Create a Campaign

This guide walks you through creating a WhatsApp campaign in Waflow. You'll learn how to select templates, choose your audience, map variables, and preview your messages before sending.

Before You Begin

Ensure you have the following ready:

• Approved template: At least one template with "Approved" status
• Contact list: Contacts imported into Waflow
• Variable data: Data to fill in template placeholders
• Media files: If using templates with image/video/document headers

Accessing the Campaign Builder

1. Navigate to your workspace in Waflow
2. Click Campaigns in the left sidebar
3. Click the Create Campaign button

The campaign builder opens with a step-by-step wizard.

Step 1: Campaign Details

Campaign Name

Give your campaign a descriptive name:

• Be specific: "December Newsletter" not "Campaign 1"
• Include date or context: "Black Friday Sale 2024"
• Internal use only: Contacts won't see this name

Good examples:

• "Order Shipped Notifications - Dec 2024"
• "Weekly Newsletter - Issue 47"
• "Flash Sale - 24hr Only"
• "Appointment Reminders - Week 52"

Campaign Description (Optional)

Add notes about the campaign purpose:

• Who is the audience
• What is the goal
• Any special considerations

This helps team members understand the campaign context.

Step 2: Select Template

Browsing Templates

The template selector shows all approved templates in your workspace:

• Filter by category (Marketing, Utility, Authentication)
• Search by template name
• Sort by date created or name
• Preview templates before selecting

Template Preview

Click on a template to see:

• Full message preview
• Header, body, footer, and buttons
• Variables used
• Template category and language

Selecting Your Template

1. Browse or search for your template
2. Click to preview
3. Click Select Template to confirm

Note: Only templates with "Approved" status appear in the list. If you don't see your template, check its approval status.

Template with Media Headers

If your template has an image, video, or document header:

• You'll upload the media file later in the process
• Prepare your media file according to the requirements:
  • Image: JPEG/PNG, max 5MB
  • Video: MP4, max 16MB
  • Document: PDF, max 100MB

Step 3: Choose Audience

Audience Options

Waflow offers multiple ways to define your campaign audience:

All Contacts

Send to every contact in your workspace.

Best for:

• Broad announcements
• Company-wide updates
• Small contact lists

Caution: Consider if all contacts should receive this message.

Segments

Select a predefined segment based on contact criteria.

Examples of segments:

• "Customers who purchased in last 30 days"
• "Newsletter subscribers"
• "VIP members"
• "Leads from website"

To use:

1. Click Segments tab
2. Select one or more segments
3. View estimated audience size

Tags

Filter contacts by tags you've assigned.

Examples:

• "newsletter-subscriber"
• "vip-customer"
• "product-beta-tester"

To use:

1. Click Tags tab
2. Select required tags
3. Choose match type:
   • All tags: Contact must have all selected tags
   • Any tag: Contact must have at least one tag

Upload CSV

Import a list specifically for this campaign.

CSV requirements:

• Must include phone number column
• Phone numbers with country code
• UTF-8 encoding
• Maximum 100,000 rows

To use:

1. Click Upload CSV tab
2. Drag and drop or browse for file
3. Map CSV columns to contact fields
4. Preview the import

Manual Selection

Pick individual contacts for small, targeted sends.

Best for:

• Testing before full send
• Very small, specific audiences
• Personalized outreach

To use:

1. Click Manual tab
2. Search for contacts
3. Click to add to audience
4. Review selected list

Audience Preview

After selecting your audience:

• View total contact count
• See sample contacts
• Verify the audience looks correct

Tip: Always verify your audience size is what you expect before proceeding.

Exclusions

Waflow automatically excludes:

• Contacts who have opted out
• Invalid phone numbers
• Numbers that previously failed
• Blocked contacts

You can add additional exclusions:

1. Click Add Exclusion
2. Select contacts, tags, or segments to exclude
3. View updated audience count

Step 4: Map Variables

Understanding Variable Mapping

Template variables ({{1}}, {{2}}, etc.) need to be connected to actual data. This step tells Waflow what data to insert for each variable.

The Mapping Interface

For each variable in your template, you'll see:

• Variable number and position in template
• Sample value from template creation
• Dropdown to select data source

Data Source Options

Contact Fields

Map to standard contact data:

Custom Fields

Map to your custom contact fields:

• Any custom fields you've created
• Business-specific data points
• Dynamic values stored per contact

Static Value

Use the same value for all recipients:

When to use:

• Discount codes that apply to everyone
• Event dates
• Store addresses
• Website URLs

To set:

1. Select "Static Value" from dropdown
2. Enter the value in the text field
3. Value appears the same for every recipient

Computed Values

Dynamic values generated at send time:

CSV Column (if using CSV upload)

Map to columns from your uploaded file:

1. Select "CSV Column"
2. Choose the column name
3. Values come from each row

Mapping Example

Template:

Hi {{1}},

Your order #{{2}} is ready for pickup at {{3}}.

