WhatsApp Broadcast Limit, Rules and Cost: What's Free and What's Not

Quick answers first: the WhatsApp broadcast limit is 256 contacts per broadcast list in the WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps. Broadcasts in the app are free, but only people who saved your number receive them. The official WhatsApp Business API has no 256 cap — sending tiers start at 250 unique customers per day and grow to 100,000 and beyond — and it costs a per-message Meta fee instead. Recipients never see each other either way.

Now the details — because almost every broadcast problem ("half my list never got it", "my number got restricted", "is this even allowed?") comes from one of the rules below.

What is the WhatsApp broadcast limit?

In the WhatsApp Business app, one broadcast list holds a maximum of 256 contacts. You can create several lists, but you must send to each list manually, one by one — there is no way to press send once and reach 1,000 people from the app.

On the WhatsApp Business API, there is no broadcast-list cap. Instead, Meta gives your number a daily messaging tier: new numbers start at 250 unique customers per 24 hours, then move to 1,000 → 10,000 → 100,000 → effectively unlimited as you send consistently and keep a good quality rating. Most businesses reach the 1,000 tier within days.

Is WhatsApp broadcast free or paid?

Broadcast lists in the WhatsApp Business app are completely free — no charge per message. Broadcasts through the API are paid: Meta charges a small conversation fee that depends on the recipient's country and the message category (marketing, utility, or authentication). Platform tools like WABPO are free to start on top of that — you only pay Meta's fees. You can check the exact prices per country on our Meta rates page.

So why would anyone pay? Because the free option is capped at 256 saved contacts with zero analytics — and the paid option is what makes broadcasts reach 10,000 opted-in customers with delivery and reply tracking. The fee is the price of scale, not a penalty.

Can WhatsApp broadcast recipients see each other?

No. A broadcast arrives as a normal, private one-to-one chat. Recipients cannot see who else got the message, and when someone replies, only you see the reply. That's the big difference between a broadcast and a WhatsApp group, where everyone sees everyone. It's also why broadcasts feel personal — done well, each customer thinks you wrote to them.

What are the WhatsApp broadcast rules?

• The saved-contact rule (app only): a broadcast from the app is delivered only to people who have your number saved in their phone. This is the #1 reason "half my list didn't get it".
• Opt-in: Meta requires that people agreed to hear from you. Messaging scraped or purchased lists is against policy — and it's what gets numbers reported.
• Approved templates (API): API broadcasts to people who haven't messaged you in the last 24 hours must use a pre-approved message template.
• Quality rating: too many blocks or reports lowers your rating, which lowers your daily tier — and can get the number restricted. Send relevant messages to people who want them.
• Frequency: there's no written rule, but 1–2 valuable broadcasts a week beats daily blasts every time. Fatigue turns into reports.

Why didn't everyone receive my broadcast?

• They never saved your number (app broadcasts only reach saved contacts).
• They blocked you or reported a previous message.
• Your template wasn't approved yet (API), or the message failed — check the per-recipient failure reason in your campaign report.
• You hit your daily tier limit, so the rest queued or failed.

WhatsApp broadcast message examples you can copy

• Restock: "Hi {{name}} — the {{product}} you asked about is back in stock. Want us to hold one for you? Reply YES and it's yours for 24 hours."
• Offer: "{{name}}, this weekend only: 20% off for our WhatsApp customers. Tap below to see the collection — or reply STOP to skip these."
• Reminder: "Reminder from {{business}}: your appointment is tomorrow at {{time}}. Reply 1 to confirm, 2 to reschedule."
• Order update: "Good news {{name}} — order #{{number}} is out for delivery and should arrive today. Track it here: {{link}}"
• Win-back: "It's been a while, {{name}}! Here's a little something to come back to: free delivery on your next order this week."

Notice the pattern: every example uses the person's name, gives one clear next step, and respects the exit (opt-out). Personalized broadcasts with buttons get replies; generic blasts get reports. For the full strategy, see the complete WhatsApp broadcast guide.

How to send broadcasts beyond the 256 limit

1. Connect your number to the official WhatsApp Business API through a platform like WABPO — free to start.
2. Import your opted-in contacts and let the platform validate the numbers.
3. Create a message template (with the customer's name and buttons) and submit it for approval — usually minutes.
4. Send to your whole audience at once and watch delivered, read, replied, and failed per recipient.
5. Handle the replies from a shared team inbox while the interest is warm.