Send offers with templates and broadcasts

Create a WhatsApp message template, get it approved by Meta, and send it to everyone, a group, chosen customers or a filtered list.

What it does

A broadcast sends the same message to many customers at once, like a festive offer or a holiday notice. WhatsApp only allows this with a message template that Meta has approved first. So there are two parts: make a template, then send a broadcast with it.

When to use it

Steps

1. Create a template

   Open Broadcasts and tap + New template. Fill in:

   • Template name: lowercase letters, numbers and underscores, like diwali_offer_2026.
   • Category: Marketing for offers, Utility for updates about something the customer asked for.
   • Language: English, हिन्दी or मराठी. Write your message in the language you pick.
   • Header (optional): choose None, Text, Image, Video or PDF. For Text, type up to 60 characters. You can add one {{1}}, and then a Sample value box appears. For Image, Video or PDF, tap + Add image (or + Add video, + Add PDF), then upload a file or Choose from library. Use a JPG or PNG up to 5 MB, an MP4 up to 16 MB, or a PDF up to 10 MB. Files that don't fit aren't offered.
   • Body text: your message, up to 1024 characters. To put each customer's name in it, type {{1}}, as in "Hi {{1}}, our Diwali offer is here…". A variable can't be the very first or last thing in the body.
   • Sample values: a realistic example for each {{1}}, {{2}}. WhatsApp reviewers read these. Each box suggests an example based on the words before it. For "Hi {{1}}" it suggests a name like "Rahul", and for "your trip {{2}}" a code like "SG1042". Type your own example. The box doesn't fill itself in.
   • Footer (optional): small grey text under the message, up to 60 characters, no variables. For example "Reply STOP to stop offers".
   • Buttons (optional): up to 3. Tap + Visit website (button text up to 25 characters, and a link starting with https://; short links like bit.ly aren't allowed) or + Call us (button text, and a phone number with country code, starting with +91). Switch on Add a per-customer ending if the link should end differently for each customer. ApnaBot adds {{1}} to the end of your link and asks for an Example full link, like https://sharmatravels.example/offers/diwali. You fill in the real ending when you create a broadcast or a follow-up. You can have 2 website buttons and 1 call button. Tap + Quick reply to add a button the customer taps to answer you, like "Book now" or "Stop offers" (text up to 25 characters). Pick what happens When tapped. See Quick-reply buttons and what they do.

   On the right (below the form on a phone) a Preview shows the message the way a customer will see it: header, your text with the sample values filled in, footer and buttons. Problems show in red under the field as you type. If WhatsApp's checks find more, every message is listed at the top of the form.

   Tap Create template.

2. Submit it to Meta

   On your new template, tap Submit for review. It shows Pending review until Meta decides, then Approved or Rejected.

   Later, WhatsApp can stop an approved template, usually after customers report it. It then shows Paused by WhatsApp or Disabled by WhatsApp and can't be used in broadcasts or follow-ups. A paused template goes back to Approved if WhatsApp restores it.

3. Write the message

   Scroll down to the Broadcasts section and tap + New broadcast. A new broadcast has three steps: Message, Who gets it and Review. On Message, give it a Broadcast name and pick an approved Template.

   Under Variables, choose Customer name or Static text for each {{1}}. If the template's header has a {{1}}, you'll also see Header {{1}}, where you choose Customer name or Fixed text. If a button's link ends in a variable, you'll see Button "…" link ending: type the text that goes after the link shown beside the box, for example "diwali" after https://sharmatailors.example/offer/. Every customer gets the same link ending. A Preview shows the message the way a customer will see it. Tap Next: Who gets it.

4. Choose who gets it

   On Who gets it, tap one of the cards:

   • Everyone: all customers who opted in. If your template's category is Utility, it's everyone except customers who sent STOP, are blocked or have no valid number.
   • Groups: customers in the groups you tick (up to 20). Someone in several groups gets it once. This card shows only if you have groups.
   • Pick customers: tick the exact people. Search by name or number, and narrow the list with New, Contacted, Converted, Lost, VIP, Never messaged, a group or tags. Tap Select all … matching to tick everyone the filters show, or Clear selection to start again. The selected badge shows how many you've ticked. You can pick up to 2,000 customers. If more match, ApnaBot selects the first 2,000 and tells you to narrow the filters. A customer marked Won't receive isn't opted in, sent STOP or is blocked, so the broadcast skips them. With a Utility template, only customers who sent STOP or are blocked are marked.
   • Filter: everyone who matches what you choose. Pick Tags (a customer with any of the tags matches), Pipeline stage (any of the stages you tick), and When they messaged you: Any time, Messaged us in the last… 7, 30, 90 or a custom number of days, or Never messaged. You can't use the last two together. A customer must match every filter you set. Choose at least one.
   • Coaching requests: parents who asked for a free demo or admission, if your business is a coaching business. See the last note under Good to know.

