What is a Drip Sequence?
What is a Drip Sequence?
A drip sequence sends a series of WhatsApp messages to each contact automatically, spaced out over time — minutes, hours, or days apart. You set it up once, and Waplify "drips" the messages out on schedule without you sending each one by hand.
Think of it as a campaign that unfolds over days instead of going out all at once. It's perfect for:
- Welcome series — greet new customers, then follow up with tips over their first week
- Cart or lead recovery — nudge someone who didn't finish a purchase or reply
- Onboarding — walk a customer through your product step by step
- Re-engagement — win back quiet customers with a few gentle reminders
Sequences vs. Campaigns
Sequences and campaigns both send template messages to your contacts, but they work differently:
| Campaign (broadcast) | Drip Sequence | |
|---|---|---|
| How many messages | One message | Up to 7 messages, in order |
| When they send | All at once | One at a time, with delays between each |
| Per contact | Everyone gets the same one message | Each contact moves through the steps on their own timeline |
| Stops on reply | No | Yes (optional) — hand the chat to your team when someone replies |
| Best for | A one-time announcement, offer, or update | A planned follow-up journey over days or weeks |
If you just want to send one message to a list right now, use a campaign. If you want to follow up automatically over several days, use a drip sequence.
How it works
- You build the sequence — give it a name, choose who receives it, and add your messages with a delay before each one.
- You launch it (now, or scheduled for later).
- Each contact is enrolled and gets the first message right away.
- After that, each follow-up message sends once its delay passes — always inside your chosen send window.
- A contact leaves the sequence when they finish all the messages, or earlier if they reply (when "stop on reply" is on), opt out, or can't be reached.
You can watch all of this happen on the sequence's analytics page.
The sequence lifecycle
Every sequence has a status, shown as a colored badge in the list:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Saved but not started yet. Drafts with an audience show a Run button so you can start them with one click. |
| Scheduled | Set to start automatically at a future date and time. |
| Running | Live — contacts are enrolled and messages are going out. |
| Paused | Temporarily stopped. No messages go out until you resume it. |
| Completed | Everyone who was enrolled has finished (or left) the journey. |
Frequently asked questions
How many messages can a sequence have?
Up to 7 steps (messages). Each step uses one approved WhatsApp template.
How long can a sequence run?
Each step can wait up to 30 days before it sends, and a contact's whole journey can span up to 90 days from when they're enrolled.
Do I need approved templates?
Yes. Every message in a sequence uses a WhatsApp template that Meta has approved. See Message Templates to create and submit one.
Can the same contact be added twice?
No. Each contact is enrolled at most once per sequence.
What happens if a customer replies?
By default, the contact leaves the sequence and the conversation is handed to your team in the inbox, so a real person can take over. You can turn this off for purely transactional sequences — see Send Window & Delivery Settings.