How to Create a WhatsApp Community for Businesses and Teams

Want to set up a WhatsApp community but not sure how it works? Don’t stress. You’re in the right place.

WhatsApp communities basically help you bring all your related groups together under one roof. So instead of running five different chats for sales, service or team updates, you get one clean space where everything stays organised.

If you’ve ever shared the same update in multiple groups, only to realise half the people missed it, this is for you. Communities let you:

• Send announcements to everyone at once
• Manage who can post and who can’t
• Add different groups under one main community

But here’s the thing — if you’re trying it for the first time, setting up a community can feel a bit confusing. What’s the difference between a group and a community? Where do you add subgroups? How do you control who posts what?

That’s exactly what we’ll cover in this guide — step by step, without any jargon.

What is WhatsApp Community?

A WhatsApp community is like your control centre for managing multiple related groups in one place. Instead of posting the same message in five different WhatsApp groups, you create a community, add all those groups under it and share updates from one central spot.

For example: Let’s say you run a coaching institute. You have different groups for batches, parents and support queries. Rather than juggling separate chats, you can create a WhatsApp community and link all these groups together under that one community.

When you post in the community’s announcement group, it reaches all the linked groups at once, without having to copy-paste anything.

Here’s how it actually works:

• You create a community with a name, profile photo and description
• Add existing groups or create new ones as part of that community
• Set admin controls—like who can post, invite members or manage group settings
• Members can join using a community link, but their phone numbers stay private from other members
• All group chats under the community stay organised under the same umbrella

This is especially useful for businesses, societies or schools that need to keep large numbers of people connected without spamming individual groups.

How does WhatsApp Community work?

WhatsApp Community is designed to bring multiple related groups together under one organised space, without losing control or cluttering up everyone’s chats.

When you create a community, here’s what actually happens behind the scenes:

One community, multiple groups: You can add up to 50 different WhatsApp groups under a single community. For example, a real estate company could have separate groups for sales teams, support teams and customer updates — all managed under one umbrella.

Central announcement group: Every community comes with an announcement group. Only admins can send messages there, and those updates reach all community members instantly. This helps keep things clean — no back-and-forth chats, just key updates.

Privacy-first member controls: Members in different groups can’t see each other’s numbers or personal details. This is ideal for larger communities where privacy matters, like schools or public organisations.

Admin management tools: Community admins can:

• Add or remove groups
• Set which groups can send messages
• Invite new members or remove inactive ones
• Transfer community ownership if needed

File sharing and events: Groups within communities can share files up to 2GB, create polls and set event reminders. These features make coordination easier without needing separate tools.

Cross-platform access: You can manage your community on Android, iPhone and WhatsApp Web.

In simple words, instead of sending the same message in 10 different groups, you just post it once in your announcement group. Everyone gets it — no confusion, no repetitive and manual effort.

Related read: If you’re starting out with marketing in your business, read our blog on WhatsApp marketing to understand how you can use the WhatsApp platform for the same.

WhatsApp Community vs Group vs Channel: What’s the difference?

When it comes to managing conversations on WhatsApp, there are three main options now: groups, communities and channels.

At first glance, they might look similar, but each one is built for a different purpose. Knowing when to use which can save you a lot of confusion and extra effort.

Here’s a clearer breakdown:

In simple words

• Groups are for regular chats with a smaller set of people, where everyone participates
• Communities help you organise several different WhatsApp groups under one setup — perfect for keeping things neat without repeating the same message multiple times
• Channels are like newsletters or broadcasts — only admins send updates and followers listen

How to create a community on WhatsApp (Android)

Setting up a WhatsApp community on Android takes less than five minutes. Follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Open WhatsApp and go to the Communities tab

Open WhatsApp on your Android phone.

Tap the Communities icon on the top left (next to your chat list).

Step 2: Tap “New community” or “Get started”

Tap New community. If it’s your first time, you’ll see a Get started button—tap that too.

Step 3: Enter your community details

• Community name: Write a clear name, like “ABC Coaching Centre” or “XYZ Sales Team.”
• Description: Add a one-line description to help members know what the community is about. Example: “Important updates and announcements only.”
• Profile photo: Upload an icon or image so members can spot your community easily.

