How to Send the Same Message to Multiple Contacts on WhatsApp

The quick answer

For a handful of friends, forward the message. For a regular update to customers who have saved your number, use a broadcast list. For a discussion where everyone should see replies, make a group. For a list of numbers that are not in your contacts, or when each person should see their own name, use a bulk sender such as Rapid Sender with an Excel sheet.

This page is about WhatsApp's own built-in options. If you already know you need to send hundreds of messages, the step-by-step guide on how to send bulk WhatsApp messages goes deeper on that part.

Method 1: Broadcast list

A broadcast list sends your message to each person as a private chat. Recipients do not see each other, and replies come back to you one-to-one. It is the closest thing WhatsApp has to "send to many".

Two rules matter. First, a list holds up to 256 contacts. Second, a person only receives your broadcast if they have saved your number in their phone. If they have not, the message silently never arrives, which is the most common reason people think broadcasts "don't work". The full details are in our guide to the WhatsApp broadcast limit.

1. 1

   Open the broadcast option

   On Android, tap the three-dot menu on the Chats screen and choose New broadcast. On iPhone, open Chats, tap the menu or Lists area and choose Broadcast lists, then New list. The exact menu name can vary by app version.

2. 2

   Pick the recipients

   Select up to 256 contacts from your saved contacts and tap the tick or Create.

3. 3

   Type and send

   Write your message, add a photo, video or document if you want, and send. Each person gets it as a normal one-to-one chat.

4. 4

   Reuse the list

   The list stays in your chats, so next time just open it and send again. You can add or remove people from the list info screen.

Method 2: Group

A group puts everyone in one shared chat. It is great for families, teams and class parents who need to talk to each other. The downside for one-way announcements is privacy: every member can see every other member's phone number, and replies go to everyone.

Groups can be much larger than broadcast lists (WhatsApp currently allows around 1,024 members), and members do not need to have saved your number. But adding people to a group without asking is a quick way to get reported, so for customers or strangers a group is usually the wrong tool. Our comparison of WhatsApp group vs broadcast covers this in detail.

Method 3: Forward a message

Write the message once, send it to yourself or any chat, then long-press it, tap Forward and pick several chats. WhatsApp lets you forward to up to five chats at a time, and messages that have already been forwarded many times can be limited to one chat at a time.

Forwarding is fine for five or ten people. It does not scale, it shows a "Forwarded" label in some cases, and you cannot change the name for each person.

Method 4: Click-to-chat links (unsaved numbers)

WhatsApp's click-to-chat link, wa.me followed by the number, opens a chat with any number without saving it. You can add text to the link so the message is typed in for you, then tap send.

This is the simplest free way to message a few unsaved numbers. Our free WhatsApp link generator makes a single link, and the bulk link generator turns a column of numbers into a list of links. You still tap send once per person, so it suits 10 to 50 contacts rather than 500.

Method 5: Bulk send from an Excel sheet

When your list is in Excel, numbers are not saved in your phone, or you want each person to read their own name, a bulk sender is the practical option. Rapid Sender is a free tool for WhatsApp that runs in your browser. You link your own WhatsApp by QR code or pairing code, upload an Excel or CSV of up to 5,000 contacts, and write one message with {{name}} or any other column. It then sends a separate one-to-one chat to each person, with a random pause between messages.

Because each message goes from your number to theirs as a normal chat, recipients do not need to have saved your number, and nobody sees anyone else. You can attach a photo, video, voice note or PDF, send a test to yourself first, and download a report of who received it. It does not schedule messages, post to groups or use the official business API.

Which method should you use?

• Broadcast list: up to 256 people, private, free and built in, but only reaches people who saved your number. Best for regular customers and close contacts.

• Group: large, two-way, everyone sees everyone's number. Best for families, teams and communities who want to talk.

• Forward: up to five chats at a time. Best for a few friends.

• Click-to-chat links: any number, one tap per person. Best for a small list of unsaved numbers.

• Bulk sender from Excel: hundreds or thousands of numbers, saved or not, with each person's name. Best for invitations, reminders and customer updates.

Can you send without a broadcast list or saving numbers?

Yes. Groups, forwarding, links and bulk senders all work without a broadcast list. To reach numbers you have not saved, use click-to-chat links for a few people or a bulk sender for many. Our page on sending WhatsApp messages without saving the number explains both.

On WhatsApp Web and the desktop app you can forward to several chats and open click-to-chat links. Broadcast list creation has traditionally been a phone feature, so if you do not see it on the computer, create the list on your phone. Rapid Sender itself works on a computer browser, so it is a common choice for people who manage contacts in Excel on a laptop.

Stay on the right side of spam rules

• Message people who know you and expect to hear from you. Reports from recipients are the main reason numbers get restricted.

• Personalise. A message with the person's name reads like a real message, not a blast.

• Do not send the same message to thousands of strangers, no matter which method you use.

• Keep a natural pace. Rapid Sender's default 7 to 10 second pause means 100 messages take about 16 minutes.

• Read our guide to sending bulk WhatsApp messages without a ban for more. No method is ban-proof.

Frequently asked questions