Key takeaways
- A WhatsApp broadcast list holds 256 contacts, in both WhatsApp and the WhatsApp Business app.
- Only people who saved your number receive a broadcast-list message, and WhatsApp doesn't tell you who was skipped.
- Meta's newer Business app broadcasts and paid plans add reach, but availability and pricing vary by country.
- The WhatsApp Business Platform (API) replaces lists with opted-in audiences and a limit that grows from 250 to unlimited customers a day.
- Social Intents sends API broadcasts with consent checks, quiet hours and replies in Slack, Microsoft Teams or Google Chat.
On this page
What is the WhatsApp broadcast list limit?
The WhatsApp broadcast list limit is 256 contacts per list. That applies to personal WhatsApp and to the free WhatsApp Business app. Having a business profile doesn't raise it.[1]
A broadcast list sends one message to many people, and each person receives it as a normal one-to-one chat from you. Nobody sees who else got it, and replies come back to you privately. It's a handy way to tell your 50 best customers about a new menu. It was never designed for marketing to thousands.
You can make as many lists as you like, but each one is capped at 256 and every send goes out from the same phone. If you've hit the WhatsApp broadcast limit, you've outgrown the app's broadcast tool, not done anything wrong.
WhatsApp broadcast not delivered? Five reasons
Broadcasts that never arrive are the most frustrating part of the 256 limit, because WhatsApp doesn't show who was skipped. Work through these causes in order.
- 1. They haven't saved your numberThe big one. Broadcast lists only reach people who have your number in their phone's contacts. Everyone else is silently skipped.
- 2. They blocked or muted youA blocked business never delivers. Frequent unwanted broadcasts make blocks more likely.
- 3. Their phone is offlineOne grey tick means sent, not delivered. It changes to two ticks once their phone connects.
- 4. Your number is restrictedNumbers that collect many reports for spam can be limited or banned by WhatsApp.
- 5. You hit a messaging capIn October 2025 WhatsApp began testing monthly limits on messages that get no reply, aimed at bulk senders.
The saved-contact rule is an anti-spam measure: a broadcast list only reaches people who added you to their phone's address book, so a list of 200 customers where 60 saved your number delivers 60 messages. You can ask customers to save your number, but you can't make them, and many won't.
Common workarounds and the risk they carry
Search "how to send broadcast to more than 256" and you'll find four kinds of advice. They aren't equally safe.
| Approach | Ban risk | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Several broadcast lists | Medium | Still capped at 256 each and still needs saved contacts. Many sends from one phone look like bulk messaging. |
| Groups or Communities | Medium | Members see each other's numbers and can reply to everyone. Adding people without asking invites reports. |
| Unofficial bulk senders and browser extensions | High | They automate a regular account in ways WhatsApp's terms don't allow. Numbers are often banned, with chat history at risk. |
| WhatsApp Business Platform (API) | Low | Meta's sanctioned route for business messaging at scale, with approved templates, opt-in and published limits. |
Unofficial "WhatsApp blaster" software deserves a special warning. It drives a normal WhatsApp account, often through WhatsApp Web, to fire off thousands of messages. That's exactly the pattern WhatsApp's anti-spam systems look for. Our page on bulk WhatsApp messaging compares the unofficial and official routes in detail.
What's new in the WhatsApp Business app
Meta has been adding paid ways to reach more people without leaving the app. Its WhatsApp Business site describes business broadcasts: scheduled one-to-one messages with call-to-action buttons and read and reply insights that, in Meta's words, can reach customers "even if they haven't saved your contact number".[2] In September 2026 Meta also introduced Meta One business plans; the Advanced plan, listed from $49.99 a month, includes business broadcast credits on WhatsApp.[3] Availability, limits and pricing vary by country, so check the app.
At the same time, WhatsApp is tightening limits on unwanted messages. In October 2025 it began testing a monthly cap on messages people and businesses send that get no response, with a warning as senders approach it.[4] The direction is clear: high-volume marketing belongs on the platform built for it.
These app features can suit a single-owner shop. They still run on one account, without shared team inboxes, CRM-style audiences or automated consent records, which is where the API comes in.
How to send a broadcast to more than 256 people, officially
The WhatsApp Business Platform, usually called the WhatsApp Business API, doesn't use broadcast lists at all. You send approved message templates to contacts who opted in, and nobody needs to have saved your number. What limits you is Meta's messaging limit: the number of unique customers you can message outside an open customer service window in a rolling 24 hours.[5]
The messaging limit ladder, as documented by Meta
250
New portfolios
2,000
After a scaling path
10,000
Automatic scaling
100,000
Automatic scaling
Ilimitado
Automatic scaling
To get from 250 to 2,000 you complete one scaling path: verify your business, have your partner verify it, or deliver 2,000 high-quality template messages to unique customers within 30 days. After that, Meta raises the limit one level, within about six hours, whenever your messages are high quality and you've used at least half of your current limit in the last seven days. The limit is shared by every number in your business portfolio.[5]
You pay Meta per delivered template, based on the message category and the recipient's country. Estimate it with our free WhatsApp pricing calculator. Sending to the US? Read about marketing messages to US numbers first.
