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

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

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

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:

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

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