Yes, it is possible to send WhatsApp messages directly from an Excel spreadsheet. This can be very useful for businesses and organizations that need to communicate with large numbers of contacts through WhatsApp.
There are a few different methods that allow you to integrate Excel and WhatsApp to send messages. The main options are using Excel macros and VBA code, third-party add-ins and plugins, or connecting Excel to an API platform that can interface with WhatsApp.
In this article, we’ll go through the leading techniques to send WhatsApp messages from Excel, looking at the pros and cons of each approach. We’ll also provide step-by-step instructions and code examples to help you get set up.
Benefits of Sending WhatsApp Messages from Excel
Here are some of the benefits of using Excel as a platform to send WhatsApp messages:
– Manage contacts and groups in one Excel spreadsheet – Easy to keep your WhatsApp contacts organized in Excel with names, numbers, groups, etc.
– Personalize messages – You can use Excel formulas and cell references to customize and send individual messages to each contact.
– Automate message sending – By using macros you can automatically send out hundreds or thousands of messages with a single click.
– Schedule messages – With the right setup you can have your Excel file send messages at certain times and dates.
– Track status and read receipts – Some methods allow you to get delivery receipts to see if your messages have been read.
– It’s free – Once it’s setup, you can send unlimited messages without any subscription costs.
– Integrates with other data – Excel contains valuable contact data you may already be managing, so this leverages your existing content.
Overall, if you need to communicate with lots of people through WhatsApp, handling it directly from Excel can save huge amounts of time and effort. The setup requires some technical knowledge, but once configured it provides a powerful free messaging platform.
Requirements for Sending WhatsApp Messages from Excel
To send WhatsApp messages from Excel, you’ll need the following:
– Excel – This works on all recent versions of Excel for Windows and Mac. You’ll need a spreadsheet with your contact names and phone numbers.
– WhatsApp account – You need an active WhatsApp account configured on a phone which can receive verification codes during setup.
– Macros enabled (for some methods) – The process often uses Visual Basic macros, so you need to enable macros in your Excel security settings.
– Third party tools (optional) – Some techniques require add-ins or external APIs which may require registration and access keys.
– Basic coding knowledge – You’ll need to copy, edit and apply the provided code snippets. Experience with Excel formulas, macros, and general programming concepts is very useful.
As long as you have Excel with contacts, an accessible WhatsApp account, and some technical abilities, you should be able to get one of these methods up and running. Let’s look at the main options for sending WhatsApp messages from Excel.
Method 1 – Excel Macros and VBA
The most straightforward way to integrate Excel and WhatsApp is by using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro code. This method doesn’t require any external tools, just an Excel spreadsheet and WhatsApp on your smartphone.
Here are the steps to send WhatsApp messages via Excel macros:
1. **Enable macros in Excel** – Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Macro Settings and enable all macros. You need to change the security settings to allow macros to run.
2. **Get your WhatsApp web URL** – Open web.whatsapp.com on your phone’s browser and scan the QR code using your WhatsApp app. This will link your account to WhatsApp web. Copy the URL with the code.
3. **Create Excel contact list** – Set up a sheet in Excel with columns for contact name, phone number, and message text. This will be used to pull data into each message.
4. **Insert VBA module** – Open the Visual Basic editor in Excel via the Developer tab and insert a new VBA module.
5. **Paste VBA code** – Copy and paste the VBA macro code (shared below) into the module, editing with your URL and worksheet details.
6. **Run macro** – Highlight the contact range and run the macro to start sending messages directly through WhatsApp web.
Here is example VBA code to send WhatsApp messages from Excel using macros:
“`vb
Sub SendWhatsAppMsg()
Dim WAURL As String
‘SET WHATSAPP URL
WAURL = “https://web.whatsapp.com/send?phone=”
‘LOOP THROUGH CONTACTS
For i = 2 To 5
‘PULL IN CONTACT DETAILS
name = Cells(i, 1)
number = Cells(i, 2)
Msg = Cells(i, 3)
‘OPEN WHATSAPP URL
ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink Address:=WAURL & number & “&text=” & Msg
Next i
End Sub
“`
The advantages of this VBA method are that it avoids any external tools or costs, it gives you full control over message customization with Excel formulas, and it keeps your contacts managed within Excel. The downside is that it only works while Excel is open with the macro running, and you have to scan the QR code each time. Overall it provides a lightweight way to integrate Excel and WhatsApp for message broadcasting.
