Customer Segments & WhatsApp Broadcast
In the Marketing Center, you can group customers into segments by rules — for example customers who haven't shopped in a while, or customers whose birthday is this month — and then send a WhatsApp broadcast to that segment.
WhatsApp broadcast is available on the Growth plan and above.
Customer segments and WhatsApp broadcast launch with this release. The page may look slightly different from the description below, but it works the same way.
Customer segments
A segment is a group of customers picked automatically by the rules you set. You don't need to pick customers one by one.
Rules you can use
| Rule | Example use |
|---|---|
| Days since last order | Customers who haven't ordered in 60 days, to invite them back |
| Number of orders | Loyal customers who have ordered 5 times or more |
| Total spend | Customers who have spent more than Rp1,000,000. Counted after refunds, so returned orders don't add to the total |
| Membership | Customers with a certain membership tier, such as Gold |
| Bought a product or category | Customers who have bought iced coffee, or any product from the Cookies category |
| Birthday month | Customers whose birthday is this month, for birthday wishes and gifts |
| Has phone number / email | Only customers you can reach on a given channel |
| Never ordered | Customers who signed up but have never bought anything |
| Viewed products but didn't buy in the last N days | Customers who looked at your products in the last 14 days but have no paid order in those 14 days, to remind them or send a coupon |
About the Viewed products but didn't buy rule:
- N is between 1 and 365 days
- it only covers registered customers who were logged in while viewing products, because it uses the customer account's "recently viewed" history; visitors without an account can't be put in a segment
- "buying" means having an order with status Paid, On delivery, or Delivered placed within those N days
- it can't be combined with Days since last order "less than" the same number or a smaller one, because the two contradict each other (for example "last order less than 7 days ago" and "didn't buy in the last 14 days")
- this rule doesn't use Storefront Analytics data, which stays anonymous
You can use one rule or several rules together. A customer must match all of them to be in the segment, so the more rules you add, the more specific the segment.
See the customer count before saving
Before saving a segment, you can see a preview of how many customers match its rules. Use this number to check that the rules are right:
- the count is zero or very small — the rules may be too strict
- the count is almost all your customers — the rules may be too loose
Complete Customers data (phone number, email, date of birth) makes segments more accurate.
WhatsApp broadcast
A broadcast sends one WhatsApp message to every customer in a segment.
Before you send
- Growth plan or higher. Broadcast is not available on the Free plan. See Billing & Plans.
- Approved message template. Broadcasts are sent using Etalasse's WhatsApp message template, approved by WhatsApp. The Etalasse team prepares this template. If the template is not enabled for your shop yet, the dashboard tells you, and broadcasts can't be sent.
- WhatsApp quota. Broadcasts use the monthly WhatsApp quota from your plan — the same quota used by WhatsApp order updates in Customer Notifications.
- Phone number. Only customers with a phone number can receive a broadcast.
Sending a broadcast
- create or choose a customer segment
- check the preview of how many customers will receive it
- write your message (up to 850 characters) — short, clear, and with your shop name
- send the broadcast
- follow the progress until all messages are sent
How messages go out
- Gradually. Messages go out a little at a time, about 30 messages per minute, so WhatsApp doesn't treat them as spam. For example, a broadcast to 600 customers finishes in about 20 minutes.
- Paused when the quota runs out. If your monthly WhatsApp quota runs out in the middle of a broadcast, sending is paused automatically. It continues on its own as soon as quota is available again, for example when next month's quota opens.
Customers who reply STOP or BERHENTI
Customers who reply to a broadcast with STOP or BERHENTI are never sent a broadcast again, even if they still match your segment rules. This is automatic — you don't need to track it yourself.
You don't need to write unsubscribe instructions. The template already adds "Balas STOP atau BERHENTI untuk berhenti menerima pesan promosi." (Reply STOP or BERHENTI to stop receiving promotional messages) to the end of every broadcast. Customers feel respected, and your shop's number is safer from spam reports.
Good practices
In Indonesia, WhatsApp is customers' most personal channel. Messages that feel like spam annoy customers quickly — and WhatsApp can restrict or block numbers that get reported as spam often.
- Only message customers who agreed. For example, customers who have bought from you and gave their number to be contacted. Don't use numbers from purchased lists or collected without permission.
- Watch the frequency. One or two broadcasts a month to the same segment is usually enough. Avoid sending every day.
- Send relevant offers. Use segments so the message fits the people who get it — a coffee promo for coffee buyers, birthday wishes for this month's birthdays — rather than one message for everyone.
- Mind the timing. Send at reasonable hours, such as morning or late afternoon. Avoid late at night and, during Ramadan, fit around iftar and sahur times.
- Save quota for order updates. A large broadcast can use up the quota that WhatsApp order updates also rely on. Check your remaining quota before sending.
- Include a way to opt out, as in the tip above.
Example segments and messages
| Segment | Message |
|---|---|
| Hasn't ordered in 60 days | "We miss you! Use coupon BALIKLAGI for 15% off until this Sunday." |
| Birthday this month | "Happy birthday! Enjoy a free drink on us this month." |
| Bought from the Cookies category | "Lebaran cookies are now open for orders. Limited stock — order now." |
| Viewed products but didn't buy in the last 7 days | "Still thinking it over? Use coupon JADIBELI for free delivery until Friday." |
Pair a broadcast with a Coupon or a Flash Sale so customers have a reason to buy right away.