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Meta Business PartnerGlossary term

Broadcast List vs Group

A broadcast list delivers the same message to many recipients as separate, private 1:1 chats — nobody sees who else received it. A WhatsApp group is a single shared space where every member can see and reply to everyone. They look similar when you send, but they behave very differently in privacy, reach, and — crucially for businesses on the WhatsApp Business API — in what you can actually automate at scale. This glossary entry defines both, explains where each fits, and clears up the confusion that trips up teams migrating from the consumer app to the API.

1:1 to many (private, separate chats)
Broadcast direction
Many-to-many (one shared chat)
Group direction
Broadcast: hidden · Group: visible to all
Recipient visibility
256 saved contacts per list
Consumer-app broadcast limit
Template messages to opted-in contacts
Business API equivalent
Per delivered message, by category
Billing basis

In one line

A broadcast is one-to-many delivered as private 1:1 messages; a group is a many-to-many shared conversation. For API-driven business messaging at scale in India, you send template broadcasts to opted-in contacts — not groups.

What a broadcast list is

A broadcast list is a saved set of recipients to whom you send one message that lands in each person's inbox as an ordinary, private 1:1 chat. Recipients never see the list, never see each other, and reply straight back to you — their reply opens a normal individual conversation, not a group thread. On the consumer WhatsApp app a broadcast list is capped at 256 saved contacts, and a recipient only receives your broadcast if they have your number saved. That 'saved number' rule is the single biggest reason consumer broadcast lists fail to reach people. The WhatsApp Business API removes both limits: there is no 256 cap and no requirement for contacts to save your number. Instead you send approved template messages to contacts who have opted in, which is how legitimate businesses run promotions, order updates, and reminders to thousands of people at once.

  • One message, delivered privately to each recipient as a separate 1:1 chat
  • Recipients cannot see who else received it — no shared thread
  • Replies come back to you individually, not to a group
  • Consumer app: 256 contacts max, and they must have saved your number
  • API: no cap, no 'save the number' rule — you message opted-in contacts via templates

What a WhatsApp group is

A group is a shared, many-to-many space. Every member sees every other member's name and number (subject to privacy settings), and every message posted is visible to the whole group. Members can reply, react, and start side conversations that everyone reads. Groups are built for community and collaboration — a project team, a class, a residents' association — not for one-directional announcements. For a business, that openness is usually a liability: your customers' phone numbers become visible to strangers, one annoyed member can spam everyone, and there is no clean way to send a personalised, trackable message. Groups also cannot be created or bulk-managed through the WhatsApp Business API the way outbound messaging can, so they are not a scalable channel for structured business communication.

  • A single conversation shared by all members
  • Everyone can see other members and read every message
  • Great for community and two-way discussion, poor for private announcements
  • Exposes customer phone numbers to other members
  • Not a supported channel for API-driven outbound business messaging

Why the distinction matters for API messaging

When businesses move from the consumer app to the WhatsApp Business API, they often ask to 'broadcast to a group'. The two concepts collapse into one on the API: there is no group-blast feature and no consumer-style broadcast list. Instead, business messaging at scale means sending template messages to a list of individual opted-in contacts. Each recipient receives a private 1:1 message — the broadcast concept — but delivered through the API with proper opt-in, template approval, and per-message billing. Getting this mental model right up front saves you from three predictable problems: template rejections (because your content assumed a group context), unexpected costs (because you didn't map your audience to delivered-message pricing), and compliance risk (because groups leak customer data). InfiQ's onboarding maps your existing contact lists to compliant, opted-in broadcast campaigns so you keep the reach of a broadcast without the exposure of a group.