Method 2 – Third Party Add-ins
Another option is to use third-party add-ins and plugins that integrate with Excel to enable WhatsApp messaging. These tools essentially provide a wrapper that connects Excel to WhatsApp in the background.
Some of the leading add-ins for sending WhatsApp messages from Excel include:
– **WAM4Excel** – This paid add-in from WAMIntegrations allows you to send messages to single or multiple contacts, attach files, schedule messages, and more.
– **MyWhatsApp** – A paid add-on with a 7-day free trial that provides advanced automation and two-way messaging capabilities.
– **Chat4Excel** – Lets you send bulk WhatsApp messages and includes features like message scheduling, contact management, and message templates.
To use one of these add-ins, you typically follow these steps:
1. Install the add-in into Excel by downloading it and adding it as an add-in.
2. Activate your account by authenticating and syncing your WhatsApp.
3. Connect Excel contacts and populate messages.
4. Use the add-in interface within Excel to send individual or bulk WhatsApp messages.
5. Manage messages and groups as needed directly through Excel.
The main advantage of using a dedicated add-in is that they make it easy to integrate WhatsApp and provide extra features like scheduling and templates. However, they often require a paid subscription after a trial period. The code and messaging is handled behind the scenes rather than being customizable.
Method 3 – WhatsApp Business API
A more advanced approach is to use the official WhatsApp Business API to send messages. This leverages automation and integration platforms which connect to the API.
To send WhatsApp messages via API, follow these general steps:
1. Sign up for a platform that connects to the WhatsApp Business API like Chatlayer, Vonage, or Twilio.
2. Get an API key and authentication credentials from the platform.
3. Import your Excel contact list into the platform.
4. Use code or integrations to trigger sending WhatsApp messages from the API.
5. Manage messages and groups through the platform’s interface.
Here is some sample Python code for sending a WhatsApp message via the Twilio API:
“`python
from twilio.rest import Client
account_sid = ‘ACxx’
auth_token = ‘xx’
client = Client(account_sid, auth_token)
message = client.messages.create(
from_=’whatsapp:+14155238886′,
body=’Your Excel message goes here!’,
to=’whatsapp:+1234567890′
)
print(message.sid)
“`
The API method allows you to leverage robust automation and workflows to scale WhatsApp messaging. The downside is it requires coding skills and costs for paid API usage. Overall it provides the most powerful Excel-to-WhatsApp integration but has a steeper learning curve.
Comparison Between Methods
| Method | Setup Difficulty | Features | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel Macros | Easy | Limited | Free |
| Add-ins | Intermediate | Extensive | Paid subscriptions |
| APIs | Advanced | Robust | Pay per usage |
As this comparison shows, Excel macros provide the simplest free option while add-ins give you more functionality for a price. The API integration delivers the most power and customization but requires significant technical expertise.
Tips for Sending WhatsApp Messages from Excel
Here are some tips to help you be successful when setting up and sending WhatsApp messages from Excel:
– Carefully check the code snippets and customize for your worksheet names and ranges.
– Format your contact data cleanly in Excel before importing into any tools.
– Use Excel formulas, references and concatenation to customize messages.
– When using macros, ensure your device stays linked to WhatsApp web for the duration.
– Leverage add-in trial periods to test which tools fit your use case before purchasing.
– Start small when first integrating Excel and WhatsApp to ensure it works as expected.
– Review WhatsApp Business API documentation thoroughly to understand capabilities and costs.
– Ensure your WhatsApp account remains verified throughout any integrations.
– Analyze delivery receipts and statuses to confirm messages are being received.
– Check spam settings and whitelist important numbers to avoid blocked messages.
With the right preparation and testing, you can achieve excellent results sending WhatsApp messages directly from your Excel spreadsheets. Automating this communication channel unlocks huge time savings and convenience.
Conclusion
Sending WhatsApp messages directly from Excel is possible using a range of methods including macros, add-ins, and APIs. The technique you choose depends on your budget, technical skills, and requirements. But all the options allow you to leverage Excel as a platform for managing contacts and automating large-scale WhatsApp communication.
With the growing importance of WhatsApp for business, retail, schools, and many other sectors, the ability to integrate it with Excel provides exciting possibilities. You can carefully target and customize messages while saving massive amounts of time. Just be sure to thoroughly test any of these methods first and understand the limitations before rolling out broadcasts.
Overall, with the right approach for your needs, you can unlock the full potential of Excel and WhatsApp together. This opens new horizons for efficiently communicating with large contact groups via WhatsApp messaging.