Note: Community names and descriptions can be up to 100 characters long.

Step 4: Add existing groups or create new groups

WhatsApp will now ask you to:

• Add existing groups you already have
• Or create new groups under this community

Pro tip: Create two groups to start with — one for announcements (admin-only) and one for general chats.

You can add up to 50 groups in one community. Each group can have up to 1,024 members.

Step 5: Set admin controls and privacy settings

• Decide who can post in each group, especially the announcement group (admins only recommended).
• Members won’t see each other’s phone numbers across different groups inside the community, so privacy stays intact.

Step 6: Tap “Create” and share your community link

• Once everything looks good, tap Create.
• Your WhatsApp community is now ready!
• Go to Invite Members and copy or share the community link with others. You can add members manually as well.

How to create a community on WhatsApp (iOS)

Setting up a WhatsApp community on your iPhone is almost the same as on Android, but a few button placements and labels are slightly different. Here’s the full process step by step:

Step 1: Open WhatsApp and tap the Communities tab

• Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
• Look for the Communities icon at the bottom of your screen, next to Chats, Status and Calls tabs.
• Tap on it to start creating your community.

Step 2: Tap “Start a Community”

• Tap the Start a Community button.
• If it’s your first time, you’ll see WhatsApp’s intro explaining what communities are. Tap Continue to move ahead.

Step 3: Fill in community details

• Community name: Add a clear, simple name that people will recognise.
• Description: Write a short line about what the community is for.
• Community icon: Upload a profile photo or choose an emoji as your icon.

Note: iOS also allows up to 100 characters for both the community name and description.

Step 4: Add existing groups or create new groups

WhatsApp now asks you to:

• Add existing groups (that you already manage)
• Or Create New Groups directly under this community

Step 5: Set admin controls and privacy

Before tapping create, check your admin settings:

• Choose who can post in each group
• Set the announcement group as admin-only if required
• Group members’ privacy: Members in different groups under the community won’t see each other’s phone numbers

Step 6: Tap “Create” and invite members

• Once everything is set up, tap Create. Your community is now ready on iPhone.
• To add members, tap Invite Members and either share the community link or add them manually.

How to create a community on WhatsApp (Web)

If you prefer using WhatsApp Web, you can also create and manage your community from there. While the options are mostly the same as on mobile, the layout is slightly different.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open WhatsApp Web

• Go to web.whatsapp.com or open the WhatsApp web.
• Make sure you’re logged in using your phone’s QR code.

Step 2: Click on the Communities icon

• On the left sidebar, you’ll see the Communities icon.
• It looks like a group of people. Click on it.

Step 3: Click “New community”

• Once inside the Communities tab, click New community.
• If it’s your first time, WhatsApp may show an introduction pop-up — click Continue.

Step 4: Add community name, description and icon

• Enter a community name (up to 100 characters).
• Write a short description.
• Upload a profile photo or icon—recommended size is at least 640×640 pixels for web.

Step 5: Add groups or create new groups

• Select Add existing groups or Create new groups directly from the web.
• Note: Creating new groups from the Web might be limited in some versions — if you don’t see the option, create them on your phone first, then add them through the Web.

Step 6: Set admin controls and privacy

Review the settings:

• Who can post in each group
• Announcement group set to admin-only
• Member privacy: Numbers stay hidden across subgroups

Step 7: Click “Create” and share the invite link

• Once everything looks right, click Create.
• You can now select Invite Members to share your community link via chat, email or by copying the link directly.

How many members can join a WhatsApp community?

One of the biggest advantages of using WhatsApp communities over regular groups is that you’re no longer limited to just 1,024 members in a single chat.

Here’s exactly how the numbers work:

• Up to 50 groups in one community: You can add up to 50 separate WhatsApp groups under one community. These could be sales teams, customer support groups, project updates or apartment society chats — all linked together in one place.
• 1,024 members per group: Each group inside your community can have up to 1,024 members. This is the same as the regular WhatsApp group limit.
• Community announcement group limit: 2,000–5,000 members (beta): As of the latest WhatsApp beta releases, the community announcement group can support up to 2,000 to 5,000 members. This feature is being rolled out gradually, so some accounts may still see a 2,000-member cap.
• Unlimited communities per account: WhatsApp doesn’t officially limit how many communities you can create from one account, though creating too many might impact usability.