Broadcast list vs business broadcasts vs API broadcasts
| Recurso | App broadcast list | App business broadcasts | API broadcasts (Social Intents) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recipients per send | 256 per list | Varies; Meta says broadcasts reach customers who haven't saved you | Your Meta messaging limit (250 to unlimited per 24 hours) |
| Saved number required | Sim | No, per Meta | No; opt-in required |
| Message format | Any message | Messages with buttons, scheduling | Approved templates with variables, media and buttons |
| Cost | Grátis | Varies by country; some Meta One plans include credits | Meta fee per delivered template, billed to you |
| Team replies | One phone plus linked devices | One account plus linked devices | Unlimited agents in Social Intents (Basic plan and up) |
| Relatórios | Ticks only | Read and reply insights | Delivered, read, replied and failed per campaign |
| Opt-out handling | Manual | Built-in WhatsApp controls | STOP and Stop promotions recorded automatically |
Business app details are taken from Meta's public descriptions as of November 2026 and vary by country.
Broadcast size estimator
Enter how many opted-in customers you want to reach. We'll show what that means for broadcast lists and for the API.
Opted-in contacts, not your whole address book.
Broadcast lists needed
6
Of 256 each, and only saved contacts receive it.
Meta limit for one day
2,000
Reached after business verification or another scaling path.
Social Intents plan fit
Básico
Up to 2,000 broadcast messages a month.
Estimates only. Meta's limit counts unique customers per rolling 24 hours; Social Intents plan limits are monthly. Larger sends can be split across days.
How API broadcasts work in Social Intents
Social Intents is built on the official WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API). Broadcasts are part of the same product your team already uses for WhatsApp chat, with unlimited agents from the Basic plan.
Audiences, not saved contacts
Import contacts with consent evidence, build lists and segments, and send to people who opted in, whether or not they saved your number.
See your reach before you send
The composer shows exactly who will receive the broadcast and who is skipped for missing consent, opt-outs or invalid numbers.
Stays under Meta's limit
Each broadcast is capped at 90% of your number's remaining Meta daily limit, leaving room for one-to-one template replies.
Quiet hours by default
New broadcasts send between 9 AM and 8 PM in your time zone unless you change the window.
SMS fallback for US numbers
Meta has paused marketing templates to +1 numbers. Contacts who opted in to SMS can get the message by text instead.
Replies go to your team
Every reply lands in Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat or the web inbox, where any of your agents can answer.
Monthly broadcast limits are 2,000 messages on Basic, 10,000 on Pro and 50,000 on Business, with a manual review if you need more. Plans with broadcasts start at $69 a month billed annually, and Meta bills message fees to your own account with 0% markup. Compare plans on the pricing page, or see the full feature tour on WhatsApp Broadcasts.
Move from broadcast lists to API broadcasts in five steps
- 1
Connect your number to the API
Sign up and connect WhatsApp to the Cloud API in Social Intents. Want to keep the app on your phone? Use coexistence on the same number.
- 2
Bring your contacts with consent
Import a CSV with a consent column and evidence, or grow a list with keyword opt-ins and a QR code.
- 3
Pick and approve a template
Start from 90 ready-made templates across 34 categories and submit it for Meta's review.
- 4
Preview reach, then send
Check who will receive it, who is skipped and how it fits your plan and Meta limits. Send now or schedule.
- 5
Answer replies from your team tools
Replies arrive in Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat or the inbox. Watch delivered, read and reply rates as they come in.
Before you send, make sure your list really opted in; our WhatsApp opt-in guide has wording you can copy. If a template comes back rejected, our guide to fixing rejected WhatsApp templates walks through every common reason.
Sources
All sources checked on November 2, 2026. Meta changes limits and app features regularly.
- WhatsApp Help Center: How to use broadcast lists — 256-contact lists and the saved-contact rule
- WhatsApp Business: Business broadcasts — reach without saved numbers, scheduling, insights
- Meta Newsroom: Introducing Meta One (September 15, 2026) — business plans and broadcast credits
- TechCrunch: WhatsApp will curb the number of messages people and businesses can send without a response (October 17, 2025)
- Meta for Developers: Messaging limits — tiers, scaling paths and automatic scaling