WhatsApp broadcast campaigns routinely beat email open rates by a wide margin — but WhatsApp is also strict about quality, and a poorly run campaign can get a number restricted or banned. Here's how to send at scale safely.
Always use approved templates for cold outreach
Any message sent outside the 24-hour customer service window must use a pre-approved template. Templates that read like spam (excessive caps, misleading offers, vague sender identity) get rejected in review or flagged after the fact — write templates the way you'd want to be messaged yourself.
Segment before you send
Blasting your entire contact list regardless of relevance is the single fastest way to rack up block reports. Segment by purchase history, engagement, or explicit opt-in category so each broadcast actually matches what the recipient signed up for.
Respect opt-in and opt-out
Only message contacts who opted in to marketing messages, and always honor an opt-out immediately — both because it's required by WhatsApp's policy and because ignoring it is what triggers user blocks and complaints.
Warm up new numbers gradually
A brand-new business number sending thousands of messages on day one looks like spam to WhatsApp's systems. Ramp volume up over 1-2 weeks so your quality rating has time to establish itself.
Watch your quality rating, not just delivery rate
WhatsApp assigns every number a quality rating based on block/report rates. A dropping quality rating — even with messages still "delivering" — is an early warning sign that your number's sending limits are about to be reduced.
Time it for your audience
Sending at 3am local time guarantees your message is buried by morning. Schedule broadcasts for when your audience is actually likely to be checking their phone.
Done well, broadcast campaigns on WhatsApp routinely see 90%+ open rates. The rules exist because that reach is valuable — protecting it is worth the extra discipline.