WhatsApp Broadcast Limit 2026: How to Raise It

The WhatsApp broadcast limit depends on which WhatsApp you use. In the free WhatsApp Business app, a broadcast list holds up to 256 contacts, and WhatsApp is now adding a monthly cap on broadcasts. On the official WhatsApp Business API there is no list size at all: Meta sets a daily limit on how many different customers you can message, starting at 250 and going up to unlimited. This guide explains both, and how to raise your limit step by step.

The two kinds of WhatsApp broadcast limits

Most confusion comes from mixing up the app and the API. They work very differently.

WhatsApp Business app: 256 contacts and a new monthly cap

In the free app, you create a broadcast list and add up to 256 contacts. Your message reaches only the people on that list who have saved your number in their phone. Everyone else silently misses it.

There's a newer limit too. WhatsApp has started rolling out message credits for business broadcasts in the app. Each account gets a set number of broadcasts per month, and businesses buy more credits once that runs out. The exact allowance varies by country and is reaching users in stages, as WABetaInfo has reported. That is why searches for "WhatsApp broadcast message limit per month" have jumped this year.

WhatsApp Business API: messaging limit tiers

On the official WhatsApp Business API, Meta doesn't limit list size. Instead it sets a messaging limit: the maximum number of different customers you can start conversations with in any rolling 24 hours. According to Meta's messaging limits documentation, the tiers are:

1. 250 customers per 24 hours (where every new business starts)
2. 2,000
3. 10,000
4. 100,000
5. Unlimited

Three details matter:

• Only business-started messages count. When a customer messages you first, your replies within the customer service window don't use your limit.
• It counts customers, not messages. Sending three messages to the same customer in a day counts once.
• It's shared across your business. Meta sets the limit for your whole business portfolio, so all your WhatsApp numbers share one limit.

How to increase your WhatsApp broadcast limit

Step 1: Get from 250 to 2,000

Meta gives you three ways to reach the 2,000 tier:

• Complete business verification in Meta Business Manager, with your company documents.
• Partner-led verification through your WhatsApp provider, where available.
• Send 2,000 delivered messages to unique customers within 30 days using templates with a good quality rating.

For most Indian businesses, business verification is the fastest route.

Step 2: Scale automatically beyond 2,000

After that, Meta raises your limit automatically when two things are true:

• Your messages have a high quality rating across your numbers and templates.
• You've used at least half of your current limit in the last 7 days.

When both hold, Meta moves you up a tier within about 6 hours. So the way to grow is simple: send regularly, to people who want your messages.

Step 3: Protect your quality rating

Your quality rating drops when customers block or report you. A low rating stops your upgrades and can lower your limits. To keep it high:

• Message only people who opted in, and make opting out easy.
• Segment your list. Send offers only to customers who'll find them relevant.
• Don't over-send. A few useful messages a month beat daily promotions.
• Use the right template category. Keep order and booking updates factual, and send offers as marketing templates.

Should you move from the app to the API?

If you message more than a few hundred people, or need reminders, payments or a shared team inbox, the API is the better fit. You lose the 256-contact list limit and the save-my-number problem, and you can automate replies so every enquiry gets answered.

The trade-off is cost. On the API, Meta charges per template message by category. Marketing messages cost more than utility ones like reminders. Our WhatsApp pricing guide shows current rates in India.