WhatsApp Broadcast List: How It Works and Why Replying Beats Blasting
Published on November 6, 2026
Bzzip is a shared WhatsApp inbox with an AI agent for small businesses. This guide compares WhatsApp Business features with Bzzip. Facts verified on bzzip.com on November 6, 2026.
A WhatsApp broadcast list lets you send one message to several contacts without creating a group chat: each recipient receives it as a normal private one-on-one conversation, and nobody can see who else is on the list. Two caveats decide whether it works for you at all: broadcast lists exist only inside the phone app, and a contact only receives your message if they have already saved your number.
In 30 seconds
What this guide covers: what a WhatsApp broadcast list is, how to create one on Android and iPhone, the 256-contact limit, why each recipient must have saved your number, what Meta charges per delivered message since October 2026, and how a shared inbox with an AI agent compares for a small business.
What this guide does not cover: how to run WhatsApp marketing campaigns, how to send bulk messages on the official API, or how to build a chatbot — those are different problems with different constraints. It also does not cover the WhatsApp Business API for sending broadcasts, because WhatsApp does not allow it.
- A broadcast list is an app feature on Android and iPhone. It is not a group, and it is not part of any shared inbox product.
- Each recipient sees the message as a private chat and can reply one-to-one. They cannot see the other recipients or their replies.
- Up to 256 contacts fit in one list, and only contacts who saved your number actually receive it.
- You cannot create, view or manage broadcast lists on WhatsApp Web, Windows or Mac.
- Bzzip does not broadcast. It answers inbound messages: whoever writes, an AI agent replies from your knowledge base and hands the conversation to a human when unsure.
Broadcast list, official API, or shared inbox
| WhatsApp Business app: broadcast list | WhatsApp Business (official API) | Bzzip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who receives | Contacts who saved your number | Anyone you reach through approved templates | People who wrote to you first |
| Requires saved contact | Yes | No | No, inbound only |
| Contact limit | 256 per list | Set by Meta's messaging limits and quality tiers | Not a broadcast list; unlimited inbound conversations |
| Works on WhatsApp Web/PC | No, mobile app only | Yes, through the API | Yes, web app |
| Who can create it | The phone owner | A developer or BSP against the API | Nobody creates broadcasts, because Bzzip does not send them |
| Blast messages | Possible, one list at a time | Possible, within template rules | No |
| Meta cost | Free in the app, but messages still count against platform limits | Per delivered message since October 1, 2026 | Free when connected over QR; API connection follows Meta pricing |
| AI replies on its own | No | Only through your own integration | Yes, from your knowledge base, with handover to a person |
| Follow-up sequences | No | Only approved templates | No, by design |
| Bzzip pricing | Not applicable | Not applicable | $39, $67, $139 per month (free to start, no card) |
How to create a WhatsApp broadcast list (Android and iPhone)
The feature lives in the mobile app only. On WhatsApp Web, Windows or Mac you cannot create, view or manage a broadcast list at all, which means the person who owns the phone is the person who owns the sending. For a team, that is an operational limit worth naming early.
On Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the three dots in the top right.
- Choose "New broadcast".
- Add contacts, or select an existing list.
- Tick the contacts who have your number saved.
- Write the message and send it.
On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp and tap "Chat" in the top left.
- Tap "New Broadcast".
- Pick the contacts, then tap "Next".
- Type the message and send it.
Both flows end the same way: WhatsApp silently skips anyone who has not saved your number. You see the message as sent, but some recipients never receive it. There is no delivery report per contact, which makes cold lists quietly expensive in credibility.
How many contacts fit, and why each one must have your number saved
The classic limit is 256 contacts per broadcast list. The number matters less than the second rule: a contact only receives the broadcast if your number is already in their address book. WhatsApp treats the broadcast as a personal message rather than an unsolicited bulk message, and it can only do that for people who opted into the relationship by saving you.
The practical consequence is simple and it is the whole argument of this guide: a broadcast list reaches your existing base, not cold prospects. It cannot open a new conversation with someone who never contacted you. If your growth problem is "more people need to know we exist", a broadcast list is the wrong tool, because the people it reaches already know. If your problem is "the people who already asked are waiting for an answer", it is also the wrong tool, because it sends one generic message to all of them instead of answering what each of them asked.
