Short answer. Connect the Google Sheet to a WhatsApp Business API tool, pick a message template Meta has approved, match your sheet columns to the placeholders in the template, then send or schedule. Every row gets its own personalized message, and delivery is tracked for each contact. Sending in bulk from the normal WhatsApp app, or with unofficial tools, risks getting your number banned.
What do you need before you start?
- A number on the official WhatsApp Business API. Bulk sending only works safely through the API. If you are still on the free app, read WhatsApp Business app or API first.
- An approved message template. WhatsApp only allows free form messages within 24 hours of a customer messaging you. Anything you start yourself needs a template Meta has approved.
- A sheet of people who agreed to hear from you. Customers who shared their number with your business, not a bought list.
How should the Google Sheet be set up?
One row per person, one column per piece of information you want in the message. Keep phone numbers in full international format, with the country code, so every number is unambiguous.
| name | phone | order_id | due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit | +91 98xxx xxxxx | 2231 | ₹1,200 |
| Priya | +91 97xxx xxxxx | 2232 | ₹999 |
Any column can drop into the message. Name, order number, amount due, size, batch start date: whatever the sheet holds.
How do you send the broadcast, step by step?
Pick your audience
Point the tool at your Google Sheet, or at your saved contacts. Contacts who opted out are excluded automatically, and new rows added to the sheet are picked up automatically.
Pick an approved template
Choose the template that fits, such as a sale announcement or a payment reminder. If you do not have one yet, draft it and submit it to Meta for approval.
Match columns to placeholders
Map each placeholder in the template to a sheet column, so Rohit sees his own order number and amount due, and Priya sees hers.
Send now or schedule
Send straight away, or set a time and it goes out automatically. The send runs in the background, so your browser does not need to stay open.
Track every delivery
Watch sent, delivered, read and failed for each contact, live. Retry only the failures, and replies land in your team inbox like any other chat.
Why does WhatsApp require approved templates?
WhatsApp protects its users from unwanted messages. A business can reply freely within 24 hours of a customer's last message. Outside that window, and for any message the business starts, it must use a template that Meta has reviewed. Templates are how WhatsApp keeps bulk messaging useful instead of spammy, and they are why an official broadcast is safe while an unofficial blast is not.
How do you avoid getting your number banned?
- Use the official API only. No cracked apps, browser extensions that automate WhatsApp Web, or number rotation tricks.
- Message people who expect to hear from you. Your own customers, not purchased lists.
- Honour opt outs instantly. When someone replies STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE, exclude them from every future send.
- Send things people want. Restocks, order updates and payment reminders get read. Constant promotions get reported.
What does a bulk WhatsApp broadcast cost?
Two things. Meta charges per template message, at its India rates. Your provider charges for the software. On YUSR AI, broadcast volume is included in every plan: 5,000 messages a month on Starter, 25,000 on Growth and 100,000 on Scale, then 5 paise per message beyond that. Meta's charges are billed at Meta's rates with no markup. The full picture is in our WhatsApp Business API pricing guide.
Common questions
Can I send bulk WhatsApp messages from Google Sheets for free?
Not safely at scale. The free WhatsApp Business app only offers broadcast lists sent by hand. Sending thousands of messages from a sheet needs the WhatsApp Business API, where Meta charges per template message and the provider charges for the software.
Will sending bulk WhatsApp messages get my number banned?
Not if you use the official WhatsApp Business API with Meta approved templates, message only people who expect to hear from you, and honour opt outs immediately. Bans come from unofficial tools and unwanted messages.
How many WhatsApp messages can I send at once?
Meta sets a messaging limit on every number and raises it once your business is verified and your number builds a good record. Within that limit, a broadcast can reach thousands of contacts from a single sheet.
Can every message be personalized?
Yes. Any column in your Google Sheet can fill a placeholder in the template, so each person sees their own name, order number or amount due.
Sources and further reading
- Meta for Developers: WhatsApp Business Platform documentation
- Meta's official WhatsApp pricing page
- YUSR AI Broadcasts, the feature this guide describes
YUSR AI runs on the official WhatsApp Business API. Seven days free, the full product, no card.