ChatMaxima Docs

WhatsApp Broadcasting

Send WhatsApp broadcast messages to thousands of contacts with ChatMaxima. Connect WhatsApp, create templates, build Smart Lists, and launch broadcasts.

Overview

Broadcasting in ChatMaxima lets you send WhatsApp messages to thousands of contacts in a single campaign using pre-approved Meta templates. Unlike one-to-one chats, broadcasts target an entire audience defined by a Smart List in MaxCRM, with delivery, read, and reply analytics tracked for every message.

Broadcasting is the right tool for promotions, product launches, order updates, event invites, and re-engagement campaigns. Every broadcast requires an approved WhatsApp template, an active payment method on Meta Business Suite, and a Smart List of opted-in contacts.

Prerequisites

Before you can send your first broadcast, complete these requirements:

  • Verified Meta Business Account with a WhatsApp Business Number
  • Admin, Member, or Campaign Manager role in your ChatMaxima workspace
  • Active payment method in Meta Business Suite for conversation charges
  • Opted-in contacts uploaded to MaxCRM with valid phone numbers

Note: WhatsApp charges per conversation based on the template category (Marketing, Utility, or Authentication). Make sure billing is set up before launching any broadcast.

The 5-Step Broadcasting Workflow

ChatMaxima broadcasts follow a fixed five-step setup. Complete each step in order, the first time you broadcast. Subsequent campaigns reuse the same WhatsApp account, payment method, and approved templates.

Step 1: Connect Your WhatsApp Account

You must connect a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) to ChatMaxima before you can send any messages.

  1. Go to Channels → Whatsapp in the sidebar
  2. Start the embedded sign-up flow with Facebook
  3. Sign in with the Facebook account that owns the Business Manager
  4. Select the Business Account and WhatsApp Number you want to connect
  5. Approve the permissions ChatMaxima requests
  6. Confirm the number appears in your channel list

If the number is brand new, complete the display name and business profile information before continuing. A clear, accurate profile improves Meta's quality rating for your account.

Step 2: Add Payment Method in Meta Business Suite

WhatsApp conversations are billed by Meta directly, not by ChatMaxima. Without a valid payment method on file, all broadcasts will fail with a billing error.

  1. Open Meta Business Suite at business.facebook.com
  2. Go to Settings → Billing and payments → Payment methods
  3. Click Add payment method and choose Credit card or PayPal
  4. Select the WhatsApp Business Account the payment method should apply to
  5. Set a monthly spending limit that comfortably exceeds your expected broadcast volume
  6. Save the changes and confirm the status shows Active

Note: Meta verifies the card with a small test charge. Allow up to 24 hours before launching a large campaign, especially for newly added payment methods.

Step 3: Create Templates and Get Them Approved

Every WhatsApp broadcast must use a template that Meta has reviewed and approved. You cannot send freeform text in a broadcast.

  1. Go to Campaigns → Create / Manage Templates
  2. Select the WhatsApp Account the template belongs to
  3. Choose a Category:
CategoryUse CaseApproval Speed
MarketingPromotions, offers, announcements1 to 24 hours
UtilityOrder updates, account notices, remindersUsually under 1 hour
AuthenticationOTPs and verification codesUsually under 1 hour
  1. Pick a Language that matches your audience
  2. Build the message:
    • Header: text, image, video, or document (optional)
    • Body: main message with {{1}}, {{2}} variables for personalization
    • Footer: short disclaimer text (optional)
    • Buttons: quick replies or call-to-action URLs (optional)
  3. Add sample values for each variable so Meta can review the template in context
  4. Save the template, ChatMaxima submits it to Meta for review

Track template status on the same Create / Manage Templates page. A template is one of:

  • Pending - awaiting Meta review
  • Approved - ready to use in broadcasts
  • Rejected - edit and resubmit

Note: Rejections are usually caused by missing context, promotional content in Utility templates, or template variables without sample values. Read the rejection reason carefully and resubmit.

Step 4: Create a Smart List in MaxCRM

Broadcasts target a Smart List, which is a named group of contacts in MaxCRM. You build the list by importing contacts from a file or by hand-picking them from your existing Contact Hub.

  1. Go to MaxCRM → Smart Lists
  2. Click Add List to open the Add List form
  3. Enter a Title and Description for the list
  4. Click Create to save the empty list

Once the list exists, populate it using either of the following methods.

