WhatsApp Broadcast Limit: What Indian Businesses Can Send
The WhatsApp broadcast limit is 256 contacts per broadcast list in the WhatsApp Business app and the standard app. You can build as many lists as you like, but each one tops out at 256 people, and in some countries WhatsApp also puts a monthly cap on how many broadcasts you can send. That is the short answer. The longer answer is the part that saves you from a wasted afternoon: a broadcast only reaches people who have saved your number, so the real limit for most shops is not 256, it is how many of your customers have you in their contacts.
This is one of the most common confusions with WhatsApp broadcasts. A shop builds a list of 256, hits send, and only a handful of messages land. Nothing is broken. This post explains why that happens, what the broadcast list can and cannot do, when you need the Business API instead, and a simple weekly routine that keeps you inside the rules.
What is the WhatsApp broadcast limit?
A broadcast list lets you send one message to many people at once, and each person receives it as a normal, private one-to-one chat. They do not see each other, and they do not see that it was a broadcast. The cap is 256 contacts per list.
There is a second limit that matters more than the number. WhatsApp only delivers a broadcast to a contact if that contact has saved your number in their phone. WhatsApp's own help page is explicit: "Only people who've added you to their phone's contacts will receive your broadcast message." If they have not saved you, your message does not reach them. So a list of 256 strangers can reach almost no one.
WhatsApp also notes that people in some countries may see a monthly broadcast limit on how many broadcast messages they can send. Treat the 256-per-list number as firm and the monthly cap as something to check inside your own app, because it varies.
Business app broadcast vs the Business API
There are two different WhatsApp products, and the limits are not the same.
The WhatsApp Business app is the free app you install on one phone. It has broadcast lists, each capped at 256 contacts, and it keeps the saved-number rule. It is built for a single shop run by one or two people. Good for a few hundred regulars who already have your number.
The WhatsApp Business Platform (the API) is the paid, developer-level product that businesses use through a provider. It does not use broadcast lists at all. Instead you send template messages to opted-in customers at a much larger scale, and you pay per message. There is no 256 cap, but there are approval rules for templates and a cost for every message that lands.
Rule of thumb: if you are messaging a few hundred people who saved your number, the Business app broadcast is enough. If you want to message thousands, or people who never saved you, you need the API through a provider.
Why some customers never get your broadcast
This is the trap. You add 256 numbers, send, and most never arrive. Three reasons, in order of how often they bite:
They never saved your number. This is the big one. A broadcast is delivered only to contacts who have you saved. A phone number you typed in from an order form does not count unless that customer also saved you back.
They never opted in. Even when a message lands, sending cold marketing to people who did not ask for it gets you reported. Reports lead to blocks, and blocks hurt your number.
You hit a list or monthly cap. More than 256 in one list will not go. A monthly cap, where it applies, quietly stops further sends.
The fix for the saved-number problem is to flip it around: get customers to message you first, or to save your number, before you ever broadcast. A counter sign that says "save this number for order updates and offers" does more than any clever message.
What does it cost to message customers in India
The Business app and its broadcast lists are free to use. You pay nothing to send a broadcast from the app.
The Business API is paid, and the price per message is set by Meta's current rate card, which differs by the recipient's country code and by message type. WhatsApp's pricing page says you "only pay for each message that is delivered to a contact within five days of being sent", so an undelivered message is not charged. I am not quoting a rupee-per-message figure here, because the rate card updates often and a stale number would mislead you. Check the official WhatsApp Business Platform pricing page for the current India rates before you budget, and multiply by the number of messages you expect to send in a month.
The takeaway: for most Indian shops with a few hundred regulars, you do not need to pay anything. The free app is enough. You only pay when you outgrow it.
Will my number get banned?
It can, and the usual cause is sending to people who did not ask for it. WhatsApp acts on reports and blocks. A few customers tapping "report" on an unwanted message is enough to put your number at risk.
Stay safe with three habits. Message only people who opted in or saved you. Keep the message useful, an order update, a genuine offer, a reminder, not a daily sales blast. And give an easy way to opt out, even a simple "reply STOP and I will remove you". A clean number that sends wanted messages rarely gets into trouble.
Broadcast, group, channel or click to chat: which fits
People mix these up, so here is the plain version.
Broadcast list: one-to-many, private, replies come back to you privately. Best for offers and updates to saved customers. Capped at 256 per list.
Group: everyone sees everyone and can reply to all. Good for a small community, bad for marketing, because one annoyed member can spam the whole group.
Channel: a one-way public feed people follow. Good for announcements to a wider audience, but it is not a private chat and you cannot target individuals.
Click to chat and click to WhatsApp ads: a link or an ad that opens a chat with you. This is how you get new people to message you first, which then makes them reachable by broadcast later. For a messaging alternative some Indian businesses test, see Arattai by Zoho.
A safe weekly routine for a shop with 300 customers
Say you run a clothing store in Jaipur with about 300 regulars. Here is a routine that respects the limits and the rules.
Collect saved numbers first. Put a card at the counter: "Save this number and message us 'hi' for new arrivals and offers." Only add people who reply.
Split into lists of 256. With 300 opted-in customers you need two broadcast lists. Keep them tidy and labelled.
Send one useful broadcast a week. A new arrival, a weekend offer, a restock. One message, clearly from you, easy to act on.
Watch for the dropped ones. If a broadcast reaches far fewer people than your list size, most have not saved your number. Run the save-us campaign again before blaming the message.
Grow with click to chat. Put a WhatsApp link in your Instagram bio and on your site so new customers start a chat and become reachable. For the bigger picture of reaching customers across channels, my getting-started guide to AI automation for Indian SMEs covers how to tie this into the rest of your follow-up, and the AI tools that handle customer service guide covers the replies that follow.
When your list grows past a few thousand and you want to send to people who never saved you, that is the signal to move to the Business API through a provider, and to budget for the per-message cost.
FAQ
What is the WhatsApp broadcast limit?
256 contacts per broadcast list, in both the Business app and the standard app. You can make many lists, but each caps at 256. Some countries also apply a monthly broadcast cap.
Why did only a few people receive my broadcast?
Because a broadcast is delivered only to contacts who have saved your number. If most of your list has not saved you, most will not get the message, even though it says sent.
Is WhatsApp broadcast free in India?
Yes, in the Business app it is free to send. Only the Business API charges per message, at Meta's current rate card.
How do I send to more than 256 people?
Make more lists of 256 in the app, or move to the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) through a provider, which removes the 256 cap but charges per message and needs approved templates.
Can my number get banned for broadcasting?
Yes, mainly if you message people who did not opt in. Keep to saved, opted-in customers, send useful messages, and offer an opt-out.
What is the difference between a broadcast and a channel?
A broadcast is a private one-to-many message to saved contacts, with private replies. A channel is a one-way public feed people choose to follow.
If you want help setting up a WhatsApp routine that stays inside the rules and actually reaches your customers, you can book a consultation with me and we will map it to your shop.
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