WhatsApp broadcast limits, and how to raise them
There are two entirely different limits depending on which WhatsApp you use, and confusing them leads businesses to conclude WhatsApp cannot scale when in fact they were using the wrong product.
Published
The app: 256, and the hidden one
Broadcast lists in the WhatsApp Business app cap at 256 recipients. The more damaging limit is undocumented in practice: recipients who have not saved your number receive nothing at all.
The API: messaging tiers
There is no list-size cap on the Business API. Instead you sit in a messaging tier that governs how many unique users you can start conversations with in a rolling 24 hours.
New numbers start low. The tier increases automatically as you send consistently while keeping a good quality rating.
- Tiers rise on their own as volume and quality hold
- Quality rating is driven by blocks and reports from recipients
- A poor rating can push a tier back down
- Replies within the service window do not consume the tier the same way
Do not try to force a tier increase by sending hard to a cold list. Blocks drive quality down faster than volume drives the tier up.
Raising limits sensibly
Send to your most engaged segment first and build a record of messages people welcome. The tier follows.
Keep opt-out easy and honour it immediately. An easy opt-out costs you a contact; a block costs you rating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove the 256 limit in the app?
No. It is a fixed cap in the Business app. The API has no list-size cap.
How fast do messaging tiers increase?
It is automatic and driven by sustained volume plus a healthy quality rating rather than by a request.
What lowers my quality rating?
Recipients blocking or reporting you, which almost always traces back to poor targeting or weak opt-in.
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