Broadcasts
Personal messages, sent at scale.
Pick an approved template and pass up to 10,000 recipients. Each person gets their own variables, and each result comes back by number.
WhatsApp Broadcast APISend one template to up to 10,000 customers per API call.
One request sends an approved template to up to 10,000 people, each with their own details. Schedule it, estimate the cost first, then read results per recipient.
Prefer no code? Send a WhatsApp broadcast from Wati.
- 16,000+businesses in 190+ countries
- 4.6/5average rating on G2
- OfficialMeta Business Partner and WhatsApp BSP
One request. Up to 10,000 customers.
Each person gets their own name, order or date. Each result comes back by number.
- Starts with a templateAn approved template opens the conversation, for one customer or up to 10,000 per call.
- Continues in chat, or on a callText, media and buttons once the customer replies, or a voice call in the same thread.
- Ends with your teamWebhooks tell your code. The team inbox tells your people.
The product
Send. Reply. Hear back. Hand off.
Messaging
Reply with more than text.
Inside the 24-hour window, send text, images, files, reply buttons and list pickers, with a typing indicator while you work.
Order updates and alerts
The right update, when it happens.
Your store, booking or billing system sends an approved template when something changes. Customers tap a button or reply.
Auto-reply and chatbots
Your code answers.
The message webhook brings each new message to your server. Reply with the send endpoints, or start a Wati chatbot on Pro and Business.
Webhooks
Every reply, the moment it lands.
Webhooks push new messages, read receipts, clicks and failures to your URL. No polling.
Team inbox
Code starts it. People finish it.
Replies land in the Wati team inbox. Assign an operator, set status and add tags by API, so the right person picks it up.
Contacts and segments
Your CRM, mirrored in Wati.
Create and update contacts with custom attributes, then preview a segment before you message it.
InstagramInstagram comments
Build Instagram automation too.
List comments on your posts, reply in public or send a private reply. Instagram DMs work too: reply to active conversations by REST or through the Wati MCP server.
Get started
Live in three steps.
- Connect
Connect your number
Link your WhatsApp number through Meta's Embedded Signup inside Wati.
- Authenticate
Get a token
Create an API token in Wati and give it only the scopes you need. Keep it on your server.
- Send
Make your first call
Send an approved template with one request. Then add a webhook to follow delivery.
Your first request, explained
Here is what goes into one request, and where each part shows up in the message.
- Who
The customer's WhatsApp number, with country code.
phone_number14155552671 - Which message
The name of a template that Meta has approved in your account.
template_nameorder_update - What to fill in
The values for the blanks in the template, one per person.
custom_paramsname = Mayaorder_id = 10482 - Your key
Your API token, sent with every request. Keep it on your server.
Authorization: Bearer <token> - What you get back
A 200 means Wati accepted the message, with a broadcast_id. Delivered and read arrive later by webhook.
200broadcast_id
The message text and order_update are examples. Your approved template sets the wording.
- Which comment
The comment you are answering. You get its ID when you list a post's comments.
comment_idin the URL path - From which account
Your Instagram account connected to Wati.
channel - To whom
The person who wrote the comment, taken from the same comment.
userIduserName - What to send
Plain text up to 1,000 characters, or a template with buttons.
type = texttexttype = template - What you get back
A 200 with ok set to true means the private reply went through. Use the same Authorization header as every other call.
ok: trueresult: success
POST /api/ext/v3/comments/{comment_id}/privateReply. The comment and reply text are examples. See the request in the docs
Examples in cURL, Node, Python and PHP. The selected request matches this page.
