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WhatsApp Sequences: A Series of Follow-up Messages

Send several messages over days, and stop for each person as soon as they reply​

Path: Communication > Mass sending > Sequences

A sequence sends a series of up to seven approved marketing messages to each person in an audience, spaced by the waits you choose. Each person follows their own timing, starting when they join. The series stops for a person when they reply, opt out, reach the goal you chose, or receive every message.

A campaign is one message to many people. A sequence is several messages to each person. This page is part of WhatsApp Campaigns.

How to create a sequence​

  1. Open Mass sending, go to the Sequences tab and press New sequence.
  2. Type a Sequence name and, if you have more than one WhatsApp number, choose it in Send from.
  3. Build the Messages (next section).
  4. Set When to send and when to stop.
  5. Under Who receives these messages, choose the audience.
  6. Press Save draft.

The messages and the wait between them​

Each message needs an Approved marketing template. Only approved templates in the Marketing category of that number can be chosen; Utility templates cannot. If none is available, create or sync one in Templates first. Fill each template's variables the same way as in a campaign (see variables).

  • Message 1 has Wait after the person joins, in days and hours. Leave it at 0 to send as soon as the sequence starts for that person.
  • Every later message has Wait after their previous message, counted from when that person received the one before. It must be at least one day.
  • Press Add message to add another, up to 7. You can move a message up or down, or remove it. Preview message shows how each one will look.

When to send and when to stop​

  • Stop sending when the person replies (on by default): any reply ends the series for that person, including a question to your AI agent. The agent still answers them normally. If you turn it off, replies do not stop the series.
  • Stop when this goal is reached: No goal, An order is placed, or An appointment is booked. When the person places an order or books an appointment after joining, they stop receiving the series.
  • Opt-outs always stop it: a person who replies STOP leaves the sequence.
  • Sending hours and days: tick Only send during these hours and set From and Until (09:00 to 19:00 when you first tick it), and choose the Sending days. Messages due outside these hours wait until the next opening. The hours use your business time zone, shown on the screen. You can set them after saving the draft for the first time.

Who receives a sequence​

Under Add your contacts choose Use an existing list or Import a CSV.

  • Use an existing list offers the same groups as a campaign: Everyone who has messaged this number, Active in the last few days and Messaged you but did not buy.
  • Import a CSV follows the same file rules as a campaign: a phone column, up to 2 MB. Save the draft first; the upload is on the next screen.
  • Skip people who already got a campaign leaves out anyone who already received marketing from your business.

See Audiences and excluded contacts for the details. A sequence cannot be created from a Leads stage, and it has no option to add people to a pipeline.

Start the sequence​

On the draft you see Selected, Recipients and Excluded. Then:

  1. If the audience is a CSV, upload it. Importing replaces the people in the draft.
  2. Tick I confirm these contacts have agreed to receive marketing messages from my business.
  3. Review Pre-send checks. They are the campaign checks for each message, plus Between 1 and 7 messages, Enough time between messages, Marketing template and Goal available for your business. A failed check names the message it refers to.
  4. Press Start sequence.

The sequence becomes Active.

Limits that apply to sequences​

  • Sequences and campaigns share the same daily limits.
  • A sequence message waits until at least 20 hours have passed since any other marketing message your business sent that person, from any campaign or sequence.
  • If Meta's own marketing limit for a person blocks one message, that message is skipped for them and the later ones continue.

After you start​

See Manage a sequence and read its results to pause, stop, duplicate or add people, and to understand the numbers.