How WhatsApp bills broadcast-style messages

Since 1 July 2025, Meta bills the WhatsApp Business API per delivered message, priced by category — marketing, utility, or authentication — on a live rate card. The 24-hour service window is a free window for replying to customers who message you first; it is not a billing unit, and the old per-conversation model no longer applies. This matters directly to broadcasts: a promotional broadcast to opted-in contacts is charged per delivered marketing message, while an order-update broadcast is charged at the lower utility rate. Because a group is not an API channel, none of this applies to groups — another reason business announcements belong in template broadcasts, not groups. InfiQ applies its own transparent ₹ platform pricing (ex-GST), so you can forecast the cost of a broadcast campaign before you send it.

  • Marketing broadcasts bill at the marketing rate, per delivered message
  • Order, shipping, and reminder broadcasts qualify for the lower utility rate
  • Authentication (OTP) messages have their own category and rate
  • The 24-hour window is free service messaging, not a billing bucket
  • Groups have no per-message API billing because they aren't an API channel

Common mistakes to avoid

The mistakes almost always come from carrying consumer-app habits into the API. Teams create a WhatsApp group and treat it as a mailing list, then wonder why customers leave or complain about privacy. Others build a 256-contact broadcast list on a personal phone, hit the 'must save the number' wall, and assume WhatsApp marketing 'doesn't work'. Some send a broadcast with promotional copy inside what should be a utility template, and it gets rejected. And many forget the golden rule that underpins all API broadcasting: every recipient must have opted in. A broadcast that reaches people who never consented is not just poor etiquette — it risks your number's quality rating and, in repeated cases, your account.

  • Using a group as a one-way announcement channel (privacy and spam risk)
  • Relying on the consumer 256-contact list and the 'save my number' requirement
  • Putting marketing content in a utility template — a common rejection cause
  • Broadcasting to contacts who never opted in — hurts quality rating
  • Assuming groups can be automated or bulk-created via the API

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a broadcast list and a group on WhatsApp?+
A broadcast list sends the same message privately to many people as separate 1:1 chats — no one sees who else received it. A group is a single shared conversation where every member can see the other members and read every message. Broadcasts are for private announcements; groups are for open discussion.
Can I broadcast to a WhatsApp group with the Business API?+
No. The WhatsApp Business API has no group-blast feature and no consumer-style broadcast list. To reach many people at once you send approved template messages to a list of individual opted-in contacts. Each person receives a private 1:1 message, which gives you broadcast reach without exposing customers to one another.
Do recipients need to save my number to receive a broadcast?+
On the consumer WhatsApp app, yes — a broadcast only reaches contacts who have saved your number, and lists are capped at 256. On the WhatsApp Business API there is no such requirement and no 256 limit; you message any contact who has opted in, which is why the API is the right tool for business broadcasting at scale.
Are WhatsApp groups good for business marketing?+
Generally no. Groups expose every customer's phone number to other members, let one person spam everyone, and can't be automated or bulk-managed through the API. For announcements, offers, and updates, a template broadcast to opted-in contacts is more private, more scalable, and compliant with WhatsApp's rules.
How is a broadcast charged on the WhatsApp Business API?+
Since 1 July 2025, WhatsApp bills per delivered message by category. A promotional broadcast is charged at the marketing rate, while order and reminder broadcasts qualify for the lower utility rate, and OTPs use the authentication category. InfiQ applies transparent ₹ pricing (ex-GST) so you can forecast a campaign's cost before sending.
Is the 24-hour window a billing unit for broadcasts?+
No. The 24-hour window is a free service window for replying to customers who message you first. Billing is now per delivered message by category, not per conversation. A broadcast you initiate is charged per delivered template message regardless of any window.
Do all broadcast recipients need to opt in?+
Yes. Every contact you broadcast to via the WhatsApp Business API must have opted in to receive messages from your business. Broadcasting to people who never consented can lower your number's quality rating and, if repeated, put your account at risk.
How many people can I reach with a broadcast?+
On the consumer app a broadcast list is limited to 256 saved contacts. On the WhatsApp Business API there is no fixed cap — you can broadcast template messages to your entire opted-in audience, subject to your number's messaging tier and quality rating, which grow as you send responsibly.