Message types reference
BuzzRelay supports eight message types: text, image, video, audio, document, location, contact and url. A single campaign can mix them into a sequence, sent in order with the sequence delay between each. Images, video and audio are capped at 16 MB by WhatsApp; documents at 100 MB.
The types
| Type | Carries | Size limit | Variables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text | A plain message | — | Yes |
| Image | Picture, with an optional caption | 16 MB | In the caption |
| Video | Video, with an optional caption | 16 MB | In the caption |
| Audio | An audio file | 16 MB | No |
| Document | PDF, Office file, or any document | 100 MB | In the caption |
| Location | A map pin | — | No |
| Contact | A shareable contact card | — | No |
| URL | A link, usually with surrounding text | — | Yes |
Sequences
A campaign can contain several messages of any mix, sent to each recipient in order with the sequence delay (default 3 seconds) between them.
A recipient counts as sent only when every message in the sequence succeeded. If message two of three fails, that recipient is recorded as failed even though message one arrived — and re-running the campaign would send message one again. See Campaign and recipient statuses.
Longer sequences carry more risk for that reason. Two or three messages is usually plenty.
Notes by type
Text
Supports variables and spin text. Line breaks are preserved. Keep first messages short — a wall of text reads as a blast.
Image
WhatsApp recompresses images sent as photos, so fine detail and text in the image will degrade. To preserve quality, send it as a document instead. JPG and PNG are the safe formats.
Video
16 MB is restrictive — that is well under a minute of phone footage at full quality. Re-encode as H.264 MP4 at a lower bitrate, or host the video and send a link. Also remember many people watch with sound off.
Audio
An attached audio file is not the same as a recorded voice note, and it will not appear as one.
Document
The original filename travels with the file and is what the recipient sees, so name it properly before attaching. "Price List 2026.pdf" beats "doc_final_v3(2).pdf".
Location
A fixed map pin. It cannot be personalised per recipient — if different contacts need different locations, they need different campaigns.
Contact
Shares a contact card. Useful for sending a colleague's details, or your own so recipients can save you — which also helps future deliverability.
URL
A link with surrounding text. Both support variables, so you can build per-recipient links from custom fields.
Avoid link-only first messages, especially shortened links. A bare link from an unrecognised number is one of the most reported message shapes there is. Give context first.
Media storage
Attached files are copied into %APPDATA%\BuzzRelay\media\, so include that folder in backups — see Where BuzzRelay stores your data. If a source file is later moved or deleted, re-attach it in the template: Media and attachment problems.
Timing
Media messages take longer per recipient because the file has to upload before sending, on top of your configured delays. A media campaign to several hundred recipients can run for hours — work out the real duration before scheduling.
Frequently asked questions
What message types does BuzzRelay support?
Eight: text, image, video, audio, document, location, contact and url. A single campaign can mix them into a sequence, delivered in order with the sequence delay between each message.
Can I use variables in image captions?
Yes. Image, video and document captions support variables and spin text, as do text and url messages. Audio, location and contact messages do not carry text you can personalise.
How do I stop WhatsApp compressing my images?
Send the image as a document rather than as a photo. WhatsApp recompresses photos, which degrades fine detail and any text in the image, but documents are delivered unchanged.
How many messages should a sequence contain?
Two or three is usually enough. A recipient only counts as sent when every message in the sequence succeeds, so longer sequences have more ways to fail and are harder to re-send safely.
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