WhatsApp broadcast for business: how it works and the rules
A WhatsApp broadcast sends one message to many customers at once, and each person gets it as a private chat from you. In the free app you can use a broadcast list (up to 256 contacts, and they must have saved your number). In the WhatsApp Business app there's also a paid option called business broadcasts. Either way, in the UK you should only send marketing to people who agreed to hear from you.
Checked 18 Oct 2026
Broadcast lists: the free option
A broadcast list is a saved list of contacts you can message together without picking them each time. WhatsApp's help page sets the rules:
- Up to 256 contacts in each list. You can make as many lists as you like.
- Only people who have saved your number in their phone will get the message. If someone isn't receiving them, ask them to add you to their contacts.
- Each person gets the message as an individual chat from you. Their reply comes back to you only and isn't sent to anyone else on the list.
- You can't create broadcast lists on WhatsApp for Windows, Mac or the web. Use your phone.
How to send a broadcast list message
- Open Chats.
- Tap the menu (three dots on Android), then Broadcast lists.
- Tap to create a new list, then select the contacts.
- Save the list, open it and type your message as normal.
On iPhone, tap Settings or your profile picture, then Broadcast messages and New List.
The menus differ a little between Android and iPhone, and WhatsApp's help page has both versions.
The new monthly limit
WhatsApp is starting to cap broadcasts. Its broadcast limits page says you can send up to 35 free broadcast messages a month, and that this is "rolling out gradually and might not be available everywhere". To see whether you have a limit, go to Settings, then Broadcasts. WhatsApp points businesses that need more to the Business app.
Business broadcasts: the paid option
The WhatsApp Business app now has business broadcasts, a tool built for messages like offers, news and thank-yous (WhatsApp). Here's how it works:
- Go to Tools, then Business broadcasts.
- Choose your audience from your contacts.
- Add a picture, your text and an optional button: your catalogue, a one-tap reply, a phone call or a website link.
- Preview the message, check the price and send it or schedule it.
Meta reviews business broadcasts before they're sent. You're charged when you send, only for messages that are delivered, and refunded for any not delivered within five days. WhatsApp mentions free messages, and its Android guide links them to a Meta Verified subscription. Once any free messages are used, you need to add a payment method. WhatsApp doesn't say how many messages are free.
What a UK business broadcast costs
The price depends on the country of each person you message. The GBP rate card WhatsApp links from its pricing page lists £0.0458 per marketing message to a UK number (checked 18 October 2026). That's about 4.6p, or roughly £4.58 for 100 delivered messages. The app shows the total and estimated tax before you pay.
WhatsApp also says business broadcasts are only in "limited countries" so far, so the option may not be in your app yet.
Broadcast list or business broadcast?
| Broadcast list | Business broadcast | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free (a 35 a month limit is rolling out) | Any free messages, then about 4.6p per UK message |
| Who gets it | Only contacts who saved your number | Contacts you choose, even if they haven't saved your number |
| Size | 256 per list | Your contact list |
| Buttons and scheduling | No | Yes |
| Checked by Meta first | Not mentioned by WhatsApp | Yes |
The rules: WhatsApp's and the UK's
WhatsApp's rules
WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy says you may only contact people who gave you their number and agreed to get messages from you. You must respect anyone who asks you to stop. Customers can block or report you, and WhatsApp can limit how many messages you send if you get a lot of negative feedback. It bans accounts used for spam.
UK law (PECR)
The ICO counts in-app and direct messages as "electronic mail" (ICO). So a WhatsApp offer to a customer follows the same rules as a marketing text or email.
You can send marketing if the person agreed to it, or under the soft opt-in for existing customers. The ICO's conditions for the soft opt-in are:
- You got their details yourself.
- You got them while selling, or talking about selling, them something.
- You only market similar things you sell.
- You gave them a chance to opt out when you collected their details.
- You give them a chance to opt out in every message.
The ICO also says there's no such thing as a bought list that meets the soft opt-in. In practice, add a line like "Reply STOP and we won't message you again" to every broadcast, and keep a note of who has opted out. This is a summary, not legal advice.
A broadcast that works
Keep it short, personal and useful. A salon example:
Hi, it's Jo at Hair by Jo. I've got three free slots this Thursday after 4pm. Reply with a time and I'll book you in. Reply STOP to stop these messages.
Give people one clear reason to reply. A chat is not the place for a long newsletter.
Common questions
Do people know it's a broadcast message?
It arrives as a normal individual chat from you, and replies come only to you. WhatsApp doesn't say whether recipients see any broadcast label.
Can I send a broadcast to people who haven't saved my number?
Not with a broadcast list. Only people who have saved your number receive it.
Is a WhatsApp group the same as a broadcast?
No. A broadcast list is one to many, and each reply comes only to you. WhatsApp says that if you want people to take part in a group conversation, you should create a group chat instead.
Where we help
We keep in touch with your past customers by email and WhatsApp, using the booking and enquiry details your business already has. We tidy those into a usable list, prepare each update and record who opts out. We don't buy lists or add people who never gave you their details.
You approve every message and who receives it before anything is sent.
Get Your Free Business Roadmap
Book a free 20-minute Google Meet, then receive a simple one-page plan: The tool that will work FOR you day & night.
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Monthly work from £375. Setup is quoted after the free call, once James knows what your business needs.