   Tap Next: Review.

5. Review the numbers

   Review shows three big numbers:

   • Selected: how many customers your choice picked.
   • Will receive: how many of them the broadcast will actually reach.
   • Skipped: the rest. Below, ApnaBot says why, in plain words: No valid WhatsApp number, Blocked, Sent STOP, Hasn't agreed to offers, or Stopped marketing messages (WhatsApp stopped delivering marketing messages to that customer; see Customers).

   Tap See who to list the skipped customers (the owner only). Filter the list by reason and turn the pages. Phone numbers are partly hidden.

   A single broadcast can reach only a set number of people. If Will receive is above it, you'll see "Only … can be sent in one broadcast — narrow the audience or split it", and Create & Send stays off until you go Back and narrow the audience.

6. Create and send

   Tap Create & Send. ApnaBot makes the broadcast and asks Send "…"?. Check the Recipients list and the total, then tap Confirm & Send. For a Marketing template the box says the message goes to opted-in people. For a Utility template it says it goes to everyone except customers who opted out or are blocked. If you close it instead, the broadcast stays in the list as a draft, and you can tap Send on it later.

   If something stops the send, the reason shows in the same box, for example "This broadcast is already being sent" when it was started from another tab.

See how a broadcast did

Each broadcast in the list shows how it is going, for example Sent 98 (98%) · Delivered 90 (90%) · Read 40 (40%) · Failed 2 (2%). While some messages are still queued you also see Waiting with a number. The numbers move by themselves while a broadcast is sending, and for a few minutes after, because WhatsApp reports Delivered and Read a little later.

Tap Details on a broadcast to see:

• Total people, Waiting to send, Sent to WhatsApp, Delivered, Read and Didn't go through, each with a percentage of the total. The numbers overlap: Sent to WhatsApp also counts messages that were later delivered, read or failed, and Delivered includes Read.
• The owner also sees a list of people. Pick All, Waiting to send, Sent, Delivered, Read or Didn't go through to filter it. Use Previous and Next to move through the pages.
• Why a message didn't go through. Each failed row gives the reason in plain words and what to do about it:
  • Problem with this number: the number may not be on WhatsApp, or it has blocked messages. Check the number or skip this customer.
  • Outside the 24-hour window: WhatsApp only allows a normal message within 24 hours of the customer's last message. Send an approved template instead.
  • WhatsApp sending limit: WhatsApp is limiting how many people you can message right now. Try again later or send in smaller batches.
  • Problem with the template: check the template's status under Templates. It may be paused or need changes.
  • Problem with your WhatsApp account: check your WhatsApp connection and wallet balance, then try again.
  • ApnaBot couldn't send this one: something went wrong on our side. Try again or contact support.

Staff see the numbers but not the list of people. They see the line "Only the business owner can see who each message went to."

Broadcasts sent before delivery tracking was added show only the old sent and failed counts. The box says "Detailed delivery tracking isn't available for broadcasts sent before delivery tracking was added."

Templates with a header picture, video or PDF, or with buttons

Each template in the list shows a preview like a WhatsApp message: the header, your text, the footer and the buttons.

• Add header media. A template made in WhatsApp Manager can have an image, video or PDF in its header. ApnaBot can't send it until you pick the file: tap Add header media under the preview, then upload a file or Choose from library. Use a JPG or PNG image (up to 5 MB), an MP4 video (up to 16 MB) or a PDF (up to 10 MB). If the file doesn't fit, ApnaBot tells you why. Tap Change media to use another file later.
• Buttons. Link buttons ("Visit website"), call buttons ("Call us") and quick-reply buttons ("Book now", "Stop offers") work. A link can end in a variable, which you fill in when you create a broadcast or a follow-up. Other button types, like copy code, can't be sent yet.
• A file in use. You can't delete a media file that is a template's header. Attach other media to the template first.

Quick-reply buttons and what they do

A quick reply is a button the customer taps to answer your message with one touch. ApnaBot sees the tap and can act on it straight away, so the customer doesn't have to type anything.

