Broadcast and Group are the two ways to message multiple WhatsApp contacts simultaneously — but they work completely differently. Choosing the wrong one for your use case creates privacy issues, poor engagement, or limited reach. Here's exactly when to use each.
| Feature | WhatsApp Broadcast | WhatsApp Group |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees the message | Each recipient privately — no one sees other recipients | All group members see the same message thread |
| Who sees replies | Only you — replies are private one-to-one | Everyone in the group sees replies |
| Recipient awareness | Recipients don't know it was broadcast | All members see the full group member list |
| App limit | 256 contacts per broadcast list | 1,024 members per group (up from 512) |
| API limit (WA.Expert) | Unlimited contacts (opted-in) | Groups not available via API |
| Requires saving your number | App: yes. API: no | No — anyone with the link can join |
| Best for | Announcements, campaigns, updates to customers | Team communication, community building |
| Customer support suitability | Poor — one-way only | Poor — privacy and scale issues |
For almost all business communication to customers, Broadcast is the correct choice. Here's when each is appropriate.
Sale announcements, new product launches, event invitations, order updates, appointment reminders. The customer receives a personalised-feeling message privately — not as part of a group chat. This is the right format for all B2C business communication.
Shipping updates, payment receipts, service reminders, fee due notices. These are sent to many customers individually. Via WhatsApp Business API (WA.Expert), there is no size limit — send to 10,000+ customers simultaneously with full personalisation.
Project updates, daily standups, team announcements, shared resources. Groups work well when the shared visibility is the point — everyone needs to see the same information and can respond to each other.
Industry communities, alumni groups, customer communities (where members knowing each other is acceptable or desirable). Note: WhatsApp Groups are not end-to-end encrypted in the same way — all members have access to each other's phone numbers.
Never use Groups for customer support or individual customer communication. Customers see each other's phone numbers and messages. A customer complaint visible to all group members is a reputation and privacy disaster.
| Feature | Business App Broadcast | API Broadcast (WA.Expert) |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum recipients | 256 per list | Unlimited |
| Recipient must save your number | Yes — message won't deliver if number not saved | No — delivers regardless |
| Message personalisation | Limited — same message to all | Full — name, order details, any variable |
| Scheduling | No | Yes — schedule in advance |
| Analytics (delivered/read) | Basic | Full delivery, read, and click tracking |
| Template required | No (but limited) | Yes — must use Meta-approved template |
| Cost | Free | Meta conversation fees apply |
The 256 limit is the biggest App Broadcast limitation. A business with 5,000 customers needs to maintain 20 separate broadcast lists and send 20 separate broadcasts to reach everyone. API broadcasts eliminate this completely.
WA.Expert's API-powered broadcasts remove the 256-contact limit and add full personalisation, scheduling, and analytics.