WhatsApp Broadcast List Maker: Excel or CSV to Contacts
Paste a list of names and phone numbers, or open a CSV file. The tool cleans the numbers, removes duplicates and cuts the list into batches that fit a WhatsApp broadcast list, as contact files you can add to your phone. Free, no login, and your list never leaves your browser.
Add your list
Set up the batches
Numbers that start with + or 00 keep their own country code.
Contacts are named like Batch 01 Ahmed Ali, so you can search “Batch 01” on your phone to find everyone in that list.
Download the contact files
Paste your list above, open a file, or try the example list.
| Batch | Contact name starts | People | First and last |
|---|
The free tool makes files for up to 1,000 numbers at a time. LeadTrapper for Windows includes this same tool with no limit on list size, and its Campaign Builder sends to the numbers in your list directly, without saving anyone as a contact first.
Try LeadTrapper free for 14 daysRows that were left out
This gets the people into your phone so you can choose them. WhatsApp only delivers a broadcast to people who have saved your number too, and that part is out of your hands. Read why, or see how LeadTrapper for Windows messages a list without that rule.
Runs in your browser. The list you paste or open is not sent to us or anywhere else, and there is no sign-up.
From a spreadsheet to a broadcast list, without the typing
WhatsApp lets you create a broadcast list only from contacts saved on your phone, and only 256 at a time. This tool does the preparation.
Batches that fit one list
A broadcast list holds up to 256 contacts, so the tool cuts your list into batches of 256 or fewer and names each batch, so nobody ends up in the wrong list.
Easy to find on your phone
Every contact starts with its batch name, such as Batch 01. Search that on your phone and the whole batch appears, ready to select.
Numbers cleaned first
Local numbers get their country code and lose the leading 0, text is taken out of messy cells, and the same person is saved only once.
Files phones understand
You get VCF contact files that open on iPhone and Android and import into Google Contacts, with Arabic and other scripts kept intact.
Download it your way
Take one file per batch, a ZIP of all of them, one file with everyone, or a CSV with the batch and contact name for every person.
Private by design
Your list is prepared in your browser and never uploaded. There is nothing to sign up for, and nothing is saved when you close the page.
How to make a WhatsApp broadcast list from Excel
Three steps. The last two happen on your phone, because WhatsApp does not support broadcast lists on Windows, Mac or the web.
- Make the contact filesPaste your list here, choose the country and the batch size, and download the ZIP. Try the example list to see what you get.
- Add them to your phoneOpen each VCF file on your phone, or import it into Google Contacts, which syncs to an Android phone. The people now appear in your contacts.
- Create the lists in WhatsAppOn Android, tap Chats, then the menu, then Broadcast lists. On an iPhone, tap Settings or your profile picture, then Broadcast messages, then New List. Search for “Batch 01”, select the people and create the list. Repeat for each batch.
On an iPhone
Send the VCF file to yourself by email or save it in the Files app, open it, and tap Add All Contacts.
On an Android phone
Open the VCF file from your downloads and choose Contacts, or open the Contacts app and use its Import option. Menu names differ between phone brands.
With Google Contacts
On a computer, open contacts.google.com and choose Import. Upload the VCF file and the contacts sync to a phone signed in to the same Google account.
They also have to have saved you
This is the part that surprises most people, and it is why a broadcast so often “does not arrive”.
Sources: WhatsApp Help Center, How to use broadcast lists and How to use broadcast lists on the WhatsApp Business app.
Saving your list on your phone is the first half: it lets you choose the people. The second half, whether each person has saved you, is theirs to decide. Only add people who know you and expect to hear from you, and read WhatsApp's cold outreach rules before you message anyone else.
Two ways to reach a list
A broadcast list works for customers who saved your number. When you need to reach a longer list, or people who have not saved you, you need a different tool.
Prepare your customers
- Free, in your browser, no login
- Up to 256 people a list, set up on your phone
- Reaches only people who saved your number
Free for lists of up to 1,000 numbers at a time.
