WhatsApp campaigns send an approved WhatsApp template to a list or segment of your contacts in one go, through Meta’s official WhatsApp Business Cloud API. You follow every message from sent to delivered and read, and contacts who reply STOP are unsubscribed automatically.
Pro feature: WhatsApp campaigns are part of DoubleScale Pro and need a connected Meta WhatsApp account.
Before you start
- Connect your WhatsApp Business number under Integrations → Meta WhatsApp. See Meta WhatsApp API setup.
- Create your message templates in Meta’s WhatsApp Manager and wait for Meta to approve them. DoubleScale lists every approved template automatically.
- Make sure your contacts have a WhatsApp number (in international format, for example +14155550123) and are subscribed to WhatsApp.
How WhatsApp messaging works
To start a conversation you must send a template that Meta has approved. When a contact writes back, a 24-hour customer service window opens, and inside that window you can send any free-text message. When the window closes, you are back to templates until the contact writes again. Campaigns always send templates, so they work whether or not a window is open.
Template categories and formats
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Category | Marketing (offers and news), Utility (orders and account updates), Authentication (login codes) |
| Header | None, text, image, video, document, or location |
| Buttons | Copy a coupon code, open a link (with its own variable), call a phone number, or quick replies |
| Carousel | A row of cards, each with its own media, text and buttons |
Create a WhatsApp campaign
- Go to Campaigns → Create Campaign and choose WhatsApp.
- Pick an approved template. The phone preview shows the real message as the contact will see it.
- If the template has a media header, add the image, video or document to show. For a carousel, every card needs its own media and values.
- Fill in the variables (see below) and the button values.
- Choose the recipients: lists, tags or an advanced filter.
- Review and send now, or schedule the campaign for later.
Variables: static values and merge tags
Templates can contain variables, either numbered ({{1}}, {{2}}) or named ({{first_name}}). Meta approves the wording once; you fill in the blanks every time you send. In DoubleScale each variable takes either:
- A static value, the same for everyone, such as a discount (“20%”).
- A merge tag, filled in per contact, such as the contact’s first name. Add a fallback so a contact without the field still gets a complete message.
Link buttons with a variable and coupon-code buttons get their own value in the same step.
Who receives a campaign
- Only contacts with a WhatsApp number who are subscribed to WhatsApp are included. Before you send, DoubleScale shows how many recipients are reachable, and the skipped-recipients notice names what is missing.
- Contacts who reply STOP (or another unsubscribe keyword) are unsubscribed from WhatsApp automatically.
- If Meta rejects a message because a contact has reached Meta’s per-user marketing limit, DoubleScale skips that contact for 24 hours, including on resends, so you do not waste sends.
Meta limits and quality rating
Once connected, DoubleScale shows your daily messaging limit and quality rating straight from Meta. Campaigns do not stop because of Meta’s messaging-tier quotas; sends are paced, and DoubleScale still blocks sending when the Meta account itself is restricted.
Follow the results
- Each campaign shows Total Recipients and every message’s status: sent, delivered, read or failed, with the reason for failures.
- Resend failed messages from the campaign analytics.
- Cancel a scheduled campaign before it sends, and rename a campaign at any status.
- The Unsubscribes list shows the WhatsApp number and the reason.
Replies and the 24-hour window
Every reply lands on the contact’s WhatsApp tab. While the window is open, DoubleScale shows how long is left and you can answer with free text; when it is closed, free text is switched off and you send a template instead. If someone writes from a number that is not yet in your CRM, DoubleScale creates a contact for them. See WhatsApp individual messaging and WhatsApp automations.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Template not listed | It must be approved in WhatsApp Manager for the connected business account. |
| Fewer recipients than expected | Contacts need a WhatsApp number and a subscribed WhatsApp status. |
| Message failed | Open the message for Meta’s reason, such as a missing variable or card media, or a restricted account. |
| Contact skipped | They reached Meta’s per-user marketing limit; they are retried after 24 hours. |