curl -X POST "https://live-mt-server.wati.io/api/ext/v3/messageTemplates/send" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $WATI_API_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"template_name": "order_update",
"broadcast_name": "order_update_api",
"recipients": [
{
"phone_number": "14155552671",
"custom_params": [
{ "name": "name", "value": "Maya" },
{ "name": "order_id", "value": "10482" }
]
}
]
}'200Example responseShape from the docs example
{
"success": true,
"broadcast_id": "broadcast_123456",
"recipients": [
{
"local_message_id": "local-msg-123",
"phone_number": "14155552671",
"errors": []
}
]
}Server URL for your workspace region
Global
https://mcp.wati.io/mcpEU
https://eu-mcp.wati.io/mcpClients with an mcpServers config
{
"mcpServers": {
"wati": {
"url": "https://mcp.wati.io/mcp"
}
}
}Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http wati https://mcp.wati.io/mcpSign in with OAuth when your client asks. No API key goes in the config. For EU workspaces, use the EU URL. MCP docs
Built in
What Wati handles so you don't have to.
Number onboarding
Connect through Meta's Embedded Signup. The WhatsApp Business Account is registered to your business.
Template status
Approval, quality and category changes arrive as webhooks, so you know before a send fails.
Webhook retries
Up to 144 retries, every 10 minutes. If your endpoint keeps failing, Wati emails you.
Rate limits and queueing
Go too fast and you get 429 with a Retry-After header. Accepted messages wait in a queue.
Human handoff
A shared team inbox for the conversations your code should not answer alone.
Scoped API tokens
v3 supports scoped tokens, so each integration gets only the access it needs.
Scheduled sends
Schedule a template send for later with one call. Wati sends it on time.
Cost estimate first
Estimate what a broadcast will cost before anything is sent.
Under the hood
The endpoints, by capability.
What goes into a broadcast call
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
template_name | Yes | An approved template in your account. List them with GET /messageTemplates. |
broadcast_name | Yes | Your own label for this send |
recipients | Yes | 1 to 10,000 people, each with a phone_number |
custom_params | Per recipient | Name and value pairs for the template's variables |
local_message_id | No | Your own ID, returned in the per-recipient results |
channel | No | The sending number, by name or number. Default channel if left out. |
From the v3 send endpoint schema. The response has success, a broadcast_id and per-recipient errors.
Templates
Start conversations with approved templates, now or scheduled.
Docs →GET/messageTemplatesPOST/messageTemplates/sendPOST/messageTemplates/scheduleBroadcasts
Read campaign results and per-recipient status, and estimate cost first.
Docs →GET/broadcastsGET/broadcasts/{broadcast_id}/recipientsPOST/broadcasts/estimate-costMessaging
Reply with text, media or buttons inside the 24-hour window.
Docs →POST/conversations/messages/textPOST/conversations/messages/fileViaUrlPOST/conversations/messages/interactivePOST/conversations/typingIndicatorChatbots Pro+
List your Wati chatbots and start one for a contact.
Docs →GET/chatbotsPOST/chatbots/startWebhooks
Manage subscriptions and list the event types you can receive.
Docs →GET/webhooksGET/webhooks/event-typesPUT/webhooks/{id}Contacts & segments
Sync contacts and attributes from your CRM, then target segments.
Docs →POST/contactsPUT/contactsPOST/segments/evaluateTeam inbox
Assign an operator, change status, add or remove tags.
Docs →PUT/conversations/{target}/operatorPUT/conversations/{target}/statusPOST/conversations/{target_conv}/tagsCalling
Read call logs, recordings, transcripts and summaries. Read-only.
Docs →GET/callsGET/calls/{call_id}/transcriptGET/calls/{call_id}/summaryList posts and comments, reply in public or in private, check permissions.
Docs →GET/posts/{post_id}/commentsPOST/comments/{comment_id}/repliesPOST/comments/{comment_id}/privateReplyGET/channels/{channel}/permissionsPaths are relative to https://live-mt-server.wati.io/api/ext/v3. Creating a webhook uses the legacy path POST /{tenantId}/api/v2/webhookEndpoints.
For AI agents, the Wati MCP server covers the same WhatsApp actions, and can reply to Instagram DMs and Messenger chats with text.
