Using the Dashboard

Using the Dashboard

Day-to-day, you'll work in three places: Chats to read and reply, the message composer to send text and media, and Bulk Message to broadcast. Open the dashboard and log in (see Installation).

Chat history

Open Chats from the left sidebar.

• The contact list shows every conversation, with the contact's name (or phone number), the time of the last message, a message preview, and an unread-count badge.
• Use Search by phone… to find a conversation, or Filter by tag to narrow the list.
• Select a contact to see the full conversation timeline on the right, grouped by date. Use Load older messages to page back through history.
• Each outgoing message shows its delivery / read status (check marks).

Sending messages & media

In an open conversation, use the composer at the bottom:

• Text — type in the "Type a message…" box and press send.
• Attach a file — click the paperclip, drag-and-drop, or paste with Ctrl+V. Supported types are image, video, audio, and document. The maximum file size is 16 MB (WhatsApp's limit). Add a caption above the file before sending.
• Voice notes — click the microphone to record, then send.

The 24-hour rule. WhatsApp only lets you send free-form messages within 24 hours of the customer's last message. Outside that window, ForgeChat shows "Outside the 24-hour reply window" — send an approved template instead.

Broadcasts

Open Bulk Message to send one message to many recipients.

1. Choose the From number (a connected WhatsApp account).
2. Pick the message type — an approved Template, or a Custom message (text or media).
3. Build the recipient list by searching contacts and/or filtering by tag.
4. Use Send Test to send to a single number first and check it looks right.
5. Send the broadcast. The list shows live delivery status — Sent, Delivered, and Read counts — and a per-broadcast status of Draft / Sending / Sent / Partial / Failed.

Consent reminder: only broadcast to people who have opted in to hear from you, per Meta's policies.

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See also: Template Builder • Basic Automation • WhatsApp Business API / Meta Setup