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WorkflowsWhatsApp Campaign Setup

WhatsApp Campaign Setup

A step-by-step workflow for creating and launching a successful WhatsApp campaign.

Overview

This guide covers the complete WhatsApp campaign lifecycle — from preparation to post-campaign follow-up. WhatsApp campaigns use approved templates sent via the Meta Cloud API through your connected WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).

Importance of Workflow Steps

Each step in this workflow serves a distinct purpose in a sequence that must be followed for successful campaign execution. Skipping steps leads to delivery failures. Understanding the dependency chain will help diagnose issues quickly:

  • Steps 1-2 (Connection & Templates): Infrastructure setup. Must be completed once before any campaign.
  • Steps 3-4 (Audience & Creation): Campaign-specific configuration. Repeated per campaign.
  • Steps 5-6 (Tracking & Follow-up): Post-launch management. Critical for optimizing future campaigns.

Step 1: Connect and Configure

Ensure your Meta account is connected:

  • Complete the Meta OAuth flow
  • Verify your WABA number appears with a quality rating (GREEN is ideal)
  • Verify your webhook endpoint is configured for incoming message delivery
  • Confirm templates are synced and approved
⚠️ Template Approval Lead Time

Meta’s template review process typically takes 24-48 hours, but can extend to 5 business days during high volume periods. Plan your campaign timeline accordingly:

  • Create templates at least 1 week before your intended launch date
  • Submit templates during Meta business hours for faster review
  • Marketing templates with promotional language face stricter scrutiny than utility templates
  • If a template is rejected, the resubmission resets the review clock

Utility template example (fast approval): “Your order #{{1}} has been shipped. Track at {{2}}” Marketing template example (slower approval): “Flash sale! Get 50% off all items. Shop now: {{1}}”

When creating templates, prefer utility/transactional phrasing over promotional language for faster approval and higher delivery rates.

Step 2: Prepare Your Template

  • Review available message templates
  • Note the template variables ({{1}}, {{2}}, etc.) you’ll need to fill in for each recipient
  • Ensure templates are in Approved status before launching
  • Test the template by sending a single message to your own number via the API or dashboard
  • Verify that variable substitution works correctly (e.g., customer name, order ID)

Step 3: Select Your Audience

  • Choose contacts from your contact database
  • Use tags to target specific segments (e.g., “active customers”, “trial users”)
  • Verify contacts have opted in to receive WhatsApp messages — sending to non-opted-in numbers damages your quality rating
  • Remove contacts who have previously opted out or blocked your number
  • Check that all phone numbers are in international format with country code (e.g., +919876543210)
ℹ️ Opt-In Requirements

Per Meta’s WhatsApp Business Policy, you must have explicit opt-in from recipients before sending them messages. Sending messages without consent can result in:

  • WABA quality rating downgrade from GREEN to YELLOW or RED
  • Message blocking by Meta
  • Permanent WABA suspension in repeat violation cases

Keep records of how and when contacts provided consent. Voxvaani tracks opt-in/opt-out status per contact in the contact database.

Step 4: Create the Campaign

  1. Navigate to WhatsApp → Campaigns
  2. Click Create Campaign
  3. Enter a campaign name — use a descriptive format (e.g., “Welcome - New Signups - July 2026”)
  4. Select your approved template from the dropdown
  5. Fill in template variables:
    • Static values: same text for all recipients (e.g., company name)
    • Dynamic values: mapped from contact fields (e.g., {{1}} = contact first name, {{2}} = custom field)
  6. Select target contacts — verify the count before proceeding
  7. Choose schedule:
    • Send now: Messages dispatch immediately
    • Schedule: Set a date and time within business hours (9 AM to 9 PM IST)
  8. Review the estimated credit consumption (marketing template = 3 credits/msg, utility = 1 credit/msg)
  9. Launch

Step 5: Track Performance

  • Monitor campaign analytics in real-time:
    • Sent: Messages dispatched to Meta for delivery
    • Delivered: Messages successfully received by the recipient’s device
    • Read: Recipient opened the message (blue ticks)
    • Failed: Messages that could not be delivered (invalid number, blocked, etc.)
  • Check delivery rates — below 80% delivery indicates number quality or opt-in issues
  • Review inbox for responses from recipients
  • If using the API, poll the campaigns endpoint or set up webhooks for programmatic status tracking

Step 6: Follow Up

  • Use automation for common follow-ups (e.g., auto-reply to “help”, “pricing”, “unsubscribe”)
  • Reply to messages in the inbox — aim for under 2-hour response time for best engagement
  • Tag contacts who responded for future retargeting
  • Export campaign analytics for reporting and analysis
  • Archive completed campaigns for record-keeping

Failed Message Recovery

For messages that failed:

  • Invalid numbers: Mark contacts and exclude from future campaigns
  • Blocked numbers: Respect the block — do not retry
  • Rate-limited: Wait and retry during off-peak hours
  • Template errors: Fix template variables and resend only the failed batch

Pre-Flight Checklist

Before launching any WhatsApp campaign, verify:

  • WABA number shows GREEN quality rating
  • Template is in Approved status (not Pending or Rejected)
  • WhatsApp message balance is sufficient (contacts x credits per template + 10% buffer)
  • All contact phone numbers are in international format with country code
  • Contacts in the list have opted in to receive WhatsApp messages
  • Campaign schedule falls within business hours (9 AM to 9 PM IST)
  • Template variables are correctly mapped to contact fields
  • A test message was sent and delivered successfully

Tips

  • Personalize messages using template variables (name, order ID, date)
  • Send during appropriate hours per Meta policy — sending outside business hours increases the risk of blocking
  • Monitor WhatsApp balance during large campaigns — consumption happens in real-time
  • Test with a small group (10-20 contacts) before full launch
  • For bulk campaigns with 1000+ contacts, consider staggering delivery over hours rather than sending all at once
  • Pre-warm new WhatsApp numbers with 50-100 messages/day for the first week before scaling to full volume
Voice Campaign Setup