You can have up to 3 buttons in all. Quick replies must sit together, either all before or all after the website and call buttons. When you add buttons, ApnaBot keeps them together for you.

For each quick reply, When tapped decides what ApnaBot does:

• Show main menu: sends your bot's main menu.
• Run a keyword: runs one of your bot's keyword replies, as if the customer had typed it. Pick it from the list.
• Start booking: starts one of your bot's booking steps. Pick the booking, or a question to start at.
• Stop offers: opts the customer out, the same as if they had typed STOP. They won't get broadcasts any more. Use this for a "Stop offers" or "Unsubscribe" button. See Opt-in links, QR posters and STOP.
• No action: the tap is treated like typing the button text. If the button says "Pricing" and you have a keyword reply for "Pricing", the customer gets it.

Change what a button does later. On a template that has quick replies, tap Button actions under the preview (the owner only). Pick an action for each button and tap Save actions. This works for templates made in WhatsApp Manager too. If you change a button's text in WhatsApp, set its action again.

When a customer taps a button, their tap shows in Messages as Tapped: Book now.

Already made templates in WhatsApp?

If you created templates in WhatsApp Manager, or your status changed there, tap Sync from WhatsApp at the top of Broadcasts. ApnaBot brings your templates in and refreshes their status. You'll see a line like "1 new, 2 updated", and Last synced shows when it last ran. It also runs once by itself when you connect WhatsApp.

On each template you may see:

• Created in WhatsApp: you made it in WhatsApp Manager, not here.
• A coloured dot: WhatsApp's quality rating. Green is high, yellow is medium, red is low. Hover over it to read it.
• Removed in WhatsApp: the template was deleted in WhatsApp Manager. You can delete it here too.
• A note under an approved template: ApnaBot can't send it yet, so it won't appear when you create a broadcast or a follow-up. The note says why: Add a header image/video/PDF to use this (tap Add header media), Uses named variables — can't be sent yet, or Has a button type ApnaBot can't send yet (copy code, flow…).

You can sync once a minute. If you tap it too soon, you'll see how many seconds to wait.

Example

Good to know

• Broadcasts are turned off by default. If you don't see Broadcasts in the menu, it hasn't been turned on for your business yet. Ask ApnaBot support to turn it on. Message templates are managed on the same page, so they are hidden until then.
• Only the owner can create templates, sync them and send broadcasts. Staff can see the templates and broadcasts, but not create, submit, delete, sync or send.
• If you try to create a template with a name you've already used and not yet submitted, ApnaBot tells you. Submit or delete the first one.
• Only opted-in customers get marketing broadcasts. Utility templates (for example payment reminders) can also go to customers who haven't opted in, so only send them to people the message applies to. Customers who sent STOP, are blocked or have no valid number are always skipped. See Opt-in links, QR posters and STOP.
• Sending can't be undone. Check the recipients first.
• If you use Customer name and some customers have no name saved, ApnaBot warns you. Sending fails for them unless you add names first, in Customers.
• Meta usually reviews templates quickly, but it can take longer. Rejected templates often have a vague or pushy message. Edit and try again.
• Paused by WhatsApp or Disabled by WhatsApp means customers reported or blocked the message. Make a new template with a clearer, more useful message, and send it only to customers who asked to hear from you.
• Costs: WhatsApp (Meta) charges for template messages. Meta bills these to your WhatsApp Business account, not ApnaBot.
• If WhatsApp couldn't charge for your messages: a yellow notice appears at the top of every page, and a note appears on the Review step. You can still send, but messages may fail until the owner adds a payment method in WhatsApp Manager (Payment settings). The owner taps I've fixed it to hide the notice. Staff see the notice but can't hide it.
• Coaching businesses also see a Coaching requests card, to message everyone who asked for a free demo or admission. Pick A Free demo or Admission, A Free demo or Admission, and a course if you like.
• Staff can see broadcasts and their delivery numbers but can't create or send them, so they don't see the steps above, or the list of people in Details.
• Customers who haven't agreed to offers are never sent a Marketing template, however you choose the audience. Review tells you how many were left out and why.

Related

• Opt-in links, QR posters and STOPAsk customers' permission to send offers with a link or a printed QR poster, and understand what happens when someone sends STOP.
• Import contacts and organise them into groupsBring in customers from an Excel/CSV file or a Google Sheet, put them into groups, and undo an import within 7 days.
• Automatic follow-upsLet ApnaBot remind customers for you. Nudge enquiries that didn't book, ask for reviews, chase pending payments and win back old customers.