Broadcasting with Personalized Variable Data

How to send personalized WhatsApp broadcasts using custom fields and subscriber data

Updated 10 February 2026

Personalized broadcasts replace generic messages with contact-specific data — names, companies, order numbers, or any custom field you define. Instead of "Hi there, check out our offer," your customer sees "Hi Sarah, check out our offer for Acme Corp."

This guide covers importing contacts with custom data and using that data in your broadcast templates. For the basic broadcasting setup, see How to Send Broadcast Messages.

Step 1: Set Up Custom Fields

Before importing contacts, create the custom fields you'll need in WhatChimp.

Go to Subscriber Manager → Manage → Manage Custom Fields. Click Create, give the field a name (e.g., company_name, city, plan_type), choose a reply type, and save.

For a detailed guide, see Manage Custom Fields and Labels.

Step 2: Import Contacts with Custom Data

Add extra columns to your CSV or Google Sheet for each custom field. For example:

Import from CSV

Go to Subscriber Manager → Options → Import Subscribers. Upload your CSV file (UTF-8 encoding).

Tip: If your spreadsheet has special characters or codes, add a single quote at the start of the cell or change the cell format to Text before saving.

Import from Google Sheets

WhatChimp supports direct Google Sheets import — no CSV download needed. See How to Import WhatsApp Contacts from Google Sheets.

Step 3: Map Your Custom Fields

After uploading, you'll see the Map Data screen with two columns:

• File Header — your spreadsheet column names
• Data Field — WhatChimp's subscriber fields

Match each column to its corresponding field. Make sure your custom field columns (company_name, city, etc.) are mapped to the custom fields you created in Step 1.

Review the first two records to verify accuracy, then click Confirm.

Step 4: Create a Personalized Template

Go to Bot Manager → Message Templates → Create.

Name your template, select the category, and write your message body. Use the Custom Fields dropdown to insert your personalization fields:

Hi {{first_name}}, we have an exclusive offer for {{company_name}} customers in {{city}}. Reply YES to learn more!

Submit and wait for approval before using it in a broadcast.

Important: Custom field values are pulled from subscriber profiles automatically — you don't pass them in the API call. Make sure every contact has the custom fields populated before broadcasting. See Template Variables vs Custom Variables for more details.

Step 5: Launch Your Campaign

Go to Broadcasting → Create. Name your campaign, select Anytime, choose your personalized template, and filter your audience by label.

Verify the subscriber count looks right, then save and execute.

For the full campaign setup walkthrough, see How to Send Broadcast Messages.

Why Personalize?

Related Articles

How to Send Broadcast Messages in WhatChimp — The complete broadcasting guide

Template Variables vs Custom Variables — Understand the difference and when to use each

Manage Custom Fields and Labels — Create and manage custom subscriber fields

Import WhatsApp Contacts from Google Sheets — Direct Google Sheets import guide