WhatsApp file size and character limits
WhatsApp caps how big a file can be and how long your text can run. HabariChat checks your message against these limits before it goes anywhere and asks you to correct anything over the line, so a send does not quietly fail at Meta. Here is the full list so you can plan around it.
Media file sizes and formats
These apply everywhere you attach a file: a reply in the inbox, an image or video header on a template, and a campaign that carries media.
| Type | Maximum size | Formats accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Image | 5 MB | JPEG, PNG (8-bit, RGB or RGBA) |
| Video | 16 MB | MP4, 3GPP (H.264 video with AAC audio) |
| Audio | 16 MB | AAC, AMR, MP3, MP4 audio, OGG (Opus only) |
| Document | 100 MB | PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, plain text |
| Sticker | 100 KB static, 500 KB animated | WebP only |
A few things that catch people out:
- 100 MB is the ceiling for any single file, whatever the type. Nothing larger can go through WhatsApp.
- Video needs a single audio stream, or none at all. A file with two audio tracks is rejected even when it is under 16 MB.
- A phone photo is often too big. Modern cameras produce images well past 5 MB, so resize before you attach.
- Screen recordings and adverts blow past 16 MB quickly. Trim the clip, lower the resolution, or host the file and send a link in the text instead.
- AVIF, HEIC, GIF, WebP, BMP and TIFF are not image messages. Only JPEG and PNG are accepted, so convert first. AVIF and HEIC catch people out most often because phones and image tools now export them by default. WebP is accepted only as a sticker.
- Media is stored for 30 days on Meta's servers after upload, so an old campaign's file may need re-uploading if you reuse it much later.
#131052. See WhatsApp & Meta errors.Template character limits
Every part of a message template has its own cap.
| Part of the template | Limit |
|---|---|
| Header text | 60 characters |
| Body text | 1,024 characters |
| Footer text | 60 characters |
| Button label (any type) | 25 characters |
| Website button link | 2,000 characters |
| Call button number | 20 characters |
| Copy code button | 20 characters |
How many buttons
- 10 buttons in total on one template.
- Up to 10 quick reply buttons.
- Up to 2 website buttons.
- Up to 1 call button.
- Up to 1 copy code button.
A template with four or more buttons will not display on WhatsApp Desktop, so keep to three if desktop users matter to your audience.
Variables count too
The 1,024 characters are measured after your variables are filled in, not while you are writing. A body that fits in the preview can still overflow at send time if a contact has a long name or a long product title, and the same goes for the fallback value you set for anyone missing that field.
- A text header takes one variable.
- A website button takes one variable, added to the end of the link.
- The body takes several.
Leave yourself room. If your body is close to 1,024 characters before personalisation, trim it.
How many templates you can have
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Templates per WhatsApp Business Account | 250 before business verification |
| Templates once verified | 6,000, when your business portfolio is verified and at least one number has an approved display name |
| Editing an approved template | Once a day, up to 10 times a month |
| Editing a rejected or paused template | No limit |
Because edits are rationed, large rewrites are usually better as a fresh template than as repeated edits to a live one. Every edit also goes back to Meta for review.
Limits when you reply in the inbox
Inside the 24-hour service window you reply with normal text rather than a template, and the limits are different and much more generous.
| What you are sending | Limit |
|---|---|
| Text reply | 4,096 characters |
| Caption on an image, video or document | 1,024 characters |
| Attachments | Same size caps as media above |
Interactive messages
Reply buttons and list menus have tighter limits again, and they are strict. Anything longer is cut off or rejected outright.
| Element | Limit |
|---|---|
| Reply buttons per message | 3 |
| Reply button label | 20 characters |
| List sections | 10 |
| List rows, all sections combined | 10 |
| Section title | 24 characters |
| Row title | 24 characters |
| Row description | 72 characters |
| List button text | 20 characters |
| Header and footer text | 60 characters each |
How fast messages go out
Size is one limit, speed is another. WhatsApp accepts 80 messages per second by default, rising to 1,000 per second for numbers on the unlimited tier. Large campaigns are paced automatically so you stay under it, which is why a big broadcast takes minutes to finish rather than landing all at once.
Separately, Meta caps how many marketing templates one person can receive in a period, counted across every business that messages them, not just you. That cap is not published and moves with how much the person engages, so a contact who ignores marketing hits it sooner. It only affects Marketing-category templates. Utility, authentication and replies inside the 24-hour window are unaffected.
#131049. Space out your sends and keep them relevant. See quality rating.Common questions
It depends on the message. A template body is limited to 1,024 characters. A free-text reply sent inside the 24-hour window can run to 4,096 characters. A caption on an image, video or document is limited to 1,024 characters.
No. The 1,024 characters apply to the template body on its own. The header has its own 60-character limit, the footer 60 characters, and each button label 25 characters. They are counted separately, not added together.
A video must be 16 MB or smaller and in MP4 or 3GPP format, using the H.264 video codec with AAC audio and a single audio stream. Larger files and other formats are rejected. Compress the clip, trim it, or host it somewhere and send the link in the text instead.
Images must be 5 MB or smaller and in JPEG or PNG, saved as 8-bit RGB or RGBA. AVIF, HEIC, GIF, WebP, BMP and TIFF are not accepted as image messages, so convert first. WebP is accepted only as a sticker.
250 per WhatsApp Business Account before business verification, rising to 6,000 once your business portfolio is verified and at least one number has an approved display name. An approved template can be edited once a day, up to 10 times a month. See template counts.
They are WhatsApp's, set by Meta and identical for every business on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Your HabariChat plan does not change them. What HabariChat does is check your message against them first and ask you to correct anything over the line.