Option A: Import Contacts

  1. Go to MaxCRM → Contact Hub
  2. Use the Import option to upload a CSV of contacts
  3. During import, assign the rows to the Smart List you just created
  4. Imported contacts appear in the list and are ready to be broadcast to

Option B: Select Contacts Individually

  1. Open the Smart List from MaxCRM → Smart Lists
  2. Add contacts from your Contact Hub one by one, or
  3. Select multiple contacts in the Contact Hub and assign them to the list in bulk

Note: Only contacts with a valid phone number and a marketing opt-in should be included in broadcast Smart Lists. Sending to unverified or non-opted contacts hurts your Meta quality rating and can trigger throttling.

Step 5: Create the Broadcast

With the channel connected, billing active, a template approved, and a Smart List ready, you can launch the broadcast.

  1. Go to Campaigns → Create Broadcast
  2. Enter a Broadcast Name for internal tracking
  3. Select the WhatsApp Account to send from
  4. Pick the Approved Template you want to send
  5. Map each template variable to a contact attribute, for example {{1}} to first_name
  6. Upload the header media if the template uses an image, video, or document
  7. Pick the audience by selecting a Smart List
  8. Review the Broadcast Preview on the right to confirm the message renders correctly
  9. Choose the Schedule:
    • Send immediately
    • Schedule for a specific date and time in your timezone
  10. Save the broadcast to launch it

While the broadcast runs you can monitor status from Campaigns → Manage Broadcasts. Status values include Draft, In Progress, Completed, Paused, and Error. Future broadcasts are listed under Campaigns → Scheduled Broadcasts.

Large broadcasts are throttled by Meta's per-second limits, so a 100k-contact campaign may take several minutes to fully deliver.

Monitoring Broadcast Performance

After launch, every broadcast generates a detailed report under Campaigns → Campaign Reports. Open any broadcast row to see message-level analytics.

Key Metrics

MetricWhat It Measures
SentMessages handed off to Meta for delivery
DeliveredMessages confirmed delivered to the device
ReadMessages opened by the recipient
RepliedRecipients who responded to the broadcast
FailedMessages that could not be delivered

Replies land in your Inbox as live conversations, where agents can continue the chat or hand off to a bot.

Handling Delivery Errors

Inside any broadcast report, click the error count to open the message-level error list. Common error reasons include:

  • Invalid phone number format - fix and re-upload to MaxCRM
  • Recipient not on WhatsApp - remove from the Smart List
  • 24-hour session window expired - applies to non-template replies only
  • Template paused by Meta - resubmit the template for review
  • Payment method failed - update the card in Meta Business Suite

Best Practices

  • Warm up new numbers by starting with smaller broadcasts (1k to 5k) and growing volume gradually so Meta builds a high quality rating
  • Personalize every template with at least the recipient's first name to lift response rates
  • Send Utility templates for transactional updates instead of Marketing, since they have higher delivery priority and lower cost
  • Honor opt-outs immediately by tagging contacts who reply STOP and excluding that tag from broadcast Smart Lists
  • Test with a small Smart List of internal numbers before sending to your full audience
  • Schedule broadcasts during business hours in the recipient's timezone for better engagement

Troubleshooting

Broadcast Stuck in Draft or In Progress

  1. Confirm the WhatsApp account is connected under Channels → Whatsapp
  2. Verify the payment method in Meta Business Suite shows Active
  3. Check that the template status is Approved, not Pending or Rejected
  4. Reload Manage Broadcasts after a minute, Meta takes time to acknowledge large batches

High Failure Rate

  1. Open the broadcast in Campaign Reports and click the error count
  2. Group failures by error code to spot the dominant cause
  3. Clean phone number formats in MaxCRM, prefix with country code
  4. Re-run the broadcast against a corrected Smart List

Template Repeatedly Rejected

  1. Read Meta's exact rejection reason on the Create / Manage Templates page
  2. Add realistic sample values to every variable
  3. Remove promotional language from Utility templates
  4. Avoid all-caps, excessive emojis, or URL shorteners in template bodies

Cost Higher Than Expected

  1. Verify the template category, Marketing costs more than Utility
  2. Check whether multiple conversations opened with the same contact
  3. Review the spending limit in Meta Business Suite to set a hard cap

Next Steps

On this page

OverviewPrerequisitesThe 5-Step Broadcasting WorkflowStep 1: Connect Your WhatsApp AccountStep 2: Add Payment Method in Meta Business SuiteStep 3: Create Templates and Get Them ApprovedStep 4: Create a Smart List in MaxCRMOption A: Import ContactsOption B: Select Contacts IndividuallyStep 5: Create the BroadcastMonitoring Broadcast PerformanceKey MetricsHandling Delivery ErrorsBest PracticesTroubleshootingBroadcast Stuck in Draft or In ProgressHigh Failure RateTemplate Repeatedly RejectedCost Higher Than ExpectedNext Steps