careful pace, review the preview and start.
- Open the report to see who received and replied.
Plan: Every new account gets 1 hour of Unlimited free from its first campaign, no card needed. After that, sending needs a paid plan: US$9.99 a month, US$79 a year or US$99 once for Lifetime. Nothing renews unless you switch on auto-renew for Monthly at checkout, and you can cancel that anytime.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can be in a WhatsApp broadcast list?
WhatsApp's help center lists 256 recipients per broadcast list at the time of writing. Check WhatsApp's own help pages, as limits can change.
Why did some contacts not receive my broadcast?
Broadcast messages only reach people who saved your number in their phone. Anyone who did not save it receives nothing.
Is a bulk sender the same as a WhatsApp group?
No. A group shows everyone's numbers to each other. A bulk sender sends separate private chats, like a broadcast list.
Can I personalize a broadcast list message?
No, every recipient gets the same text. Personalization needs a tool that sends each message separately.