Before you create a WhatsApp community: what to decide first
What to settle before creating a WhatsApp community: who posts, which groups to link, member limits, admin roles, visibility, and why deactivating is final.
- Written by
- By WavesFlo team
- Published
- Published
- Reading time
- 2 min read
The best first step before creating a WhatsApp community is to decide who will post announcements and which groups it will contain, because the community's announcement group is posted to only by admins and every member of every linked group joins it. Settle those, then the limits, admin roles and visibility, before you press Create.
| Decision | Why it matters | Limit to know |
|---|---|---|
| Who posts announcements | Only community admins can post in the announcement group | Up to 20 community admins |
| Which groups to link | Each linked group's members all join the community | Up to 100 groups |
| Total size | Members are counted across all groups | 2,000 members in total |
| Who can create new groups | By default any member can; you can restrict to admins | Set in Community settings |
| Which groups are Visible or Hidden | Members see only visible groups | Per group |
| Who gets the invite link | Communities cannot be found by search | An admin's link or adding |
| What happens if you stop | Deactivating unlinks every group and cannot be undone | The owner cannot simply exit |
What is a sensible order?
- Write down the purpose in one sentence and the groups you want inside.
- Name the people who will be community admins, and an owner who will not leave.
- Check the member total of the groups you will link against 2,000.
- Decide who can create new groups, and set it to Only community admins if you want to keep it tidy.
- Create the community, link the groups, then post a first announcement explaining what to expect.
What goes wrong?
- Linking a large group by accident and filling the 2,000-member total.
- Letting replies pile up under announcements without anyone to answer.
- Giving admin to many people, so nobody owns the community.
- Using a community when a group would do.
Steps for creating and managing one are in how to create a WhatsApp community.
Questions
What should I do before creating a WhatsApp community?
Decide who will post announcements and which groups to link, then check the member total against 2,000.
How many admins can a community have?
Up to 20, and the creator cannot be removed.
Can I undo deactivating a community?
No. Deactivating unlinks every group and cannot be undone.