What are the four key parts of creating a WhatsApp campaign?
Creating a WhatsApp campaign in WABA (WhatsApp Business API) involves four key steps. Each step ensures your campaign is well-structured, personalized, and compliant with Meta's messaging policies.
🧩 1. Template Selection
Choose a pre-approved message template for your campaign.
- Go to Templates > Approved in your messaging platform.
- Select a template that fits your campaign goal (e.g., promotion, event, reminder).
- Ensure the template supports personalization (e.g., variables like
Tip: Templates must be approved by Meta before use. Learn how to submit a new template.
đź‘Ą 2. Audience Creation
Upload your target customer list.
- Prepare an Excel or CSV file with customer phone numbers in international format (e.g.,
+14155552671). - Include any variables used in the message (e.g., name, product, discount code).
- Upload the file under Audience > Upload New List.
Example Format:
| Phone Number | First Name | Discount |
|--------------|------------|----------|
| +14155552671 | Sarah | 10% |
đź”— 3. Variable Mapping
Match your spreadsheet columns to the template placeholders.
- After uploading the audience list, the system will prompt you to map fields.
- Map
First Name → Discount → - Preview a few rows to ensure variables are replacing correctly.
Important: Unmapped variables will result in message errors or blank fields.
đź•’ 4. Scheduling
Choose when your campaign should be sent.
- Pick Send Now to launch immediately.
- Or choose Schedule for Later and select a date/time.
- Review your campaign summary and hit Send or Schedule.
You’ll receive delivery reports and engagement metrics in your dashboard after sending.
âś… Campaign Outcome
Once launched, your campaign will:
- Deliver messages to all valid, opted-in contacts
- Track delivery, read, and click-through rates
- Flag any failed or unsubscribed contacts
⚠️ Things to Watch Out For
- Users must have opted-in to receive messages via WhatsApp.
- Misaligned variables can cause message delivery failures.
- Overuse of promotions may impact your WABA quality score.
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