Pre-Campaign Checklist for WhatsApp: 30 Items to Check Before Sending
The moment you press the send button is one that is hard to undo. A message arriving with the wrong name, a broken link, the wrong people on the list, or an audience without permission: none of these can be corrected afterwards. A common habit of experienced teams is to go through the same checklist before launching a campaign. In this article you will find a list of thirty items in six sections: list, permission, text, media, speed, and test. Each section also explains why it matters and where to look in WapFlow.
1. List Check
The quality of a campaign depends on whom you send it to, before the message text matters.
| # | Check | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the recipient group correct? Was a wrong label or an old group selected? | The group name and number of contacts selected on the sending screen |
| 2 | Are there duplicate numbers? | Remove duplicates in Excel, compare the number of contacts in the address book |
| 3 | Are the numbers in the correct format? Is a country code missing, is there an extra zero, a corrupted digit? | Manually review ten random numbers |
| 4 | Have numbers without WhatsApp been cleaned from the list? | The verification page; the option to hide non-registered numbers |
| 5 | Are people on the block list, or those who have said "I don't want this," excluded? | Blocked numbers are skipped in the campaign, but also remove them from the source file |
| 6 | Is the name column filled in? Does [isim] look broken for empty names? | Put those with empty names into a separate group |
| 7 | Have employees, family members, or test numbers been removed from the list? | If you are going to send a test to yourself, use a separate number |
For a detailed look at importing from Excel and number formats, read our Excel import guide; for verification, read our number verifier article.
2. Permission and Compliance Check
| # | Check | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Did these people agree to receive messages from you through this channel? | Unsolicited messages are the most common cause of complaints and account restrictions |
| 9 | Is the source and date of the permission recorded? | So you can show it when needed |
| 10 | Is the message related to the topic that was permitted? | Sending a campaign to a number given for an appointment goes beyond the purpose |
| 11 | If it is a commercial message, have you checked the requirements of İYS and KVKK? | Obligations depend on your business |
| 12 | Does the message include your business name and a way to opt out? | The recipient should know who you are and be able to stop the messages if they wish |
For the legal side of the matter, see our İYS and KVKK guide, and seek legal advice for your own situation if necessary. In fields such as healthcare, law, and finance, advertising rules also apply separately.
3. Text Check
| # | Check | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Are there any typos? | Read the message out loud |
| 14 | Are the date, time, amount, and address correct? | Check every date against a calendar; a day-month mix-up is the most expensive mistake |
| 15 | Is there a single call to action? | Reply, click the link, or come to the shop; not all at once |
| 16 | Are the variables correct? | Is the value for fields such as [isim] and [kategori] filled in from the address book? |
| 17 | Does the sentence break when the name is empty? | Design the text to prevent a "Hello ," appearance |
| 18 | Are the spintax brackets closed correctly? | The {Merhaba|Selam} brackets must be complete |
| 19 | Is the tone suitable for the recipient? | Avoid piles of capital letters, exclamation marks, and emoji |
4. Media and Link Check
| # | Check |
|---|---|
| 20 | Is the image, video, or PDF the correct file and up to date? |
| 21 | Is the file size reasonable, and does it open on a phone without problems? |
| 22 | Does the link work? Click it from your phone and try it. |
| 23 | Is there only one link in the message, and is it explained what it is? |
| 24 | Will the text be the caption of the media or a separate message? Has the decision been made? |
WapFlow shows a warning when a message contains a link and offers the option to close the preview card. Before dismissing this warning, make sure the link opens the correct page.
5. Speed and Safety Settings
Speed settings determine how the campaign reaches the recipient. WhatsApp does not disclose a safe sending speed, so there is no guarantee here; even so, there are points to pay attention to.
| # | Check | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Is the sending account ready? | If it is a new number, consider warming up the account for gradual use; an account that is still warming up cannot be used in a campaign |
| 26 | Are the wait and break settings reasonable? | The default values are a good starting point; avoid Fast Mode |
| 27 | Are quiet hours on? | Prevents sending at night |
| 28 | Is "Skip people who recently received a message" on? | Prevents a second message from going to the same person in a short time |
| 29 | Is the STOP/DUR block on? | Makes it easier for anyone who does not want messages to be removed from the list |
For what the settings do, see our campaign creation and tracking article.
6. Test and Scheduling
| # | Check |
|---|---|
| 30 | Has a test been sent to yourself? How does the message look on your phone; are the emoji, line spacing, link preview, and media correct? |
The thirtieth item is the most important. Send a test to yourself is essentially a rehearsal of the campaign. It is the only safe way to catch errors before the message reaches a real recipient. During testing, it helps to view the message on another phone too, preferably on a different operating system. Make sure your account will remain connected during the campaign; for a scheduled campaign, the accounts must be connected at that time.
Additional Checks by Campaign Type
| Campaign type | Also check |
|---|---|
| Discount and offer announcement | Are the validity date, stock, campaign terms, and return information correct? |
| Appointment and reminder | Are the date and time correct for each person, and does the message contain the minimum information? |
| Event invitation | Are the address, time, how to attend, and capacity information complete? |
| Survey and feedback | Is the question single and clear, and is it easy to answer? |
| Win-back | For people who have not been written to for a long time, is the tone gentle and is there a clear way to opt out? |
These additional checks are meant to answer the question "why might this message be misunderstood?", which changes according to the purpose of the campaign. Keep your own short list for each campaign type and update it as needs arise.
Sending Day Plan
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| One day before sending | Review the list, text, and media one last time; ask a team member for a second look |
| Before sending | Check that the accounts are connected; send a test to yourself |
| First 20-30 messages | Start with a small group; watch the error counters and incoming replies |
| Throughout sending | Monitor replies and negative reactions; pause if necessary |
| After sending | Record the results; remove those who replied STOP/DUR from the list; get back to replies |
If Something Goes Wrong
- Pause: If you notice a wrong text or a wrong group, pause the campaign immediately.
- Stop and fix: After correcting the error, resume from where it stopped. People who have already received a message are not sent it again.
- Apologize: Write a short, honest correction message to those who received the error. Keep it brief, with a single message and no exaggeration.
- Record: Write down the cause of the error and add it to your list, so the same mistake does not happen a second time.
Hello, the date in the message we just sent was wrong; the correct date is Thursday, March 14. Sorry for the confusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the checklist take?
Once you get used to it, about fifteen minutes for a small campaign. That time is much cheaper than the problems caused by a wrong sending.
Who in the team should fill in the checklist?
If the person who prepares the campaign and the person who checks it are different, errors are easier to catch; it is hard to see mistakes in your own text. Even in small businesses, apply the "two pairs of eyes" rule: before sending, have an employee or a close friend read the message and show them the sending screen.
Do I have to do all of this every time?
Permission and list checks are necessary for every campaign. If you reuse the same template, the media and text checks may take less time; still, always check the dates and the link again.
Does the self-test send messages to real recipients?
No. A test to yourself sends the message only to your own number, and lets you check how it looks before the campaign.
Does the checklist prevent account restriction?
No; it helps reduce the risk, but no checklist guarantees anything. We cover the causes and the appeal steps in a separate article.
Share this list with your team and go through it, ticking each item, before every campaign. If you want to run list, test, scheduling, and campaign tracking from a single panel, you can try WapFlow.