Message the whole list
- This Broadcast List Maker, built in, with no limit on list size
- The Campaign Builder sends to the numbers in your list directly, so nobody has to be saved first
- Checks which numbers are on WhatsApp before you send
- Personalised messages with calculated delays, from your own computer
Questions about WhatsApp broadcast lists
What is a WhatsApp broadcast list?
It is a saved list of contacts that you can message repeatedly without selecting them each time. WhatsApp's help page says you can include up to 256 contacts in each list and create as many lists as you like. Each person receives the message as a normal chat from you, and their replies come back to you alone, not to the rest of the list.
Why does my broadcast not reach everyone on the list?
WhatsApp only delivers a broadcast to people who have saved your number in their address book. Its help page tells you to make sure every contact in the list has saved your number, and the Business app page says only contacts who have added your number will receive the message. Saving people on your phone lets you choose them for the list, but it does not make them save you.
How do I make a broadcast list from an Excel sheet?
Save the names and phone numbers in this tool, choose the country and batch size, and download the contact files. Import them into your phone, then create the list in WhatsApp: on Android tap Chats, then the menu, then Broadcast lists; on an iPhone tap Settings or your profile picture, then Broadcast messages, then New List. Search for the batch name, such as Batch 01, and select the people. Repeat for each batch. WhatsApp does not support broadcast lists on Windows, Mac or the web, so this part is done on the phone.
How many people can one broadcast list hold?
WhatsApp's help page says up to 256 contacts per list. The tool cuts your list into batches of 256 by default, and you can choose 200, 100 or 50 instead. If your list has 600 people, you get three batches: 256, 256 and 88. WhatsApp also notes that people in some countries might see a monthly broadcast limit and that the feature is rolling out gradually, so it may not be available everywhere.
How do I import a VCF file to my phone?
On an iPhone, open the file from the Files app or from an email and tap Add All Contacts. On an Android phone, open the file and choose Contacts, or use the Import option inside the Contacts app. You can also open contacts.google.com on a computer, choose Import and upload the file, and the contacts sync to a phone signed in to the same Google account. Menu names differ between phone brands.
Can I message people who have not saved my number?
Not with a broadcast list. Broadcast lists depend on the recipient having saved you. WhatsApp's Business app page suggests converting a broadcast list into a marketing message to reach people who have not, which uses the WhatsApp Business Platform and is priced per message. LeadTrapper for Windows takes another route: its Campaign Builder sends to the numbers in your list directly from your own computer, with calculated delays, so nobody has to be saved first. Only message people who expect to hear from you.
Is my list uploaded anywhere?
No. The list is read and turned into files in your browser. It is not sent to LeadTrapper or to anyone else, the tool sets no cookies, and nothing is saved when you close the page.
Why does the tool stop at 1,000 numbers?
It is a free tool. It makes files for the first 1,000 numbers of a list and still counts the whole list, so you see how many people you have. If you regularly work with bigger lists, LeadTrapper for Windows includes this same Broadcast List Maker with no limit on list size, and can also check which numbers are on WhatsApp before you send anything.
Related guides and tools
- Why the WhatsApp API won't let you cold-message leads
- How to format a phone list for WhatsApp bulk sending
- WhatsApp number format: country codes and examples
- Cleaning a contact list before your first WhatsApp campaign
- WhatsApp Number Filter: how it actually checks a number
- Free WhatsApp number formatter and list cleaner
WhatsApp is a trademark of WhatsApp LLC. LeadTrapper is not affiliated with or endorsed by WhatsApp. Broadcast list rules are from WhatsApp's own help pages and can change.
Need to reach more than a broadcast list can?
LeadTrapper for Windows checks which numbers on a list are on WhatsApp, sends personalised messages with calculated delays, and can build the list from Google Maps. Only message people who expect to hear from you.