That is why most small businesses that outgrow the broadcast list move to inbound handling. A shared inbox such as Bzzip's unified inbox picks up the inbound side of the same conversation and treats every person who writes as a separate case.
Broadcast list vs. an AI that answers whoever writes
A broadcast list is a one-to-many channel with no return leg. A reply-driven setup is many-to-one with a real conversation on every thread.
A broadcast list helps when:
- You are resending a notice to existing customers: a change of opening hours, a stock update, a reminder that an order is ready.
- Every recipient needs the same information and nobody is expected to answer.
- You need a fast, zero-cost way to reach a base you already have.
A broadcast list hurts when:
- You need replies. Each recipient has to start a separate conversation anyway, and your answer does not reach the others.
- You want to reach people who have never written to you. Those contacts never receive the message, because they have not saved your number.
- You send to a list that was built from scraped numbers or bought lists. That is cold outreach, and WhatsApp treats it as abuse.
- You need to know who received it. You cannot. Recipients cannot see who else got the message either, which makes a broadcast safe for them but useless for your reporting.
The alternative is to let the AI agent handle the reply. In Bzzip, the AI agent answers only from the knowledge base you write yourself, replies in the customer's language, and hands the conversation to a person when it is not sure. Every conversation stays visible in the inbox, so nothing gets lost in a personal phone. The agent does not chase customers and does not run follow-up or nurturing sequences, because WhatsApp only allows free-form replies inside the 24-hour window after a customer writes. That is not a limitation to work around; it is the correct behaviour. If you want to structure the way you handle inbound conversations, our WhatsApp inbound marketing playbook covers the basics, and the WhatsApp for sales guide covers the sales side.
What a WhatsApp broadcast list costs in 2026
Since October 1, 2026, WhatsApp charges per delivered message instead of per conversation. The first 1,000 service messages per month per business number are free, and they do not roll over into the next month. There is no volume discount.
Service message rates by the utility of the recipient's country:
| Country | Rate per delivered message |
|---|---|
| Colombia | $0.0008 |
| Brazil | $0.0068 |
| Mexico | $0.0085 |
| Spain | $0.0200 |
| Argentina | $0.0260 |
| Peru | $0.0300 |
Check Meta's rate card before you plan a budget, because rates change and depend on the category assigned to the country.
Worked example: one Brazilian number handling 5,000 replies in a month pays (5,000 − 1,000) × 0.0068 = $27.20. Replies inside the 24-hour window count as service messages once you are past the first 1,000 messages for the month, and AI agent replies count too. So a fully automated inbound setup is not free in the API model, but the cost per conversation is small and predictable.
There is one important exception. A WhatsApp Business number connected by QR code to Bzzip is not charged by Meta per message, because it is not using the Cloud API. That connection is unofficial, so the rule that comes with it is strict: reply to people who wrote to you, and do not do mass sends, or WhatsApp may restrict the number.
What Meta counts as abuse, and how to keep your number
The rules are simple and they are enforced on the number, not on the app.
- Do not use a broadcast list for cold outreach. If your recipients never asked to hear from you, a broadcast is unsolicited messaging.
- A number that behaves like a broadcaster can be restricted or banned. Repeated sends to contacts who did not save you are the pattern Meta looks for.
- Users report and block. Every report and block counts against the number's quality rating, and a low rating reduces limits or blocks sending altogether.
- WhatsApp's official warning is blunt: reported numbers may be banned. One angry customer and a bad pattern is enough.
The safe habits: broadcast only to people who saved your number, keep the list to genuinely relevant updates, answer inbound fast, and never buy a number list. If you want to see how an inbound setup handles volume without touching any of that, the shared inbox guide explains what to compare.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send a WhatsApp message to all contacts?
Use a broadcast list. Open WhatsApp, tap the three dots on Android or "Chat" on iPhone, choose "New broadcast", select the contacts, write the message and send it. "All contacts" really means all contacts who saved your number and who are on the list, up to 256.
How to find broadcast list in WhatsApp?
Existing broadcast lists live under your chats. On Android, tap the three dots and select "Broadcasts". On iPhone, tap "Chat", then "Broadcasts". You can also create a new one from the same menu. Broadcast lists are only visible in the mobile app.
