Sending bulk messages
Send an SMS, an email or an approved WhatsApp template to selected contacts or a smart list in one go — in batches and on a schedule.
6 min read
Bulk messaging lets you send the same message to dozens or hundreds of contacts without typing it out each time. Nudging patients who went quiet after a consultation, introducing a new doctor to your German-speaking patients or sharing holiday opening hours takes a few minutes. You send from the Contacts screen, and every send is tracked in the Bulk Actions history.
Before you start
- SMS needs a MedicalGrow phone number for your clinic. See Phone system.
- Email needs a verified sender address. See Email services.
- WhatsApp needs a WhatsApp Business API connection and templates approved by Meta. See WhatsApp templates.
- Your role needs bulk action permission. If you can't see the buttons, ask your admin; see Roles and permissions.
1. Choose the recipients
- In Contacts, select the recipients. The safest way is to open a smart list first (e.g. Implant – DE). You can tick rows one by one, use the header checkbox to select the page, or use the link to select every contact in the list.
- From the bulk action bar above the table, pick the channel: Send SMS, Send Email or WhatsApp (the icons sit side by side in the bar; the exact labels may look slightly different on your screen).
Tip
Check the selected count before sending. If it says "48 selected" and you expected 20, your filter is wrong.
2. Write the message and choose how it goes out
- Sender and template: for SMS choose the sender number; for email fill in From Name and From Email. If you have a ready-made text, pick it from the template list.
- Message: write the text and add personalisation fields. Use the { } icon in the text box to pick a field:
{{contact.first_name}}— the patient's first name- custom fields such as
{{contact.treatment_interest}} - custom values such as
{{custom_values.clinic_address}} {{location.name}}— your clinic's name
- Action name: give the send a recognisable name (e.g. DE implant – consult reminder). It appears in the Bulk Actions history.
- Delivery: choose one of three options (see the table below).
- Send a test to yourself first, then start the send with Send.
| Option | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Send all at once | Queues every message immediately. | Small lists (a few dozen contacts), urgent notices. |
| Send at a scheduled time | Sends at a single future date and time. | A time that suits the patient's time zone, e.g. 10:00 in Germany. |
| Drip mode (in batches) | Splits the send into batches: Batch quantity (contacts per batch), Repeat after (gap between batches: minutes/hours/days), Start on, Send on (days) and Process between (time window). | Large lists and messages that invite replies. |
Tip
Drip mode protects your team too: message 300 people "Would you like more information?" at once and 300 replies arrive at once. Send batches of, say, 20 every 30 minutes so coordinators can answer replies in good time.
Bulk sending on WhatsApp
Bulk WhatsApp sends use approved templates only; free text can't be sent. That's because of Meta's 24-hour rule: if a patient hasn't messaged you in the last 24 hours, you can only reach them with an approved template — and in a bulk list that applies to almost everyone.
- Start the send from the WhatsApp icon in the bar.
- Choose an approved template. The preview shows the template text, its category (Marketing, Utility) and language. If the template has an image, you can replace it for this send only.
- Set delivery to immediate, scheduled or drip mode and confirm.
Important
- Promotional content — campaigns, discounts, new doctor announcements — is a Marketing template and is charged. Don't try to send it as Utility.
- Meta applies a daily messaging limit to your number, and MedicalGrow processes WhatsApp sends at a set hourly rate. Use drip mode for large lists.
- Blocks and reports lower your quality rating. See WhatsApp rules and quality rating.
Consent, DND and deliverability
- Contacts with DND (Do Not Disturb) on for a channel are skipped automatically in bulk sends on that channel. Unsubscribed and invalid email addresses are filtered out too.
- Only send promotional messages to people who have given explicit consent (GDPR and KVKK). Store consent in a tag or custom field and build your smart list around it. See Data privacy: KVKK and GDPR.
- Give an opt-out in every promotional message: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" in SMS/WhatsApp, an unsubscribe link in email. When a patient asks you to stop, turn on their DND straight away.
- Write in the patient's language. Sending an English campaign to German-speaking patients increases complaints and spam reports.
- In email, keep subject lines short, use few links and one clear call to action; split large lists with drip mode.
Tracking results
- In the Contacts → Bulk Actions tab, find the send's row and click Show Stats.
- The stats show how many messages were sent, delivered and read (WhatsApp), how many failed and how many were skipped (DND on, channel details missing). Download the list if you need to fix failed records.
Where applicable, you can pause or cancel scheduled and drip sends from the row's menu. Replies land in the Conversations inbox as usual.
Medical tourism examples
Patients who went quiet after a consultation. Add the filter "Stage: Treatment Plan Sent, no reply in 30 days" to your Implant – DE smart list. Send a German Marketing WhatsApp template ("Hallo {{contact.first_name}}, Ihr Behandlungsplan ist noch gültig…") in batches of 20, weekdays between 10:00 and 18:00 German time. Move those who reply to the Contacted stage in your pipeline.
New doctor announcement. Introduce your new implant surgeon to German-speaking patients who have opted in, by email: a German subject line, the doctor's experience in the body and a single "Termin vereinbaren" link.
Informational notice. If the clinic closes over a holiday, send a short SMS to patients with appointments in the next two weeks. It's information, not promotion — leave out sales language.
Common problems
I can't see the Send SMS / Send Email icons. Bulk action permission may be off for your role, or no number (SMS) or verified sender (email) is set up. Ask your admin or message our support team on WhatsApp.
My template isn't in the WhatsApp list. Only templates approved by Meta are listed; pending or rejected ones don't appear. See WhatsApp templates.
Some contacts show as "Skipped". They have DND on for that channel, are missing a phone number or email, or have unsubscribed. This is expected.
The name came out blank. The contact's first name field is empty. Write the text so it still reads well without a name, or narrow the list with "First name is not empty".
WhatsApp messages are going out slowly. Bulk WhatsApp sends are spread out because of the sending rate and Meta's limits. If your quality rating has dropped, stop the send.
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