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Create and send a broadcast
Use this guide to prepare your audience data, choose the correct WhatsApp template, send or schedule the campaign, and confirm the results.
- Navigate to Broadcasts
Before you start
- Required access: manager or admin.
- You need a connected channel.
- You need an approved WhatsApp template.
- You need a CSV or Excel file with recipient data.
- Estimated time: about 10-20 minutes for a first test send.
Pre-send checklist
- [ ] The first row of the file contains headers.
- [ ] Every recipient number includes a country code.
- [ ] Duplicate recipient numbers have been removed unless you intentionally want to upload repeated rows.
- [ ] Your team has confirmed how opt-outs and unsubscribe requests are handled before sending.
- [ ] Media URLs are public when the template requires media.
- [ ] Variables match the approved template.
- [ ] You have tested the campaign with internal recipients first.
Audience file format
| Column | Required | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
external_id | Yes | 27234567891 | Include the country code. |
media_url | Only for media templates | https://example.com/image.jpeg | Must be public and use a supported file type. |
var1, var2, var3 | Only when the template uses variables | Jane | Add only the variables used in the template. |
Download the example CSV file if you need a starting point.
Duplicates and opt-outs
Before uploading your audience file, review the recipient list for duplicate numbers and opted-out users.
WARNING
Confirm duplicate handling with your team before sending. If the same phone number appears more than once in the upload, do not assume the platform will automatically remove the duplicate unless that behavior has been confirmed for your company workspace.
INFO
Confirm your opt-out process before sending broadcasts. If your company receives unsubscribe or stop requests outside rather.chat, remove those users from the audience file before upload.
Steps
- Open Broadcasts.
- Click Create Broadcast.
- Choose the Broadcast Type:
- Broadcast for a standard bulk send.
- Engagement when the message should trigger a bot flow.
- Enter a clear Broadcast Name.
- Select the sending Channel.
- Select the approved Template.
- Upload the CSV or Excel file.
- Review the uploaded data and correct any obvious issues before continuing.
- Choose whether to send immediately or schedule the broadcast for later.
- Click Send Broadcast.
Schedule a broadcast
When scheduling is enabled:
- Turn on the schedule option.
- Choose the send date.
- Choose the send time.
- Review the planned send time before confirming.
How to know it worked
- The broadcast appears in the Broadcasts list.
- The status updates after the send starts.
- Delivery metrics begin populating for sent, delivered, read, or failed messages.
- The failed-message view shows specific errors when recipients do not receive the message.
If something goes wrong
| Problem | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Template is missing | The template may still be pending approval or unavailable for the selected channel | Confirm approval status in Meta, refresh the page, and try again |
| Upload fails | The file may be malformed or missing headers | Compare it with the sample CSV and upload again |
| A recipient appears more than once | The upload file may contain duplicate rows | Remove duplicates from the source file and upload again |
| Media messages fail | The file URL or file type may not be supported | Check public access and the supported media formats |
| Messages fail after launch | Meta rejected delivery for one or more recipients | Open failed message details and review the Meta error reason |