Before you start
Meta must approve your templates to initiate conversations with contacts.
Learn to create a message template.Our WhatsApp editor supports the following variable formats:
Header: image, text, video
Body: text
Buttons: text (URL), offer code
We don’t currently offer scheduled sending, so you can only send a campaign immediately or save it as a triggered campaign.
Learn to send a triggered campaign.
Send a broadcast campaign
To send a broadcast campaign:
In Marketing, go to Campaigns > WhatsApp.
Select New campaign.
For Create, select the template you want to use in your campaign.
Document, and location headers are not supported.Select Save & Continue.
For Content, if you’re using variables you need to replace them with the image or text you want to use.
To replace images, select Add media and add a new image.
Accepted formats: JPEG, JPG, PNG. Max file size: 5 MB.
In the Image manager, use the search bar to find images by object, scene, or file name. For example, enter city to see all images that contain a city scene. The search uses Dotdigital AI to match your keywords with the content of your images.
To replace the text, select the personalisation marker, then enter the text you want to use or select a data field for personalisation.
For Contacts, select the contacts you want to send the campaign to. You can include and exclude lists or segments. It’s a good idea to add your own phone To replace the text, select the personalisation marker, then enter the text you want to use or select a data field for personalisation.
If your template has an offer code button, under Set up your buttons, select the offer code next to Copy offer code. Enter the code you want to use, or select the personalization icon and choose a data field, then select the green checkmark.
For Contacts, select the contacts you want to send the campaign to. You can include and exclude lists or segments. It's a good idea to add your own phone number to the test list and to send a test campaign before sending it to contacts. If you send to a segment, you must select Refresh on the segment before sending.
On Send, review the campaign details. To send your campaign, select Send.
Using data fields in campaigns
If you use data fields like @FIRSTNAME@ in your WhatsApp campaigns, those fields must have values for all contacts. If a contact doesn't have a value for a data field you're using, the message fails to send. To avoid this, either define default values for data fields in Settings > Data fields, or segment your audience to send only to contacts with values in those data fields.
Set up your offer codes
An offer code button lets customers copy a discount or coupon code with one tap, so they don't have to remember it or type it at checkout. The button is added to your template in WhatsApp Manager, and you set the code each time you use the template in a campaign. You can use:
The same code for every contact
Enter the code, for example, BLACKFRIDAY.A unique code for each contact
Choose a contact data field that holds each contact's code. Each contact gets the value stored in their own data field.
You can't use Insight data for offer codes, because WhatsApp doesn't support it.
Offer codes can be up to 20 characters. A message fails to send if its offer code is longer, and Meta doesn't charge for it. If you use a data field, check that every contact you're sending to has a code, and that it's 20 characters or fewer. A contact whose data field is empty doesn't receive the message.
Learn more in Set a default value for a contact data field and Create a message template for WhatsApp Business.
Verify your links before sending
For templates with dynamic visit website buttons, the prefix is predefined as a domain URL ending with a slash, for example, https://dotdigital.com/.
Ensure you do not paste the link starting with a slash (/), as URLs won't work for end-users.
Use full URLs
You can use full URLs when you use our shortened links.
Video header requirements
To use a video header, your template must have a video header, and you need a link to your video. We don't host videos, so upload your video to a file hosting service first and use the link it gives you.
Your video link must:
Point directly to an MP4 file.
Be publicly accessible, so anyone with the link can open the file without signing in.
Point to a file that's 16MB or less.
Links to video platforms, such as YouTube or Vimeo, aren't supported. These platforms show your video on a web page instead of giving you a direct link to the file. Use a file hosting or content delivery service that provides a direct link to the MP4 file, for example, ImageKit.
If your link isn't valid, you can't continue until you enter a supported link.
Next steps
Learn how to create engaging campaigns and maximize your WhatsApp channel. Explore our WhatsApp marketing 101 course in Dotdigital Academy.