Show this message at the counter.
Valid until: {{4}}

Mapping:

Fallback Values

For contact fields that might be empty:

1. Click the gear icon next to the mapping
2. Enter a fallback value
3. This value is used when the field is empty

Example:

• Field: First Name
• Fallback: "there"
• Empty field result: "Hi there," instead of "Hi ,"

Formatting Options

Apply formatting to mapped values:

Step 5: Upload Media (If Required)

If your template has a media header:

Image Upload

1. Click Upload Image
2. Select your file (JPEG or PNG)
3. Preview the image
4. Confirm upload

Image tips:

• Use 800x418 pixels for best display
• Keep important content centered
• Optimize file size for faster delivery

Video Upload

1. Click Upload Video
2. Select your MP4 file
3. Wait for processing
4. Preview the video

Video tips:

• Keep videos under 30 seconds
• Use clear, high-quality footage
• Include captions if possible

Document Upload

1. Click Upload Document
2. Select your PDF file
3. The filename will be visible to recipients

Document tips:

• Use descriptive filenames
• Keep file size reasonable
• Ensure content is mobile-readable

Dynamic Media (Advanced)

For personalized media per recipient:

1. Select "Dynamic Media URL"
2. Map to a contact field containing the media URL
3. Each recipient receives their specific media

Step 6: Preview Messages

Before sending, preview how messages will appear.

Single Contact Preview

1. Click Preview Message
2. Select a contact from your audience
3. View the fully rendered message
4. Check all variables are correctly replaced

Things to verify:

• Name is correctly inserted
• All variables have values
• Formatting looks correct
• Media displays properly
• Buttons show expected text/URLs

Multi-Contact Preview

Preview messages for multiple contacts:

1. Click Preview Multiple
2. See side-by-side comparisons
3. Catch any data issues before sending

Test Send

Send a test message to yourself or team:

1. Click Send Test
2. Enter a phone number
3. Receive the actual message
4. Verify on a real device

Tip: Always send a test before launching a campaign to a large audience.

Step 7: Configure Sending

Send Immediately

Send messages as soon as you complete setup:

1. Select Send Now
2. Messages begin processing immediately
3. Monitor progress in real-time

Schedule for Later

Set a specific date and time:

1. Select Schedule
2. Choose date and time
3. Select time zone
4. Campaign queues and sends automatically

For detailed scheduling options, see Campaign Scheduling.

Sending Speed

Control the rate of message delivery:

Note: Actual speed may be limited by your WhatsApp tier and rate limits.

Step 8: Review and Launch

Final Review Checklist

Before launching, verify:

• Campaign name is descriptive
• Correct template is selected
• Audience size is expected
• All variables are mapped
• Fallback values are set for empty fields
• Media is uploaded (if required)
• Preview messages look correct
• Schedule is set correctly (if scheduling)

Cost Estimate

Waflow shows an estimated cost:

• Based on audience size
• Template category pricing
• Currency in your account settings

Launch Campaign

1. Review the summary screen
2. Confirm all settings are correct
3. Click Launch Campaign
4. Confirm in the popup dialog

After Launch

Once launched:

• Campaign status changes to "Sending"
• Real-time progress is visible
• You can pause if needed
• Monitor delivery status

Campaign Management

Editing Drafts

Before sending, you can edit any aspect:

1. Go to Campaigns
2. Find your draft campaign
3. Click Edit
4. Make changes
5. Save or launch

Duplicating Campaigns

Reuse campaign settings:

1. Find an existing campaign
2. Click the menu icon (three dots)
3. Select Duplicate
4. Modify as needed
5. Save as new campaign

Deleting Drafts

Remove unwanted drafts:

1. Find the draft campaign
2. Click the menu icon
3. Select Delete
4. Confirm deletion

Warning: This action cannot be undone.

Troubleshooting

Template Not Appearing

• Verify template is approved
• Check template is in the same workspace
• Refresh the page

Audience Count is Zero

• Verify contacts exist in workspace
• Check segment/tag filters
• Review exclusion rules

Variable Mapping Error

• Ensure all variables are mapped
• Check for data in contact fields
• Set fallback values for empty fields

Media Upload Failed

• Check file format and size
• Ensure stable internet connection
• Try a different file

Next Steps

• Campaign Scheduling - Time your campaigns optimally
• Campaign Tracking - Monitor delivery and engagement
• Template Variables - Master personalization