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Create a broadcast

This article walks you step by step through the campaign creation form: choosing the template, targeting contacts, filling in variables, estimating the cost, pre-authorizing the card, and sending. Expect 3 to 5 minutes for a first campaign, once the prerequisites are in place.

Creating a campaign
Creating a campaign

Prerequisites​

Before clicking New campaign, check that:

  • Your WhatsApp number is connected (see Connect a phone number).
  • You have at least one approved template (auto-imported from the Meta library or created manually).
  • Your Meta quality rating is not in the red.
  • Your bank card is registered for pre-authorization.
  • Your contacts are already in the database.

Step 1 — Start creating​

  1. Go to Campaigns from the side menu.
  2. Click New campaign in the top right.
  3. You land on a form with several sections.

Give the campaign an internal name (visible only to you, not to recipients) — it will help you find it in the history. For example: Summer sale promo 2026, April quote follow-up.

Step 2 — Choose a template​

The template is the Meta-approved content you're going to send. Reepli lists all the templates imported from the Meta library plus the ones you created manually, filtered by the languages you've configured.

Selection​

  1. The list of approved templates is displayed, with category and language.
  2. Filter by category if needed (Utility / Authentication / Marketing).
  3. Click a template to see the preview: header, body, footer, buttons.
  4. Confirm your choice with Select.

If no template matches​

You can create a new template from the Templates section of the admin area. Expect anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours of Meta approval before you can use it.

Details in Message templates.

Unapproved templates

Only templates with an approved status can be used in a campaign. A pending template is not offered.

Step 3 — Define the audience​

The audience is the list of contacts who will receive the template. Reepli does not store named segments — you rebuild your filters on the fly for each campaign.

Available filters​

CriterionExamples
Contact stageQualified, Quote sent, Won (see pipeline)
Intent scoreScore ≥ 70, score < 40
Labelsvip, salon-2026, paris
Last activityWrote in the last 7 days, dormant for 30 days
Free searchName, number, email

All filters combine with logical AND. The recipient counter updates in real time with each adjustment.

Exclusions​

Below the filters block, you can add exclusions:

  • Labels to exclude (for example unsubscribed).
  • Stages to exclude (for example Lost).
  • Contacts who have already received a campaign this week.

Manual selection​

If you prefer to choose individually, switch to Manual selection: tick the contacts in the list.

Preview the audience​

Click View list to display the recipients. Check before committing the cost.

Unexpectedly high counter

If you expected 200 recipients and the counter shows 4,200, your filters are too broad. Add a precise label or narrow the targeted stage. Better to refine than to send 4,000 wasted messages.

Step 4 — Personalize the content​

If the template contains variables ({{1}}, {{2}}…), you must fill them in.

Fill type​

TypeDescription
StaticA fixed value for all recipients (e.g. "20%", "May 15")
DynamicPulled from a contact field (e.g. name, number)

For each variable:

  1. Choose static or dynamic.
  2. If dynamic, select the source field in the dropdown.
  3. Set a default value in case the field is empty for some contacts.
  4. Check the rendered preview.

Header media​

If the template has a media header (image, video, document):

  • Image: JPG/PNG max 5 MB.
  • Video: MP4 max 16 MB.
  • Document: PDF max 100 MB.

The media is uploaded once and sent to all recipients.

Buttons​

  • URL button: if the URL is dynamic (https://example.com/order/{{1}}), enter the suffix.
  • Quick reply button: the button text is fixed in the template, you cannot change it here.

Step 5 — Estimated cost and pre-authorization​

Cost display​

Reepli calculates in real time:

  • Number of recipients filtered.
  • The template's category (Utility / Marketing / Authentication).
  • Meta rate by country (based on the dialing code of each contact's number).
  • Total estimated cost = sum.

Example: 200 contacts × €0.150 (Marketing France) = €30.00 excl. tax.

Bank card pre-authorization​

When you click Start sending:

  1. Reepli asks Stripe for a pre-authorization on the estimated amount (slightly increased to absorb variations).
  2. Stripe holds this amount on your card without charging it yet.
  3. If the pre-authorization fails (card declined, limit reached), the send is canceled.
  4. Once the send is complete, Reepli charges the actual amount (which may be lower if some messages failed).

You'll see the operation as two lines on your bank statement: authorization, then charge.

Step 6 — Sending​

Click Confirm and send. Reepli:

  1. Pre-authorizes the card.
  2. Creates the campaign (status In progress).
  3. Sends the messages to WhatsApp in batches (rate regulated to about 80 messages per second per number).
  4. Updates the sent, delivered, read, and failed counters live.
  5. Charges the actual cost once the send is complete.

You're redirected to the campaign page where you track progress in real time.

Real-time tracking​

On the campaign page, five counters:

CounterMeaning
SentAccepted by WhatsApp
DeliveredReached the recipient's phone
ReadOpened by the recipient (double blue tick)
RepliedThe recipient replied
FailedPermanent error (unknown number, block, etc.)

Details in Campaign analytics.

Campaign statuses​

StatusMeaning
DraftBeing created (not yet sent)
In progressSend in progress
CompletedAll messages processed
CanceledCanceled before completion
FailedCritical failure (rare — typically quality rating in the red or tier exceeded)

Cancel a campaign in progress​

If you spot a problem mid-send:

  1. Go to the campaign page.
  2. Click Cancel campaign.
  3. Confirm.

Sending of the remaining messages is stopped. Messages already sent cannot be recalled. The charge is adjusted to the cost of the messages actually sent.

Common errors​

ErrorCauseSolution
Template not approvedThe template is no longer approvedCheck the status, recreate it if deactivated
Quality rating too lowThe rating dropped to redSee Messaging limits
Tier exceededTier cap exceeded over 24hWait or split the send
Card declinedPre-authorization declined by the bankUpdate the card in Settings → Billing
The number is not on WhatsAppThe contact has no WA accountThe message counts as failed; not re-billable by Meta

Best practices​

  1. Start small — 50 to 100 contacts for the first campaign. Check the rendering and the metrics before rolling out at scale.
  2. Test on yourself — create a mini audience (you + a colleague) and send first. Check the rendering, variables, and buttons on a real phone.
  3. Use labels to track — tag your audience with campagne-soldes-mai before sending. You can then filter in contacts to see who received / replied.
  4. Mind the default value — a message that says Hello , to 30% of your audience kills the effect. The default value saves the day.
  5. Respect the frequency — 4 to 5 campaigns max per month per contact. The automatic exclusions based on recent send history are there for exactly that.
Need help?

If you get stuck on a send, support can step in quickly — chat at the bottom right of the dashboard or email [email protected].