Community in WhatsApp Business: what is allowed, steps and limits
The official rule, the path to a community on your business number and a planner for course creators and sellers who organise cohorts and products.
How it works in practice
Direct answer: You currently cannot create a community directly in the WhatsApp Business app. According to the Help Center, a Business number can own a community if it was created on regular WhatsApp and that number was later registered as a business, or if ownership was transferred from someone on the regular app. A community holds up to 100 groups and 2,000 members in total.
In short:
- The Business app cannot create communities, but it can own one.
- Official paths: create on the regular app and then register the number as a business, or receive ownership.
- Limits: 100 groups and 2,000 members across all groups plus the announcement group.
What WhatsApp says about communities on Business
The WhatsApp Help Center states that you cannot currently create a community on the WhatsApp Business app. The same page says you can still own a community on Business in two cases:
- Ownership of the community was transferred to you by someone using the regular app.
- You created the community on the regular app and later registered that number as a business account.
Before moving a number to Business, back up your chats and check the current rules in the Help Center, since features can change.
Steps to get a community on your business number
Path 1: create on regular WhatsApp, then register as Business
- In regular WhatsApp, open Chats, tap New chat and choose New community.
- Tap Get started, add a name (up to 100 characters), a description and an icon, and confirm.
- Add existing groups or create new ones inside the community. The Announcements group is created automatically.
- Then register that number on the WhatsApp Business app, following the migration the app offers.
Path 2: receive ownership
A team member creates the community on the regular app, adds the business number as an admin and transfers ownership to it.
WhatsApp community limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Groups per community | Up to 100, plus the Announcements group |
| Community members | Up to 2,000 across the groups and the Announcements group |
| Participants per group | Up to 1,024 |
| Community admins | Up to 20 community admin roles |
| Community name | Up to 100 characters |
Sources: How to create a community, joining groups and the WhatsApp communities guide. When a community is full, nobody new can join until someone leaves.
Community planner for cohorts and products
Enter how many products or cohorts you run, members per cohort and how many general announcements you send each week.
Based on the official limits of 2,000 members and 100 groups per community and 1,024 per group.
How to organise a sales or student community
- Announcements group for launches, schedules and general rules. Admins only.
- One group per cohort or product, with the start date in the name, so you know who has access to what.
- An admin-only group for the team to align answers, as the WhatsApp guide recommends.
- Rules in the community description, repeated in the Announcements group. Templates in group rules.
If you are still choosing a format, see community vs group vs Channel. For paid cohorts, see paid WhatsApp groups.
What to automate in a large community
In a community with many cohorts, the same work repeats in every group. 9bot is added to the groups as an admin and handles welcome messages, anti-spam and anti-link, member approval with filters, time-limited access that expires on its own and recurring scheduled messages, with one dashboard for every group. See how to add the bot to a group and how to schedule messages. There is a 7-day free trial.
Why you can't create a community on WhatsApp Business
There is a single cause: according to the Help Center, you currently cannot create a community on the WhatsApp Business app, on any device. The New community option does not appear on Android, iPhone or web for a business number. There are two official ways to have a community on the company number:
- Create the community on a regular WhatsApp number, then register that number on WhatsApp Business.
- Ask the owner of a community created on the regular app to transfer ownership to your Business number, which must be an admin first.
Customer groups you already run on the Business number keep working. To organize several groups without a community, see community, group or channel.
Read also
FAQ
Can you create a community in WhatsApp Business?
How do I get a community on my business number?
How many groups can a WhatsApp community have?
How many members can a community have?
Community or broadcast list for customers?
Why don't I see New community on WhatsApp Business?
Can I own a community on WhatsApp Business?