See all 19 WhatsApp webhook event types
Messages
- message
- newContactMessageReceived
- sessionMessageSent_v2
- templateMessageSent_v2
Delivery status
- sentMessageDELIVERED_v2
- sentMessageREAD_v2
- sentMessageREPLIED_v2
- templateMessageFailed
Templates and account
- templateReviewed
- templateQualityUpdated
- templateCategoryUpdated
- wabaStatusReviewUpdate
- PhoneNumberQualityUpdatedEvent
- accountUpdated
- accountDeleted
- phoneNumberDeleted
Engagement and calls
- chatbotTriggered
- ctaUrlClicked
- call.status
WhatsApp events only: there are no Instagram webhook events yet. BSUID versions of several events are also available. Webhook docs
Limits and plans
Clear limits. Published.
30 to 100 per 10 s
Template sends
Calls to send templates, depending on your plan (Growth, Pro or Business).
10,000 recipients
Per v3 send call
One template, up to 10,000 people, each with their own variables.
24 h window
Free-form replies
Text, media and buttons need an open customer service window. Outside it, send a template.
429 Retry-After
When you go too fast
Wati tells you how long to wait. Accepted messages are processed in a queue.
Rate limits and plan availability in detail
| Endpoint | Growth | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
/addContact, /getContacts | 10 / 10 s | 10 / 10 s | 10 / 10 s |
/getMessages | 10 / 10 s | 10 / 10 s | 10 / 10 s |
/sendTemplateMessage | 30 / 10 s | 60 / 10 s | 100 / 10 s |
/sendTemplateMessages | 30 / 10 s | 60 / 10 s | 100 / 10 s |
Limits as published on Errors & Rate Limits, listed by endpoint name. The v1 bulk call takes up to 1,000 contacts. Core messaging, template and contact endpoints are on every plan. Team assignment, chat status, chatbots and custom segments need Pro or Business. Updating attributes for many contacts at once needs Business. Endpoint availability by plan. For higher limits, talk to Wati about your use case.
How many people can I reach with one Broadcast API call?
Up to 10,000 recipients per v3 send call. You send one approved template, and each recipient can have their own variables, like a name or order number. Template sends are limited to 30, 60 or 100 calls per 10 seconds, depending on your plan. Your number's Meta messaging limit and template quality still apply, so warm up a new number before large sends.
Can I schedule a broadcast and check the cost first?
Yes. POST /messageTemplates/schedule sends at a time you choose, and POST /broadcasts/estimate-cost estimates the cost before anything is sent.
How do I see who received and read a broadcast?
Call GET /broadcasts for your campaigns and GET /broadcasts/{broadcast_id}/recipients for per-recipient status. For real-time updates, subscribe to webhooks such as sentMessageDELIVERED_v2, sentMessageREAD_v2 and templateMessageFailed.
How do I match results to my own records?
Give each recipient a local_message_id, such as your order ID. Wati returns it in the per-recipient results of the send call, next to any errors for that number.
Can I choose which WhatsApp number sends the broadcast?
Yes. Pass channel with the sending number's name or number. Leave it out to send from your default channel.
Do I need to know how to code?
Less than you used to. AI app builders can write the API calls from plain-English instructions, and the examples on this page show each call.
You still need a WhatsApp number connected to Wati, an API token, and a template that Meta has approved before you can start a conversation. If an AI tool writes the code, check that your token stays on the server.
What are the API rate limits?
Contact and message-history calls are limited to 10 requests per 10 seconds on every plan. Template sends are limited to 30, 60 or 100 requests per 10 seconds on Growth, Pro and Business. When you hit a limit you get HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header. For higher limits, contact Wati.
Can I message a customer at any time?
On WhatsApp, free-form text, media and interactive messages need an open 24-hour customer service window. Outside that window, start the conversation with a template that Meta has approved.
What is the difference between the WhatsApp Business app and the API?
The Business app is for manual chats on a phone, with up to 5 linked devices and broadcast lists capped at 256 contacts. The API connects WhatsApp to your own systems. You can send approved templates at volume, automate replies, receive webhooks and share one number across a team inbox.
Your first message is one request away.
Get access, connect your WhatsApp number in Wati and make your first call.