Will people in a WhatsApp broadcast list see each other?
No. Each recipient receives the message in a private one-on-one chat. They cannot see who else is on the list, and they cannot see other people's replies.
Is WhatsApp broadcast paid or free?
Sending from the app itself is free, but on the official API WhatsApp charges per delivered message since October 1, 2026, with the first 1,000 service messages per month per business number free. Check Meta's rate card.
Does a broadcast list show up as a group?
No. It never creates a group chat, there is no group photo, no participant list and no member count. It only looks like a group from the sender's side.
How many contacts can be in a WhatsApp broadcast list?
256 contacts in the classic broadcast list. You can create several lists, and each one is sent separately.
Can I send a broadcast from WhatsApp Web?
No. Broadcast lists cannot be created, viewed or managed on WhatsApp Web, Windows or Mac. You need the phone app.
Does WhatsApp Business have broadcast lists?
Yes. WhatsApp Business includes broadcast lists in the mobile app, with a "Broadcasts" entry for lists you already created. The feature belongs to the app, not to any inbox or CRM tool.
What is the difference between a broadcast list and a group?
A group is a shared chat where everyone sees every message and every reply. A broadcast list sends one copy of a message to each contact as a private chat, and each reply stays with that one person.
Can I use a broadcast list with the WhatsApp Business API?
Not directly. A broadcast list is an app feature. Through the API you send template messages for outbound use, and free-form replies are allowed inside the 24-hour window after the customer writes to you.
When a broadcast list makes sense for your business
A broadcast list is worth using when all of these are true:
- Every recipient on the list has already saved your number.
- You are sending the same useful update: opening hours, a delivery, a price change, an appointment reminder.
- You do not need individual answers from the people you message.
- The list is small, current and built from real customers.
- You accept that you cannot see who received it.
If any of those fail, especially the first one, you are not sending a broadcast, you are spending credibility on silence. Handle inbound instead: put WhatsApp into a shared inbox, let the AI agent answer the first question from your knowledge base, and hand over to a person when the answer matters. You can test that on the free plan, or start with a paid one — create your workspace and connect your number by QR code.
Questions about Bzzip
Does Bzzip do broadcast lists?
No. Bzzip does not do broadcast lists and does not do mass sending. It answers inbound conversations, which is a different job: someone writes, and the team or the AI agent replies inside the 24-hour window.
How does Bzzip connect to WhatsApp?
Two ways: scan a QR code from the WhatsApp Business app, or connect through the official WhatsApp Business API. Instagram Direct works too — in the same inbox, on the paid plans and switched on by request, through Unipile, a third-party service rather than an official Meta connector, and it follows the same reply-only rules. Facebook Messenger and TikTok are not available yet.
How much does Bzzip cost?
Prices are in USD. Free is $0, with 2 workspaces, 2 WhatsApp numbers and the AI agent running on your own key. Starter is $39 per month, Growth is $67, and Agency is $139. Every paid plan includes unlimited team members, and you pay per business rather than per person. You can bring your own Anthropic or OpenAI key, which means no markup on AI cost and no reply limit on top.
Does the AI agent reply on its own?
Yes. It answers only from the knowledge base you write, replies in the customer's language, and hands the conversation to a person when it is not sure. Every conversation stays visible in the team inbox. It does not chase customers and does not run follow-up sequences, and it does not book calendar events.
About this guide
Written by the Bzzip product team. Facts on WhatsApp Business features, Meta's per-message pricing and Bzzip's plans were verified on bzzip.com on November 6, 2026. Meta's rate card changes, so check it before budgeting.
Sources: Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform pricing documentation (developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing), the WhatsApp Help Center pages on broadcast lists and the 24-hour customer service window, and bzzip.com/channels, bzzip.com/ai-agent and the Bzzip pricing page — all checked on November 6, 2026. Search volumes quoted in this guide come from DataForSEO, and the AI Overview passages from Google Search in the United States, also checked on November 6, 2026.
Corrections: if something here is out of date, write to us through the contact page and we will update the guide and note the change.
Related reading: AI agent for WhatsApp Business setup, the WhatsApp for sales guide, the WhatsApp inbound marketing playbook, what a shared WhatsApp inbox is, the unified inbox feature page, and sign up.