Why this matters for businesses and large groups

For smaller groups, regular WhatsApp chats might be enough. But if you’re handling customer communications, running a school, managing an event or leading a club, these limits make it much easier to:

• Organise different teams under one umbrella
• Avoid clutter and message repetition
• Scale your communication without losing control

Useful features of communities on WhatsApp you should know about

WhatsApp communities are built to help you manage conversations at scale, without getting messy or losing control.

Here are the key features that make WhatsApp communities useful for businesses, schools and large organisations:

1. Centralised announcements

Every community includes an announcement group where only admins can send messages. You can use it for:

• Sharing important information
• Event updates
• Business offers or new product launches

✅ Benefit: Everyone in all linked groups receives the same message at once without spam or chat clutter.

2. Member privacy controls

When members join your WhatsApp community:

• Their phone numbers stay hidden from others outside their existing group
• They only see admins and members within their specific group

✅ Benefit: Helps protect personal information, especially in larger or public communities.

3. Admin controls and ownership transfer

Admins have full control:

• Add or remove groups
• Control who can post in each group
• Transfer community ownership to another admin if required
• Remove or block inactive members

✅ Benefit: Keeps your community well-managed even as it grows.

4. End-to-end encryption

All chats, including announcement group messages and subgroup chats, are secured with end-to-end encryption.

That means:

• No one outside the chat — including WhatsApp — can read your messages
• Your business and personal data stay private

✅ Benefit: Builds trust with your members or customers.

5. File sharing and polls

Inside community groups, you can:

• Share files up to 2GB in size
• Run polls to collect quick feedback or opinions
• Create events in some beta versions

✅ Benefit: Saves time and makes coordination easier without needing extra tools.

Pro tips for managing your WhatsApp community smoothly

Setting up your WhatsApp community is just the first step. Managing it well is what keeps things organised, easy to use and valuable for everyone involved.

Here are a few practical tips to help you run your community better:

1. Keep your community name clear and purposeful

Instead of a random name like “My Group,” use something specific:

• “XYZ School Updates”
• “ABC Realty – Client Announcements”

This way, members instantly know what the community is about before they join.

2. Set admin roles carefully

• Make sure only trusted team members or staff have admin access
• For larger communities, have different admins for different subgroups — one for sales, one for support, etc
• Always enable announcement group: admins only settings to avoid unwanted spam

3. Share your community link smartly

• Don’t post your community invite link in public places if privacy matters
• Share it directly with your team, clients or members through verified channels
• If a member becomes inactive, remove them to keep things tidy

4. Use the announcement group wisely

Keep your announcement group conversations focused on important updates only.

Avoid casual messages here — this is meant for:

• Event updates
• Policy changes
• Product or service announcements

5. Review and update settings regularly

Check your community setup once in a while:

• Member list
• Admin roles
• Linked groups

This helps avoid clutter and keeps your community running smoothly as it grows.

Conclusion

Now that you know exactly how WhatsApp communities work, you can set them up for your business, school or society in just a few clicks. It’s a simple way to organise different groups, share announcements from one place and keep things neat instead of juggling five separate chats.

However, here’s something to consider — if you’re running a business, especially one that involves a large volume of leads, customers or team coordination, WhatsApp communities are just one part of the puzzle.

They’re great for basic updates. But they won’t help you with:

• Following up with 200 customers automatically
• Sending bulk WhatsApp messages (that too personalised) in one go
• Setting up WhatsApp chatbots to reply instantly when you’re busy

That’s where telecrm’s WhatsApp CRM comes in. It’s designed for businesses that want to utilise WhatsApp more effectively — not just for chatting, but for driving sales, managing leads and handling support without losing control.

So if you want to take your WhatsApp setup beyond just groups and communities, book a free demo today. We’ll show you exactly how it can work for your business.