How to Create WhatsApp Broadcast: Guide, Limits & AI Reply Management

Introduction: The Hidden Challenge of WhatsApp Broadcasts

You want to reach all your customers at once without creating a chaotic WhatsApp group where everyone sees each other's phone numbers? This is exactly where the WhatsApp broadcast feature comes into play. It's the "BCC" (Blind Carbon Copy) of the messenger world: you send a message to many recipients, but each one feels like you wrote to them personally.

However, while creating a WhatsApp broadcast is technically simple, many businesses fall into a dangerous trap. What happens the day after sending, when 200 people respond simultaneously? Without a strategy, your well-intentioned newsletter ends in complete chaos. Additionally, the rules for WhatsApp in 2025 have changed dramatically – from new pricing models for marketing messages to stricter GDPR controls. Understanding key WhatsApp features has become essential for any business.

In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn not only how to create a new WhatsApp broadcast step by step (for Android and iOS), but also why manual broadcast lists are a dead end for growing businesses and how you can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform a simple broadcast into a powerful revenue channel.

Part 1: The Basics – How to Create a WhatsApp Broadcast

Before we dive into strategies, let's cover the practical foundation. How exactly do you set up a broadcast list? The process differs slightly between Android and iOS devices.

Creating a Broadcast List on Android

If you're using an Android smartphone, the feature is somewhat hidden in the menu. According to Engati, follow these steps to create your first list:

1. Open WhatsApp: Launch the app and go to the Chats tab.
2. Access the menu: Tap the three vertical dots (More options) in the top right corner.
3. Select the function: Tap "New broadcast".
4. Choose contacts: Your contact list opens. Tap on the names of people you want to add. Note: You must select at least two contacts. Limit: Maximum 256 contacts per list.
5. Confirm: Tap the green checkmark in the bottom right corner.

Result: The broadcast list now appears in your chat overview like a regular conversation. When you write a message here, it goes out to all selected recipients.

Creating a Broadcast List on iOS (iPhone)

On iPhone, the path to creating a WhatsApp broadcast is more prominently placed. As explained by Interakt, here's how to do it:

1. Open WhatsApp: Go to the Chats tab at the bottom.
2. Find the lists menu: Tap "Broadcast Lists" in the top left corner.
3. Start a new list: Tap "New List" at the very bottom.
4. Select recipients: Search for contacts or select them by tapping.
5. Create: Tap "Create" in the top right corner.

Editing and Deleting Broadcast Lists

A major advantage over groups is that you don't have to recreate the list every time. It remains saved for future use.

• Rename the list: Give your list a name (e.g., "VIP Customers" or "Family") so you can quickly find it in your chat overview. Open the list, tap the info bar at the top, then tap the pencil icon.
• Add/remove contacts: Open the list → Tap the list name → "Edit list". Here you can remove people ("x") or add new ones.
• Delete entirely: Swipe left over the list in the chat overview (iOS) or long-press it (Android) to delete it.

Part 2: Critical Limits & Requirements (Why It Often Fails)

You've created the broadcast and sent it, but nobody responds? Or worse: the message doesn't arrive at all? This usually comes down to WhatsApp's strict anti-spam rules. Before implementing any WhatsApp Business setup, understanding these limitations is crucial.

The "Number Saved" Rule (The Biggest Obstacle)

The most important detail that many guides overlook: Your message will only be delivered if the recipient has saved your phone number in their address book. This is confirmed by stck.me and Botcake as WhatsApp's primary spam protection measure.

The 256 Contact Limit

A manual broadcast list is capped at 256 recipients. According to Zepic, this limitation is hardcoded into the standard WhatsApp application.

• Workaround: You could theoretically create multiple lists (List A, List B, List C).
• Risk: If you send the same message to five lists (over 1,000 people) in a short time, WhatsApp's automatic spam filters kick in. Your number can be temporarily or permanently blocked. WhatsApp detects unnatural sending behavior very quickly.

Privacy and Visibility

Unlike a group, recipients cannot see who else received the message. According to InstantBroadcast, this works exactly like email BCC.

• Advantage: Privacy between recipients is maintained.
• Disadvantage: When someone replies, only you see the response in a private 1-to-1 chat. There's no exchange among recipients (which is usually desired for marketing, but can be a disadvantage for community building).

Part 3: Strategic Choice – Broadcast vs. Group vs. API

Many users confuse the use cases. Here's a clear decision guide for 2025. Understanding WhatsApp Business costs helps you make the right choice for your business scale.

When to Use Each Option

Private & Club Use (Group): For planning a bachelor party or sports club coordination. Interaction is the priority.

Small Self-Employed (Manual Broadcast): For a hair salon informing 50 regular customers about vacation days. Prerequisite: You know the customers personally and they have your number saved.

Professional Businesses & E-Commerce (API): As soon as you have more than 200 customers, sell products, or need to be GDPR-compliant, manual broadcasts become negligent. You need the WhatsApp Business API. Learn more in our comprehensive WhatsApp Business API guide.

Part 4: The "Day After" Problem – Why Manual Broadcasts Don't Scale

Imagine this scenario: You've painstakingly created 4 broadcast lists of 250 people each and send an irresistible offer to 1,000 contacts.

The result:

• 200 people respond within 30 minutes.
• Your phone vibrates non-stop.
• You have to type "Hello [Name], thank you for your interest..." 200 times.
• You lose track: Who wanted to buy? Who just had a question? Who wanted to unsubscribe?

