Marketing use case: Send a WhatsApp Broadcast from ActiveCampaign

You can send WhatsApp Broadcast messages from ActiveCampaign to share important alerts, product updates, event notifications, and special promotions or discounts. 

In this article, you will learn how to send a WhatsApp broadcast to contacts using ActiveCampaign. We'll set up a messaging flow (also known as a "thread") with an outbound trigger that is activated by an automation, allowing you to send mass messages to specific segments of your contact list.

Take note

• These contacts must opt in to receive messages from you to avoid spam issues and ensure a good reception rate
• To send a broadcast message, you need the following:
  • ActiveCampaign account
  • WhatsApp Business API integration set up
  • Meta-approved WhatsApp templates

Part 1: Set up the messaging flow

From your ActiveCampaign account:

1. Click WhatsApp > Messaging Flows.
2. Create a new messaging flow:
   • Give your flow a descriptive name (for example, "Broadcast October Promotion"), then click "Next"
   • Select "Outbound campaigns" as the trigger type, then "Outbound (any)"
   • Click "Next"
3. Select the "Template" step, then click "Add."
   • Click the dropdown to select an approved WhatsApp template. Note that this is a Meta requirement to send messages to all your contacts
   • Click the lightning icons to configure any custom variables if your template includes them (for example: contact name, specific data)
4. Add any remaining steps to your flow.
5. Once your flow is set up, click "Publish."

Part 2: Set up the automation

From your ActiveCampaign account:

1. Click Automations on the left menu.
2. Click "Create an automation."
3. Select the "Start from scratch" option. 
4. Click the node (+) on the canvas, then search for "WhatsApp."
5. Select the "Start a WhatsApp flow" action > select the flow you created above > click "Save."
6. Optional: If you want contacts to receive your WhatsApp broadcast on a specific date or time, add a "Wait" action above the "Enter WhatsApp flow" action in the automation. If you do not use this option, contacts will receive your broadcast immediately. 
   
   
    
7. Click "Active" to activate the automation. 
8. Click "Add contacts to this automation."
   • From here, you can add specific contacts or bulk add contacts based on matching conditions
   • If you select "Use segment of contacts," the segment builder will appear, where you can set conditions to create a group of contacts to enter the automation
   • When finished, click "Next"
   • On the next screen, check or uncheck the following boxes:
     • Do not add contacts who have ever entered this automation
     • Do not add contacts who are currently in this automation
     • For new broadcasts, you can uncheck both options to reach all contacts in the segment. To avoid duplicates, keep both options checked
   9. Click "Add X contacts"

Example of use: If you set the wait to "October 30, 2026, at 2 PM," all contacts who enter the automation will wait until that date and time to proceed to the next step (sending the broadcast).

Best practices

• Always use templates as your first message in outbound flows
• Properly segment your audience to send relevant messages
• Test with a small segment first before sending to your entire contact list
• Respect WhatsApp's policies regarding message frequency and content
• Monitor your Messaging Flow metrics to optimize future sends