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Baileys supports sending messages to broadcast lists and WhatsApp status updates (stories). This page covers both features in detail.

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Understanding Broadcast JIDs

WhatsApp uses special JID formats for broadcasts:
  • Broadcast lists: {timestamp}@broadcast (e.g., 1234567890@broadcast)
  • Status/Stories: status@broadcast
import { STORIES_JID } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

console.log(STORIES_JID) // 'status@broadcast'

​
JID Helper Functions

import { isJidBroadcast, isJidStatusBroadcast } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

// Check if a JID is any broadcast
const isBroadcast = isJidBroadcast('status@broadcast') // true
const isBroadcast2 = isJidBroadcast('1234567890@broadcast') // true

// Check if a JID is specifically the status broadcast
const isStatus = isJidStatusBroadcast('status@broadcast') // true
const isStatus2 = isJidStatusBroadcast('1234567890@broadcast') // false

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Sending to Broadcast Lists

Broadcast lists allow you to send a message to multiple people, but they receive it as an individual message (not a group).

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Send to a Broadcast List

const broadcastJid = '1234567890@broadcast'

await sock.sendMessage(
    broadcastJid,
    { text: 'Hello everyone!' },
    { broadcast: true }
)
The broadcast: true option enables broadcast mode for the message.

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Query Broadcast List Info

Get the name and recipients of a broadcast list: 
const bList = await sock.getBroadcastListInfo('1234567890@broadcast')

console.log('List name:', bList.name)
console.log('Recipients:', bList.recipients)
// recipients is an array of JIDs

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Send Media to Broadcast

await sock.sendMessage(
    broadcastJid,
    {
        image: { url: './photo.jpg' },
        caption: 'Check this out!'
    },
    { broadcast: true }
)

​
Sending Status Updates (Stories)

Status messages (stories) are temporary posts that expire after 24 hours.

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Basic Status Message

You must provide a statusJidList - an array of contact JIDs who will receive the status: 
const statusJidList = [
    '[email protected]',
    '[email protected]'
]

await sock.sendMessage(
    'status@broadcast',
    { text: 'Hello from my status!' },
    {
        broadcast: true,
        statusJidList: statusJidList
    }
)
The statusJidList parameter is required for status messages. Without it, no one will see your status.

​
Image Status

await sock.sendMessage(
    'status@broadcast',
    {
        image: { url: './photo.jpg' },
        caption: 'My photo status'
    },
    {
        broadcast: true,
        statusJidList: statusJidList
    }
)

​
Video Status

await sock.sendMessage(
    'status@broadcast',
    {
        video: { url: './video.mp4' },
        caption: 'Check out this video!'
    },
    {
        broadcast: true,
        statusJidList: statusJidList
    }
)

​
Status with Background Color

For text statuses, you can specify a background color: 
await sock.sendMessage(
    'status@broadcast',
    { text: 'Colorful status!' },
    {
        broadcast: true,
        backgroundColor: '#FF5733', // Hex color
        statusJidList: statusJidList
    }
)

​
Status with Custom Font

await sock.sendMessage(
    'status@broadcast',
    { text: 'Custom font status' },
    {
        broadcast: true,
        font: 3, // Font style number (0-3)
        statusJidList: statusJidList
    }
)

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Complete Status Example

Here’s a full example combining multiple options: 
import makeWASocket from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

const sock = makeWASocket({
    // ... your config
})

// Wait for connection
sock.ev.on('connection.update', async (update) => {
    if (update.connection === 'open') {
        // Get your contacts (you need to build this list)
        const statusJidList = [
            '[email protected]',
            '[email protected]'
        ]
        
        // Send image status
        await sock.sendMessage(
            'status@broadcast',
            {
                image: { url: 'https://example.com/image.jpg' },
                caption: 'Hello World!'
            },
            {
                backgroundColor: '#4A90E2',
                font: 2,
                statusJidList: statusJidList,
                broadcast: true
            }
        )
        
        console.log('Status sent!')
    }
})

​
Message Options Reference

From the Baileys TypeScript types: 
interface MiscMessageGenerationOptions {
    /** jid list of participants for status@broadcast */
    statusJidList?: string[]
    
    /** if it is broadcast */
    broadcast?: boolean
    
    /** Background color for text status (hex) */
    backgroundColor?: string
    
    /** Font style for text status (0-3) */
    font?: number
    
    // ... other options
}

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Supported Content Types

You can send these message types to broadcasts and status:

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Text Messages

{ text: 'Hello' }

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Extended Text with Link Preview

{
    text: 'Check this out https://example.com',
    // Baileys will generate link preview if link-preview-js is installed
}

​
Images

{
    image: { url: './photo.jpg' },
    caption: 'Caption text'
}

​
Videos

{
    video: { url: './video.mp4' },
    caption: 'Video caption',
    ptv: false // Set to true for video note
}

​
Audio

{
    audio: { url: './audio.ogg' },
    mimetype: 'audio/ogg; codecs=opus'
}
For the full list of supported message content types, see the AnyRegularMessageContent TypeScript type.

​
Building statusJidList

You need to maintain a list of contacts who should see your status. Here are some approaches:

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From Contacts Event

let myContacts: string[] = []

sock.ev.on('contacts.upsert', (contacts) => {
    myContacts = contacts.map(c => c.id)
})

// Later, use for status
await sock.sendMessage(
    'status@broadcast',
    { text: 'My status' },
    {
        broadcast: true,
        statusJidList: myContacts
    }
)

​
From Custom Store

If you’re using a custom store implementation: 
// Retrieve contacts from your database
const contacts = await db.contacts.findAll()
const statusJidList = contacts.map(c => c.id)

await sock.sendMessage(
    'status@broadcast',
    { text: 'Status for all contacts' },
    { broadcast: true, statusJidList }
)

​
Hardcoded List

For testing or specific contacts: 
const statusJidList = [
    '[email protected]',
    '[email protected]',
    '[email protected]'
]

​
Broadcast Limitations

Broadcast List Limitations:
  • Recipients must have your number saved
  • WhatsApp Web does NOT support creating new broadcast lists (only deleting)
  • Maximum 256 recipients per broadcast list
Status Limitations:
  • Status messages expire after 24 hours
  • Recipients must have your number saved to see your status
  • Media files should be optimized (large files may fail)

​
Internal Implementation

From src/Socket/messages-send.ts, here’s how Baileys handles broadcast messages: 
const statusJid = 'status@broadcast'
const isStatus = jid === statusJid

if (isStatus && statusJidList) {
    // Add statusJidList contacts to participants
    participantsList.push(...statusJidList)
}

const destinationJid = !isStatus ? finalJid : statusJid

const meMsg: proto.IMessage = {
    deviceSentMessage: {
        destinationJid,
        message
    }
}
The message is sent as a deviceSentMessage to the broadcast JID, and WhatsApp’s servers handle distribution to the participants.

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Best Practices

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Keep statusJidList Updated

// Refresh contact list periodically
setInterval(async () => {
    // Update your contacts from store or contacts event
    statusJidList = await getLatestContacts()
}, 3600000) // Every hour

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Handle Errors

try {
    await sock.sendMessage(
        'status@broadcast',
        { text: 'My status' },
        { broadcast: true, statusJidList }
    )
    console.log('Status sent successfully')
} catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to send status:', error)
}

​
Validate JIDs

import { isJidUser } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys'

// Filter to only valid user JIDs
const validJids = statusJidList.filter(jid => isJidUser(jid))

await sock.sendMessage(
    'status@broadcast',
    { text: 'Status' },
    { broadcast: true, statusJidList: validJids }
)

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Next Steps

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