The reality: Without software support, a successful broadcast is often worse than an unsuccessful one because it paralyzes your support team. Additionally, customers expect WhatsApp responses within minutes, not hours. This is where AI chatbots transforming customer service become invaluable.

The GDPR Trap

Another aspect that cannot be ignored in 2025: When you use the regular WhatsApp app or the Business app on your phone, you grant WhatsApp access to your entire address book. According to Brevo and Superchat, this means you upload data of contacts to US servers who don't even use WhatsApp – a clear GDPR violation. Professional API solutions prevent this access and work with isolated databases.

Part 5: The Solution – How AI Revolutionizes Your Broadcasts

This is where the wheat separates from the chaff. While conventional "newsletter tools" only send messages ("blasting"), modern businesses use Conversational AI to manage the return channel. A WhatsApp AI Chatbot represents the cutting edge of this technology.

From "Newsletter" to "Consultation"

Instead of just sending: "Here's our new shoe for $99", AI enables a dialogue. You send: "Are you looking for running shoes or casual sneakers?" This approach is exactly what AI Product Consultation providers have perfected.

The AI Workflow:

1. Send: The message goes via API to 5,000 recipients (no 256 limit).
2. Response: 800 customers reply.
3. AI Filtering: The AI instantly analyzes the response text.

Practical examples of AI handling:

• Customer A writes: "Running shoes, size 10." → AI sends link to running shoe category.
• Customer B writes: "Where's my last order?" → AI recognizes "support case" and either forwards to an employee or checks status in the system.
• Customer C writes: "Too expensive." → AI asks about their budget.

Benefits of AI-Supported Broadcasts

Implementing WhatsApp AI chatbots for broadcast management delivers measurable results:

• Instant Response: Every customer receives an answer within seconds, 24/7.
• Qualification: Your sales team only speaks with customers who have signaled genuine purchase interest.
• Data Enrichment: Customer responses (e.g., shoe size, preferences) are automatically stored in the CRM.

2025 Cost Structure

Note that WhatsApp (Meta) adjusted the pricing model in 2025. According to Heltar and Link Mobility, marketing messages (broadcasts) are more expensive than "utility" messages (shipping confirmations). Understanding these costs is crucial for any AI sales consultant implementation.

• Marketing: approximately 11 cents per conversation in Germany (as of 2025), as reported by Chatarmin.
• Service: When the customer replies, a 24-hour window opens where you (or your AI) can respond for free, according to ControlHippo.
• Strategy: The goal of a broadcast must therefore be to provoke a response to switch into the cheaper service window.

Broadcast vs. Channel: Understanding the Difference

What Sets Broadcasts Apart from Channels

A channel (Channel) is a one-way street: you send, many read, but nobody can respond with text (only emojis). It's public and anonymous. A broadcast is the start of a private dialogue. According to Sinch and Yaeris, if you want to generate sales, broadcasts (with reply capability) are far superior to channels.

For businesses focused on AI sales consultation, the broadcast feature opens doors that channels simply cannot. Every reply is an opportunity to guide customers toward purchase decisions through intelligent conversation.

Part 6: Checklist for Your First Successful AI Broadcast

If you're ready to make the step from manual typing to automation, consider these points when setting up your product consultation setup:

1. Define objectives: Do you want to inform (one-way) or advise (two-way)? For consultation, you need AI.
2. Clean up your database: Do you have "opt-in" (consent) from customers? Without opt-in, you risk legal action and WhatsApp bans.
3. Content with value: Bad: "Buy this!" Good: "We have 3 new models. Which matches your style? Reply with A, B, or C."
4. Plan resources: If you don't use AI, ensure 2-3 employees are ready to respond manually after sending.
5. Save-number campaign: Before you start (especially with manual lists), send an email or SMS with a "vCard" link (digital business card) and the request: "Save our number to receive VIP updates."

Troubleshooting: Why Your Broadcast Failed

Before reaching out to support, run through this diagnostic checklist for common broadcast issues:

• ☐ Does the recipient have my number saved in their contacts?
• ☐ Is the broadcast list under 256 people?
• ☐ Have I been blocked by the recipient?
• ☐ Is the recipient's WhatsApp account active?
• ☐ Did I wait long enough between sending to multiple lists?
• ☐ Is my account flagged for suspicious activity?

If you've checked all boxes and still experience delivery issues, the most reliable solution is migrating to the WhatsApp Business guide approach using the official API, which eliminates most of these limitations.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion: Broadcasts Are Worth Gold – When Used Correctly

Creating a WhatsApp broadcast is technically a matter of seconds. Using it successfully for business, however, requires a fundamental shift in thinking. The days when you could simply "fire" messages blindly to thousands of numbers are over.

For beginners: Use the manual list for very small, personal circles. Pay meticulous attention to ensuring your customers save your number.

For professionals: Say goodbye to the manual list. The future belongs to the WhatsApp Business API combined with AI.

The true value of WhatsApp lies not in sending, but in responding. If you manage to engage 500 customers in a conversation through a smart broadcast and automatically manage these conversations through AI, you have a sales channel that puts any email campaign to shame. This is the power of conversational commerce that forward-thinking businesses are already leveraging.

Note: Information on limits and pricing is based on 2025 data and may be subject to changes by Meta.