Broadcast Template

The broadcast template enables mass messaging to contact lists, perfect for announcements, marketing campaigns, and bulk notifications through WhatsApp and other channels.

Topic: Mass Messaging & Announcements

This template is perfect for:

• Company-wide announcements
• Marketing campaigns
• Customer notifications
• Event reminders
• Newsletter distribution

The Code

PARAM message AS STRING LIKE "Hello {name}, how are you?" DESCRIPTION "Message to broadcast, supports {name} and {mobile} variables"
PARAM listfile AS STRING LIKE "broadcast.csv" DESCRIPTION "CSV file with contacts (name, mobile columns)"
PARAM filter AS STRING LIKE "status=active" DESCRIPTION "Filter condition for contact list" OPTIONAL

DESCRIPTION "Send broadcast message to a list of contacts from CSV file"

IF NOT listfile THEN
    listfile = "broadcast.csv"
END IF

IF filter THEN
    list = FIND listfile, filter
ELSE
    list = FIND listfile
END IF

IF UBOUND(list) = 0 THEN
    TALK "No contacts found in " + listfile
    RETURN 0
END IF

index = 1
sent = 0

DO WHILE index < UBOUND(list)
    row = list[index]

    msg = REPLACE(message, "{name}", row.name)
    msg = REPLACE(msg, "{mobile}", row.mobile)

    TALK TO row.mobile, msg
    WAIT 5

    WITH logEntry
        timestamp = NOW()
        user = USERNAME
        from = FROM
        mobile = row.mobile
        name = row.name
        status = "sent"
    END WITH

    SAVE "Log.xlsx", logEntry

    sent = sent + 1
    index = index + 1
LOOP

TALK "Broadcast sent to " + sent + " contacts."

RETURN sent

Sample Dialogs

These conversations show how the broadcast template works in real-world scenarios.

Dialog 1: Simple Broadcast

Dialog 2: Filtered Broadcast

Dialog 3: No Contacts Found

Keywords Used

How It Works

1. Load Contacts: FIND retrieves contacts from CSV with optional filter
2. Validate List: Checks if contacts were found
3. Loop Through Contacts: Iterates through each contact
4. Personalize Message: REPLACE substitutes {name} and {mobile}
5. Send Message: TALK TO delivers to each phone number
6. Rate Limiting: WAIT 5 pauses 5 seconds between messages
7. Log Operation: Each send is recorded in Log.xlsx
8. Report Results: Returns total messages sent

Contact List Format

Your CSV file should have these columns:

name,mobile,status,segment
John Smith,+5511999999999,active,regular
Maria Garcia,+5521888888888,active,vip
Carlos Santos,+5531777777777,inactive,regular
Ana Lima,+5541666666666,active,vip

Customization Ideas

Add Message Templates

ADD TOOL "broadcast"
ADD TOOL "list-templates"
ADD TOOL "create-template"

' Load saved templates
templates = FIND "message_templates.csv"

TALK "Available templates:"
FOR EACH template IN templates
    TALK "• " + template.name + ": " + LEFT(template.message, 50) + "..."
NEXT

TALK "Which template would you like to use?"
HEAR templateName

selected = FIND "message_templates.csv", "name = '" + templateName + "'"
message = selected.message

Add Scheduling

PARAM schedule_time AS STRING LIKE "2025-01-20 09:00" DESCRIPTION "When to send (optional)"

IF schedule_time THEN
    SET SCHEDULE schedule_time
    
    ' Store broadcast details for later
    SET BOT MEMORY "scheduled_message", message
    SET BOT MEMORY "scheduled_list", listfile
    SET BOT MEMORY "scheduled_filter", filter
    
    TALK "📅 Broadcast scheduled for " + schedule_time
    TALK "I'll send to " + UBOUND(list) + " contacts at that time."
    RETURN 0
END IF

Add Progress Updates

total = UBOUND(list)
checkpoints = [25, 50, 75, 100]

DO WHILE index <= total
    ' ... send message ...
    
    ' Check progress
    percent = INT((index / total) * 100)
    IF INARRAY(percent, checkpoints) THEN
        TALK "📊 Progress: " + percent + "% (" + index + "/" + total + ")"
    END IF
    
    index = index + 1
LOOP

Add Opt-Out Handling

' Check if contact has opted out
optouts = FIND "optouts.csv"

DO WHILE index <= UBOUND(list)
    row = list[index]
    
    ' Skip opted-out contacts
    IF FIND("optouts.csv", "mobile = '" + row.mobile + "'") THEN
        WITH logEntry
            mobile = row.mobile
            status = "skipped-optout"
        END WITH
        SAVE "Log.xlsx", logEntry
        index = index + 1
        CONTINUE
    END IF
    
    ' ... send message ...
LOOP

Add Media Support

PARAM image AS STRING LIKE "promo.jpg" DESCRIPTION "Image to include (optional)"

IF image THEN
    msg = msg + "\n[Image: " + image + "]"
    TALK TO row.mobile, msg, image
ELSE
    TALK TO row.mobile, msg
END IF

Best Practices

Message Content

1. Personalize: Always use {name} for a personal touch
2. Be Concise: Keep messages short and clear
3. Clear CTA: Include a clear call-to-action
4. Identify Yourself: Make sure recipients know who’s messaging

Compliance

1. Consent Required: Only message contacts who opted in
2. Easy Opt-Out: Include unsubscribe instructions
3. Respect Hours: Don’t send late at night
4. Honor Limits: WhatsApp has daily messaging limits

Performance

1. Rate Limiting: Keep 5+ second delays to avoid blocks
2. Batch Processing: For large lists, consider batching
3. Error Handling: Log and handle failed sends
4. Monitor Results: Check logs for delivery issues

Logging Structure

The Log.xlsx file tracks all broadcast activity:

Related Templates

• announcements.bas - Company announcements system
• whatsapp.bas - WhatsApp-specific features
• store.bas - E-commerce with customer notifications