The WhatsApp broadcast limit on the WhatsApp Business app is 256 contacts per broadcast list, and the message only reaches contacts who have saved your number in their phone. You can create more than one list, but each one is sent by hand from a single phone, and WhatsApp does not tell you which recipients were skipped. That is why a restaurant with 800 regulars finds that "bulk" messaging on the app means three lists, three sends, and a lot of silent non-delivery.
This post explains where the limit comes from, why broadcasts go undelivered, what the WhatsApp Business API changes, and how to decide which route fits your restaurant, cafe or tiffin service.
What the 256 limit actually means
A broadcast list on the WhatsApp Business app is a saved group of contacts. When you send to it, each person receives the message as a normal one-to-one chat, and any reply comes back to you privately. The list can hold up to 256 contacts. A list of 300 regulars means at least two lists, and a list of 2,000 means eight.
The number is a product limit, not a legal one, and WhatsApp has kept it at 256 for years across the consumer app and the Business app. It exists because broadcasts on the app are meant for small-scale, personal communication, and because WhatsApp has no way to check whether recipients wanted the message other than the "saved your number" rule.
There is no paid upgrade inside the app that raises it. The only path past 256 per send is the WhatsApp Business API, covered below.
Why your broadcast was not delivered
Owners usually discover the limit's cousin, the saved-contact rule, when regulars say they never got the Diwali offer. The app sends the broadcast, shows a single grey tick in the broadcast view, and moves on. The usual causes, roughly in order of how often they come up:
- The customer has not saved your number. This is the big one. WhatsApp drops broadcasts to anyone who does not have you in their contacts, to protect users from spam.
- The customer blocked you or deleted the chat and muted you. Blocked contacts never receive anything, and WhatsApp does not notify you.
- The customer changed numbers. Old tiffin customers are particularly likely to have moved on.
- Your account was flagged. If enough recipients tap "Report", WhatsApp can temporarily restrict your ability to send, which affects broadcasts first.
- The phone was offline or the app was not open for a long time. The message is delivered later rather than lost, and a time-bound offer may arrive after it expired.
You cannot fix the first cause with a bigger list. Asking customers to "save our number" on every bill and QR standee helps at the margins, but most people will not do it, and you still cannot see who did.
How the WhatsApp Business API changes the limit
The WhatsApp Business API is the version of WhatsApp built for businesses that need to message at scale. It runs on the same number, but the number moves off the phone app and onto a platform, and messages are sent from a dashboard rather than typed one at a time.
The API has no per-list cap and no saved-contact rule. Instead, Meta applies a daily messaging limit per phone number: the number of unique customers you can start a conversation with in a rolling 24-hour window. New numbers start on a low tier. Meta's published tiers then step up to 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 and finally unlimited unique customers a day, and the tier rises automatically when your quality rating stays healthy and you use a good part of your current limit.
| Limit | WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business API |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts per broadcast | 256 per list | No per-list cap |
| Who can receive it | Only contacts who saved your number | Any customer who opted in |
| Daily sending ceiling | Not published; account gets flagged if reports rise | Tiered: 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, unlimited unique customers per day |
| Message content | Free text | Approved templates for marketing; free replies within 24 hours of a customer message |
| Price | Free | Per message, charged by Meta; platforms may add a subscription |
| Delivery reporting | Ticks per chat | Sent, delivered and read counts per campaign |
Two trade-offs come with the API. Marketing messages sent outside the 24-hour reply window must use a template approved by Meta, and each one is charged per message. For a restaurant sending one offer a week to a few thousand customers, that cost is small next to the orders it brings, but it is not zero the way an app broadcast is. The differences between the two products are covered in more depth in WhatsApp Business vs WhatsApp Business API.
Groups are not a way around the limit
Some owners move customers into WhatsApp groups to avoid the broadcast cap. Groups can hold far more members than a broadcast list, but they create problems the limit never did. Every member sees every other member's number. One customer's complaint about a late biryani is visible to everyone. People leave groups quickly when they get noisy, and WhatsApp counts group spam reports against your account the same way.
A group works for a tiffin service that wants to post tomorrow's menu to 60 subscribers who already know each other. It does not work as a marketing channel for a restaurant with hundreds of unrelated customers. We compare the three options directly in WhatsApp groups vs broadcasts vs API campaigns.
Which route fits your restaurant
The honest answer depends on list size, how often you send, and whether you are also taking orders on the same number.
Stay on the app if
- Your list is under 250 and most customers have saved you because you chat with them often, which is typical for a home bakery or a small tiffin service.
- You send a message a month or less.
- Orders are low enough that one person on one phone can handle them.
Move to the API if
- You have more than a few hundred customers and want one send to reach all of them.
- You want to know who received and read the message, and how many ordered.
- More than one staff member needs to see and answer customer messages.
- You want the broadcast and the ordering to happen on the same number, so a customer who reads the offer can order without switching apps.
If you are planning a bigger campaign, the step-by-step is in how to send WhatsApp offers to 10,000 customers, and the overall approach is in our complete guide to WhatsApp marketing for restaurants.
Getting past 256 without losing your number
The move from app to API happens on the same phone number, so customers keep messaging the number they already have. Platforms built on the API, including Tezzu, connect your number through Meta's embedded signup in about 30 minutes, keep every customer who orders in a dashboard, and send campaigns from a prepaid wallet with no 256 cap. Orders from a campaign land in the same dashboard as orders from your store page, and the whole thing runs on the number printed on your menu card. If that is the direction you are heading, see how it works for cafes, or read on for the FAQs.
Message every customer, not just the ones who saved you
Put your number on the WhatsApp Business API, keep taking orders on it, and send to your whole list from one dashboard. Start with a 7-day free trial.
Start your free 7-day trialFrequently asked questions
What is the WhatsApp broadcast list limit in 2026?
The WhatsApp Business app allows a maximum of 256 contacts per broadcast list. You can create multiple lists and send the same message to each, but every send is manual and only contacts who have saved your number receive it. There is no setting or paid upgrade inside the app to raise the limit; sending to larger audiences requires the WhatsApp Business API.
How many messages can I send per day on WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp does not publish a daily number for the Business app. Accounts that send many unsolicited messages or receive several spam reports get temporarily restricted. On the WhatsApp Business API, Meta publishes messaging tiers of 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited unique customers per rolling 24-hour window, with new numbers starting lower and tiers rising as your quality rating stays healthy.
Why does my WhatsApp broadcast show only one tick?
A single grey tick means the message left your phone but was not delivered. For broadcasts, the most common reason is that the recipient has not saved your number, so WhatsApp did not deliver it. Other reasons are the customer blocking you, the number no longer being active, or the recipient's phone being offline. The app does not list which recipients were skipped.
Can I broadcast to people who have not saved my number?
Not through the WhatsApp Business app; broadcasts there only reach saved contacts. Through the WhatsApp Business API, you can message any customer who has opted in, whether or not they saved you, using an approved template message. The opt-in can be as simple as the customer having messaged your number to place an order or having agreed on your store page.